Research summary
Research HubGlutathione
Clinical — 10 studies
Glutathione is a tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine and glycine found in most cells, and a standard marker in oxidative stress research. Most studies cited here measure it as an outcome in trials of other nutrients; one trial gave glutathione itself.
Updated
Being studied for
- Redox biomarker measurement
- Glutathione status in nutrition trials
- Body glutathione stores
- Exercise and oxidative load
- Antioxidant enzyme activity
What the research shows
Ten publications are cited, from 2015 to 2026: eight randomised trials, one of them a secondary analysis of trial data, and two meta-analyses. Only one, a 2015 randomised controlled trial, gave glutathione itself and measured the effect on the body's glutathione stores. The rest tested other supplements, namely HMB free acid, a multinutrient formula, glycine with N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC), aronia berry extract, selenium, butyrate, citrulline, chromium and melatonin, and recorded glutathione or related antioxidant enzymes among their outcomes.
The 2015 trial reported that glutathione supplementation raised glutathione stores across body compartments. In the other studies, glutathione results were mixed. The GlyNAC trial in older adults reported that the combination was well tolerated and associated with correction of glutathione deficiency, alongside changes in oxidative stress, inflammation and physical function measures, and the aronia trial reported higher erythrocyte glutathione around exercise in healthy adults with low fruit and vegetable intake. The chromium meta-analysis found higher glutathione with no significant change in other markers. Selenium did not change glutathione in women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing IVF, HMB transiently raised antioxidant enzyme activity in elite judoka without changing muscle damage or oxidative stress markers, and the butyrate trial in type 2 diabetes reported within-group falls in blood pressure and post-meal glucose but no change, or adverse change, in its other biochemical measures. The multinutrient, citrulline and melatonin studies reported lower oxidative stress markers in children with ADHD, people with type 2 diabetes and pooled trials respectively.
Because nine of the ten studies tested something other than glutathione, most of this page is indirect evidence: a glutathione reading taken in a trial of aronia or chromium describes that supplement, not glutathione given on its own. The populations range from elite athletes to children with ADHD, women undergoing IVF and people with type 2 diabetes, and the markers differ from study to study. One trial is described as a pilot, and the melatonin meta-analysis itself called for large, well-designed randomised trials.
Published Research
Evidence profile
Human Phase 2 evidence
10 cited publications · 8 primary trials
Findings below belong to the studies that reported them. They describe the material and conditions those authors used, not this product, and not an outcome to expect.
Supporting evidence
Effects of acute HMB-FA supplementation on antioxidant status and muscle damage in Elite Judoka: a randomized pilot trial
Tayebi SM et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026
The study reportedAcute post-exercise HMB-FA supplementation in elite judo athletes did not significantly influence muscle damage or oxidative stress markers but transiently increased antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, GPX, and SOD).
Multinutrients Decrease Oxidative Stress in Children With ADHD: Mediation/Moderation Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial Data
Robinette LM et al. · Journal of attention disorders · 2025
The study reportedEight weeks of multinutrient supplementation in children with ADHD reduced ROM without significant change in antioxidant status, suggesting decrease in oxidative stress.
Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Kumar P et al. · The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2023
The study reportedGlyNAC supplementation in OA for 16-weeks was safe and well-tolerated. By combining the benefits of glycine, NAC and GSH, GlyNAC is an effective nutritional supplement that improves and reverses multiple age-associated abnormalities to promote health in aging humans.
Eight-week supplementation of Aronia berry extract promoted the glutathione defence system against acute aerobic exercise-induced oxidative load immediately and 30 min post-exercise in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomised controlled trial
Chung JW et al. · Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2023
The study reportedThese findings suggest that daily supplementation of 300 mg ABE might help boost GSH levels and an adaptive antioxidant enzyme defence system of erythrocytes in healthy adults with habitually low fruit and vegetable intakes.
The effects of selenium supplementation on glycemic control, serum lipoproteins and biomarkers of oxidative stress in infertile women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilization: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Zadeh Modarres S et al. · Clinical nutrition ESPEN · 2022
The study reportedOverall, our study demonstrated that selenium supplementation for 8 weeks in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing IVF had beneficial effects on glycemic control and MDA levels, but did not affect pregnancy rate, lipid profiles, TAC and GSH levels.
The effects of butyrate supplementation on glycemic control, lipid profile, blood pressure, nitric oxide level and glutathione peroxidase activity in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized triple -blind, placebo-controlled trial
Khosravi Z et al. · Clinical nutrition ESPEN · 2022
The study reportedWe observed significant within-group decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as BS2hpp following oral butyrate treatment. While no or even adverse changes in other biochemical parameters were found.
Oxidative stress and nitrate/nitrite (NOx) status following citrulline supplementation in type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Azizi S et al. · Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2021
The study reportedThe results of the present study show the positive effects of citrulline supplementation with respect to attenuating FBS levels and oxidative stress, as well as boosting NOx status, in patients with T2DM.
Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione
Richie JP Jr et al. · European journal of nutrition · 2015
The study reportedThese findings show, for the first time, that daily consumption of GSH supplements was effective at increasing body compartment stores of GSH.
Effects of chromium supplementation on oxidative stress biomarkers
Amini MR et al. · International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition · 2023
The study reportedMoreover, both chromium picolinate and chromium dinicocysteinate supplementation reduced protein carbonyl levels. Conclusion: Overall, this meta-analysis demonstrated that chromium supplementation increased GSH without any significant changes in the mean of GPX, MDA, TAS, TBARS, CAT and SOD.
Effect of melatonin supplementation on oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Morvaridzadeh M et al. · Pharmacological research · 2020
The study reportedMelatonin intake was shown to have a significant impact on improving Oxidative stress parameters. However, future research through large, well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to determine the effect of melatonin on oxidative stress parameters in different age groups and different disease types.
Published studies summarised here concern the specific investigational or pharmaceutical materials and study conditions described by their authors. Their findings are not performance claims for Cobalt Peptides material. Citations verified against PubMed on 2026-09-29.
The studies summarised here are research reports; nothing on this page is guidance on use in people or animals.
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