What is Cystine?

How Will Cystine Boost My Glutathione Levels?

What is the role of cystine in maintaining or boosting glutathione in the cells of our body?

Evidence indicates glutathione is poorly absorbed through digestion. It is primarily manufactured at the cellular level. So, how can we maintain and even boost glutathione levels within our body?

There are natural and pharmaceutical sources to accomplish this. The simple answer is to take bonded cystine. However, there are only a few effective ways to do this with out dangerous side effects.

To get past the hype and dispel the myth it will require looking at the science. It requires gaining an understanding of the biochemical make up of this protein, what it does and how we end up with the master antioxidant glutathione in our cells.

Glutathione is also known by the chemical name GSH. It is a tripeptide or three proteins made of glutamate, glycine, and cystine. The first two, glutamate and glycine are readily available in the North American diet. The form of Cysteine the body can absorb is not.

What is Cystine?

Cystine is an oxidized form of cysteine. It is created by two cysteine molecules united by a disulfide bond. It is a component of proteins and is found in cells of the immune system, skeletal and connective tissues. It is also present in digestive enzymes.

Skin and hair have as much as 10-14% cysteine.

It is easily broken down into the base components at temperatures greater than 150 degrees C and can also be split by low pH and mechanical stress. This is important to know in determining the bioavailability of any product. A manufacturer can claim to have the right stuff and yet have damaged it in handling so that it is no longer viable for the intended use.

Naturally produced is the biologically best form of cysteine for glutathione synthesis over the pharmaceutical versions.

There are supplemental forms of this GSH essential protein. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is available in most health food stores. Unfortunately it has some side effects and some contraindications. If you are on any type of prescribed antibiotic and especially if you are on chemotherapy you need to talk to your doctor about using NAC. This is a very important and serious concern. You must talk to them about this.

The best source comes from undenatured whey proteins of milk. Because it naturally has the disulfide bond, it is resistant to the digestive enzymes pepsin and trypsin and is easily absorbed into the blood stream. On reaching the cells, it is broken down for glutathione synthesis.

It is important that it be unpasteurized or low-heat pasteurized in the production process otherwise it will no longer be bioactive. Other treatments that make the product easy to dissolve will also damage the fragile molecules and render them useless.

This nutritional source is virtually free of side effects, contraindications, and limitations associated with the N-acetyl cysteine.

If this info has not got deep enough, it is going to get even deeper. More importantly, it is getting better. The thiol group of proteins (That is the SH part of GSH) have an affinity for heavy metals. This means they have such an infatuation with these toxic metals that they stalk them and relentlessly try to get married to them. And they succeed.

They are especially successful with metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium. If you are wondering what this means, well, you are looking at the ultimate antidote for lead, mercury, and cadmium poisoning.

To Be Essential or Not to Be

Cysteine although not essential as an amino acid, some circles feel that it is essential for infants, elderly, metabolic disease, and malabsorption syndromes.

However when considering the health implications for any disease process, condition, toxic exposures and disease exposure, many are starting to view it as essential to their personal health and wellness.

Food Sources of Cysteine

Cysteine is present in meats. It is also available in red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, oats, and wheat germ.

Dairy forms can be found in milk (although much is destroyed with the pasteurization process) and whey protein. It is more readily available in raw milk but because of health concerns, the risks outweigh the benefits. The same is true of eggs. It is present in raw eggs but will be lost when cooked.

Cysteine once consumed will require methionine in sufficient quantities to synthesized it into glutathione.

Boost your glutathione levels.

Cysteine, the single molecule is considered a poison by the body. So if we should eat it, it will be attacked and destroyed. If a second molecule of cysteine is added and bonded together it becomes cystine.

Bonded-cystine only needs the co-factors to be synthesized into glutathione. The essential ingredient to enhance glutathione production in our body is bonded kind of cysteine.

When combined with glycine and glutamate it turns into glutathione in each of our cells.

Dietary Sources

• Whey protein
• Methionine
• Cystine Note...it has to be bioactive, undenatured or will not work.
• Cysteine
• OTZ
• OTC
• NAC
• SAM

Glutamate Dietary Sources