Glutathione is peptides with thiol-containing and small molecule, it has two important function:antioxidant and detoxification integration. Glutathione is tri-peptide combining  by  glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine.The thiol of  cysteine  is active matrix . (it is often abbreviated as glutathione G-SH).It is  easy to combine with iodoacetic acid, mustard gas (a gas), lead, mercury, arsenic and other heavy metal salt. Then it owns the functions of integration of detoxification. Glutathione (particularly glutathione within the liver cells) have very important physiological role is the integration of detoxification, with certain drugs (such as paracetamol), toxins (such as free radicals, heavy metals) and other combination, involved in a biological into effect, thus bringing the body of harmful toxins into harmless substances excreted.
There are another two forms named prototypes of glutathione (G-SH) and oxidized (GSSG). Under physiological conditions, the vast majority are glutathione. Glutathione reductase-catalyzed interconversion between the two types. Enzyme cofactor for the phosphorylation of glucose metabolism in the bypass provided NADPH.
Another major physiological role of glutathione is that :it becomes an important antioxidant for human body. It can rid free radicals of the body, clean and purify the environmental pollution of human body.thus enhancing people's health. Because glutathione itself vulnerable to oxidation of certain substances, so it in the body in many proteins and enzymes that protect the thiol molecules are not free radicals and other harmful substances, such as oxidation, Resveratrol so that the protein molecules and enzymes play its physiological function. Glutathione content of human red blood cells, and this for the protection of red blood cell membrane protein thiol in the reduced state, to prevent the hemolysis of great significance, but also can protect against excessive oxidation of hemoglobin, free radicals and other oxidation so that it continued to normal in the ability to transport oxygen to play. Hemoglobin in red blood cells in the part of the hydrogen peroxide under the action of oxidants, including oxidation of divalent iron to trivalent iron, hemoglobin into methemoglobin, which has lost aerobic capacity. Both direct and glutathione oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide combine to form water and oxidized glutathione, methemoglobin can be reduced to hemoglobin.
In addition, vitamin C is also an important antioxidant in vivo. Because vitamin C can reversibly hydrogenation or dehydrogenation, so vitamin C in the body in many redox reactions play an important role. For example, many active groups of enzymes are thiol (-SH), vitamin C to maintain the-SH in the reduced state and maintain the enzyme activity; vitamin C can make the oxidized glutathione into reduced glutathione (GSH ), so that the body's metabolism of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduction; Vitamin C also protects vitamins A, E and some B vitamins from oxidation. Therefore, when the use of glutathione, and vitamin C and used to improve their effectiveness.
Currently, glutathione has been developed artificial and is widely used in clinical. its thiol is used for chelating heavy metals, fluoride, mustard gas poisoning and other toxins. Meanwhile,it has the functions of curing hepatitis, hemolytic disease, keratitis, cataract and retinal disease, becoing the adjuvant therapy drugs.
Treatment and prevention of glutathione:(1) detoxification. (2) protection for radiation sickness and radiation. (3) protect the liver. (4) anti-allergy. (5) to improve the course and symptoms of some diseases. (6) beauty and take care of the skin. (7) to increase visual acuity and protect eyes from disease. (8) effects of anti-aging. Source:http:// www.cospcn.com