Glutathione
What’s New This Month
- Injections: CDC reports over 25 people sick in at least four states after injectable glutathione compounded with a dietary-supplement-grade ingredient; at least three were hospitalised and one was critically ill. These were injections, not capsules. 1
- New recall: On 1 October 2026, Greenwich Rx of Tomball, Texas, recalled compounded glutathione vials for possible high endotoxin levels; two patients needed emergency care after IV use. 2
- Europe: EFSA found S-acetyl glutathione safe at 300 mg a day for adults, but not in pregnancy or breastfeeding. It is not yet authorised in the EU. 3
- Liver: In a 2026 study of 466 people with chronic liver disease taking 500 mg a day, liver scores worsened overall. The study had no comparison group. 4
Overview
Glutathione is a small molecule made of three amino acids. The body makes its own, and it helps protect cells from damage. Supplements are usually made by yeast fermentation.
It was first found in yeast in 1888, and the biochemist Frederick Gowland Hopkins named it glutathione in 1921. 5
Sellers call it a “master antioxidant” that detoxes the liver, slows aging, boosts immunity and brightens skin.
How We Researched It
We rate each marketing claim with a modified version of GRADE, the system medical researchers use to say how sure we can be (i.e., high, moderate, low or very low), and check each trial with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, which asks whether a study’s design could skew its results. For glutathione we appraised 38 records, published mostly from October 2022 to October 2026, plus older trials. We also checked 10 regulators and safety databases, and used two Cochrane reviews.
Research NotesTop three benefits
Insulin Resistance GRADE: Very Low
In a 3-week trial of 20 men with obesity (10 with diabetes), 1,000 mg a day improved insulin sensitivity on a lab test. 21 In a 6-month open trial of 206 people with diabetes, HbA1c (a 3-month blood sugar average) did not change overall. 22
Bias check: The positive trial was tiny and short. The larger trial had no placebo, and its benefit in people over 55 was found only after the fact.
Liver Support GRADE: Very Low
In 29 people with fatty liver, 300 mg a day for 4 months lowered the liver enzyme ALT. 8 In 466 people with chronic liver disease taking 500 mg a day, liver scores worsened overall. 4
Bias check: Neither study had a comparison group, and the maker helped fund the first.
Detox GRADE: Very Low
No human study has measured detoxification after glutathione taken by mouth.
Bias check: Detox claims rest on cell and animal work, or on IV and other routes.
Benefit Evaluation
| Claim | Claim Verdict | Research Confidence | Supporting Evidence | Safety Risk | Product Quality | FactStack™ Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulin Resistance | Promising | Very Low | Promising | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Liver Support | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Detox | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Healthy Aging | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Immune Support | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Psoriasis | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Leg Circulation | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Autoimmune Disease | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Variable | Caution |
| Skin Brightening | TBD | Low | TBD | Caution | Variable | Caution |
What Sellers Say vs. What Studies Show
| “Capsules raise your glutathione.” | One 6-month, maker-funded trial found higher blood levels. A 4-week trial and the only pooled analysis did not. 6 7 |
| “It detoxes your body.” | No human study has measured detox after glutathione taken by mouth. |
| “It clears a fatty liver.” | The only trial had 29 people, no comparison group and maker funding. A 2026 study of 466 people with liver disease found scores worsened overall. 8 4 |
| “It lightens skin.” | Results are mixed, and the largest trial, 83 people, found no change. 9 |
| “Liposomal forms work better.” | They raised blood levels in small maker-linked studies, but none showed a health gain. |
| “IV drips work faster.” | At least 30 patients had adverse events after IV glutathione, and FDA told compounders not to use supplement-grade glutathione. 10 |
Trial ParametersIf you try it
| Who | No marketed health benefit is established for any group. |
| Dose | No authority dose. Trials used 250 to 1,000 mg a day for up to 6 months. 6 |
| Ceiling | None set in the US. EFSA found the S-acetyl form safe at 300 mg a day for adults. 3 |
| Duration | Studied up to 6 months. No stop rule established. |
| Form | An NSF/ANSI 173-listed product; 2 of 12 products bought online held none. Avoid IV and injectable glutathione. Liposomal and under-the-tongue forms show no clinical gain. 11 |
| Ask First | Pregnancy or breastfeeding; yeast allergy; cancer treatment; asthma. |
How to Take It
| Pick a plan | Trials used 250 to 1,000 mg a day. 6 |
| Time of day | Not reported. |
| With food | Not reported. |
| What to expect | No health effect has been proven. In one trial, blood levels rose after about 6 months. 6 |
| How to take | Swallow capsules with water. Do not use IV or injected glutathione; there are no FDA-approved glutathione products. 1 |
Works With / Don’t Mix With
✓ Works with
A cheaper option: NAC (N-acetylcysteine), a building block of glutathione, matched under-the-tongue glutathione on a blood marker in a small trial. 12
Not reported: no supplement has been shown to add to glutathione’s effect.
⚠ Ask first / don’t mix
Chemotherapy. Antioxidants and cancer drugs may interact in theory, and oral data are lacking. Ask your cancer doctor.
Asthma. Inhaled glutathione tightened airways in people with asthma. No such effect has been shown for capsules. 13
Pregnancy or breastfeeding. There are no safety data, and EFSA’s S-acetyl glutathione opinion excludes pregnant and breastfeeding women. 3
Manufacturer Recalls & WarningsLast 36 months, newest first
| Date | Maker / Brand | Product | Action | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Greenwich Rx (Tomball, TX) | Compounded glutathione 200 mg/mL vials (injection, not capsules) | FDA recall: possible high endotoxin levels. Two patients needed emergency care after IV use. | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Compounding pharmacies (FDA alert) | Injectable glutathione made from supplement-grade ingredient | FDA: at least 30 patients had adverse events after IV glutathione; compounders told not to use dietary-supplement-grade glutathione. | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | Optimal Balance Pharmacy (Houston, TX) | Glutathione 200 mg/mL injectable | FDA Class I recall D-0851-2026: bacterial endotoxin. An injection, not capsules. | 14 |
| Apr 2026 | GenoGenix; Empower Pharma; Staska; ProRx | Injectable glutathione products | Four FDA warning letters to compounding pharmacies, 2025 to 2026, name injectable glutathione products. | 15 |
| Nov 2025 | US maker (rejected at the EU border) | Food supplement with S-acetyl glutathione | EU RASFF 2025.8806: Latvia rejected a US supplement with unauthorised S-acetyl glutathione. | 16 |
| Oct 2025 | New Spirit Naturals Inc. | “Gluta Plus” capsules | FDA Class II recall H-0020-2026: undeclared milk. Terminated April 2026. | 17 |
| Sep 2025 | Farsk / Skycare Compounding Laboratories (Canada) | Glut Glow IV Drip and glutathione 200 mg/mL solution | Health Canada recall RA-78029: unauthorised injectable glutathione. | 18 |
| Nov 2024 | Western Innovations, Inc. | Acetyl-glutathione supplement | FDA warning letter 679737: manufacturing-practice failures. Not a contamination finding. | 19 |
Where to Buy
We compare products side-by-side not just on price, but on whether NSF lists the product as NSF/ANSI 173 Contents Certified (an independent lab confirms the label matches the contents), whether it is NSF Certified for Sport, whether USP lists it as USP Verified, and whether the seller says it is manufactured in the USA. We leave out a brand’s products for this supplement when, in the last 36 months, the FDA took action against that brand over this supplement (a Class I or II recall, a warning letter, an import alert or an advisory letter). We also leave out any brand with an FDA Class II recall or warning letter on any product. We also leave out any product named in a California Prop 65 notice or a non-US recall, along with that brand’s products of the same ingredient and form. Brands with other actions stay listed and are marked in the Recall Screen column. Our goal remains to provide you, the Consumer, with the information and data necessary to make an informed purchasing decision. Prices reflected below are static and subject to change.
Ratings above describe the ingredient’s research, not any product listed below.
| # | Retailer | Product | Price | NSF 173 | NSF Sport | USP | Mfg. in USA (per seller) | Recall Screen | Affiliate link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iHerb | Thorne, Glutathione-SR, 60 Capsules (175 mg per Capsule) | $54.00 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* | View on iHerb ↗ | |
| 2 | Amazon | Cata-Kor Liposomal Glutathione | Check Price | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | View on Amazon ↗ | ||
| 3 | iHerb | Toniiq, Glutathione, 120 Capsules (500 mg per Capsule) | $29.97 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | View on iHerb ↗ | ||
| 4 | Amazon | Codeage Liposomal Glutathione 1000 mg, 60 Capsules | Check Price | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* | View on Amazon ↗ | ||
| 5 | HerbsPro | Source Naturals, Reduced Glutathione, 60 Caps | $15.75 | ✓ | ✓ | View on HerbsPro ↗ | |||
| 6 | HerbsPro | Solgar, Reduced L-Glutathione, 250 mg, 30 V Caps | $17.99 | ✓ | ✓ | View on HerbsPro ↗ | |||
| 7 | HerbsPro | Kal, L-Glutathione, 30 Count | $19.79 | ✓ | ✓ | View on HerbsPro ↗ | |||
| 8 | iHerb | Force Factor, Glutathione (Reduced), 500 mg , 60 Vegetable Capsules | $19.99 | ✓ | ✓* | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 9 | iHerb | Nature's Craft, Glutathione, 30 Capsules | $21.97 | ✓ | ✓ | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 10 | Green's Nutrition | Pure Encapsulations Reduced Glutathione 60 Caps | $34.50 | ✓ | ✓* | View on Green's Nutrition ↗ |
Sources
1. Adverse Events Linked to Injectable Glutathione Compounded with Dietary Supplement Grade Ingredient: Current Situation. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sep 2026. www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/current-situation/index.html
2. Greenwich Rx Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Compounded Glutathione Due to Elevated Endotoxin Levels. US Food and Drug Administration (company announcement), 1 Oct 2026. www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/greenwich-rx-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-compounded-glutathione-due-elevated-endotoxin-levels
3. Safety of S-acetyl glutathione as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA Journal 24(9):e10258, 1 Sep 2026. doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.10258
4. Philips et al. Oral glutathione in chronic liver disease: retrospective cohort (466 patients). Frontiers in Pharmacology 17:1767206, 2026. doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1767206
5. Meister A. On the discovery of glutathione. Trends in Biochemical Sciences 13(5):185, 1988. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3076280/
6. Richie JP et al. Oral glutathione and body glutathione stores, 6-month randomized trial (54 adults). European Journal of Nutrition 54(2):251, 2015. doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0706-z
7. Allen J and Bradley RD. Oral glutathione and oxidative stress in healthy adults, 4-week trial (40 adults). Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2011. doi.org/10.1089/acm.2010.0716
8. Honda Y et al. Oral glutathione in fatty liver disease, open-label pilot (29 completers). BMC Gastroenterology, 2017. doi.org/10.1186/s12876-017-0652-3
9. Sitohang IBS et al. Oral glutathione combination for skin tone, 12-week trial (83 completers). Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8570360/
10. FDA reminds compounders not to use dietary supplement grade glutathione for injectables. US Food and Drug Administration, 27 Aug 2026. www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-reminds-compounders-not-use-dietary-supplement-grade-glutathione-injectables
11. Glutathione Supplements Review and Amazon product testing (6 of 12 held their labelled amount; 2 held none). ConsumerLab.com, Jul 2026. www.consumerlab.com/
12. Schmitt B et al. Sublingual glutathione vs oral glutathione vs NAC, crossover trial (20 adults). Redox Biology, 2015. doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2015.07.012
13. Marrades RM et al. Inhaled glutathione and bronchoconstriction in mild asthma. PubMed record, 1997. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9279219/
14. Optimal Balance Pharmacy Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Lots of Compounded Glutathione 200 mg/mL Multi-Dose Vials (D-0851-2026, Class I). US Food and Drug Administration, 19 Aug 2026. www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/optimal-balance-pharmacy-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-certain-lots-compounded-glutathione-200
15. Warning letters to compounding pharmacies naming injectable glutathione: GenoGenix 718739, Empower Pharma 700962, Staska 699291, ProRx 723704. US Food and Drug Administration, 2025 to 2026. www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/compliance-actions-and-activities/warning-letters
16. RASFF notification 2025.8806: unauthorised novel food S-acetyl L-glutathione in food supplements from the United States (Latvia). European Commission, RASFF Window, 11 Nov 2025. webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search
17. Food recall H-0020-2026: New Spirit Naturals Gluta Plus (Glutathione) 60 capsules, undeclared milk. US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA food enforcement), 15 Oct 2025. api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json?search=recall_number:%22H-0020-2026%22
18. Skycare Compounding Laboratories Products recall; No market authorization (RA-78029). Health Canada, 4 Sep 2025. recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/skycare-compounding-laboratories-products-recall-no-market-authorization
19. Warning letter 679737, Western Innovations, Inc. (acetyl-glutathione dietary supplement; CGMP). US Food and Drug Administration, 13 Nov 2024. www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/western-innovations-inc-679737-11132024
20. Luxxe White Enhanced Glutathione: cancelled from the ARTG under section 30 (ARTG 394853; compliance report on ARTG 316145). Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia), Jun to Sep 2024. www.tga.gov.au/resources/cancellations-suspensions/luxxe-white-enhanced-glutathione-cancelled-artg-under-section-30-act
21. Søndergard SD et al. Oral glutathione and insulin sensitivity in obese men, 3-week trial (20 men). Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2021. doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-1099
22. Kalamkar S et al. Oral glutathione with usual care in type 2 diabetes, 6-month open-label trial. Antioxidants 11(5):1026, 2022. doi.org/10.3390/antiox11051026
