Glutathione: The Antioxidant I Didn’t Know We Needed—Until We Did

I’ll be honest — I didn’t even know how to pronounce “glutathione” a couple of months ago, let alone what it does. But when my daughter got sick, everything changed.

We were suddenly thrown into a world of IVs, antibiotics, steroids, pain meds, blood draws, and round-the-clock monitoring. That’s when I first heard about glutathione — our body’s “master antioxidant.”

So What Is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that your body naturally makes — your built-in detox system. It protects cells, detoxifies the liver, and supports the immune system.

Sounds important, right? It is. And yet... hardly anyone talks about it.

Low levels of glutathione can mean more fatigue, slower healing, inflammation, and just feeling “off.” It’s even been linked to chronic illness and aging.

About That Tylenol...

In the hospital, standard pain relief is often Tylenol — like clockwork, every 6 hours. It’s considered a very safe medication, right? Even narcotics like Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), Oxycodone (Percocet), and Tramadol are combined with Tylenol.

Thankfully, my friend Carol — an ICU nurse — clued me in: Tylenol depletes glutathione. She told me to ask the doctors to switch the Tylenol orders from every 6 hours to PRN (as needed).

What’s the Science?

When your liver breaks down Tylenol, a small portion turns into a toxic byproduct called NAPQI. Normally, your body uses glutathione to neutralize it. But when you take Tylenol frequently, it can drain your glutathione stores. Low glutathione = less defense against inflammation, toxins, and cellular damage — the exact opposite of what someone who's already sick needs.

Now What?

After weeks of antibiotics, CT scans with contrast dye, narcotics, steroids, and the stress of two hospital stays, my daughter’s natural glutathione levels had clearly taken a hit. I wanted to support her recovery — especially her immune system.

I looked into IV glutathione infusions, but they were expensive, time-consuming, not covered by insurance… and they involve needles. No thanks.

I was already using the LifeWave X39 patches when I noticed they also offered glutathione patch. Intrigued, I started researching. They're designed to help neutralize free radicals, detoxify harmful substances, and support immune function — without adding glutathione from the outside. Instead, LifeWave patches use light therapy to reflect specific wavelengths that stimulate acupuncture points and tell your body to increase its own natural glutathione production. No drugs. No needles. No stress. Just a patch you wear for 12 hours. Super simple.

If you’ve never heard of glutathione, don’t worry — I hadn’t either. Most of us are learning as we go. But knowing a little more about how your body works — and how to support it — might just make a big difference when it counts. Want to know more about the patches we use? Click here to explore LifeWave’s Glutathione patch or contact me if you have questions — I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned.