GSH Supplementation on Cold/Flu Symptoms in Older Healthy Adults
GSH Supplementation on Cold/Flu Symptoms in Older Healthy Adults
A randomized, double blind placebo-controlled parallel intervention in adults over the age of
 50 will be performed. Participants will receive a supplement capsule containing placebo
 (Crystalline Cellulose) or 500mg of Setria® Glutathione to eat for 120 days. Glutathione is
 hypothesized to replenish the body's reserves that may be depleted through natural aging
 process, poor diet, or due to the detoxification process for drugs. The primary end point is
 the number of healthy days experienced during cold and flu season. Secondary endpoints
 include cellular and biochemical measures from blood samples taken before and after the
 study.
The long term goal of this investigation is to understand how food components improve immune
 function, both in its ability to respond to pathogens and its ability to turn off when the
 response is no longer needed. The goal of this application is to examine mechanisms by which
 glutathione improves immune cells after consumption. The central hypothesis is that
 glutathione improves redox status within the cell, thereby improving cell function and
 increasing the number of healthy days experienced by the participants.

 After obtaining informed consent, human participants will receive 500 mg/day of Setria®
 Glutathione or placebo for 120 days. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), neutrophils
 and serum will be obtained from blood draws before and after the 120 days. A daily diary of
 illness will be kept by each participant and will record any incidence of illness, the number
 of symptoms per incidence, and the number of days in which symptoms are present. This study
 is powered on the basis that over 120 days, the glutathione-supplemented group would
 experience 3% more healthy days compared to the placebo group. The analysis indicated 60
 people per group. Timeline should be between mid-January to May because the Center for
 Disease Control and Prevention indicates that this is the cold and flu season
 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivity.htm) in the southwest part of the country.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  generally healthy

 -  must have had at least one cold during the previous year

 -  age 50-75

 -  must discontinue other dietary supplement use

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  on arthritis medication

 -  on hypertension medication

 -  severe allergies

 -  compromised immune system

 -  high cholesterol, heart failure, angina, etc.

 -  diagnoses of diabetes or metabolic syndrome