Your Body’s Master Detoxifier with Dr. Nayan Patel

May 16, 2024

From podcast: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/podcast/nayan-patel/

[00:00:00] Introduction

[00:00:59] Who is Dr Nayan Patel?

[00:03:07] What is liposomal technology?

[00:05:45] Glutathione supplementation and effects

[00:10:06] Why IV delivery of Glutathione

[00:14:05] Developing a Stable Glutathione Molecule

[00:19:32]  Ways that you could use dietary factors or dietary combinations to increase your dietary building blocks of glutathione?

[00:26:33] Why does the supplement industry sell glutathione and comb it with antioxidants like PQQ or CoQ10?

[00:28:16] Topical transdermal glutathione application for liver health, including best areas for application and absorption

[00:31:20] What is the two-part technology for sequestering cysteine molecules and improving skin absorption?

[00:37:22] Insights of usage from human trials

[00:42:01] The difference between, liposomal, Intravenous, transdermal glutathione delivery methods

[00:45:27] Glutathione use and dosage?

[00:49:36] Dr Nayan Patel’s Books and Self-care

[00:55:43] Closing the Podcast

[00:57:49] End of Podcast

[00:58:44] Legal Disclaimer

Ben:  My name is Ben Greenfield. And, on this episode of the Ben Greenfield Life podcast.

Nayan: Cysteine is very scarce in our diet and it’s hard to get into a diet. So, if you have cysteine-rich foods; like whey proteins, avocados, you know, sulfur-containing products, intrinsically, your body can absorb the cysteine and make gluten out of it. One thing we have a lot in your brain is glutamine. I tell people to stay away from glutamine as much as possible. 

Ben: Interesting. If someone’s listening in and they hear that, and they’re concerned that they could potentially be getting too much glutamine and not know about it, what would be some ways that people would be getting too much glutamine?

Fitness, nutrition, biohacking, longevity, life optimization, spirituality, and a whole lot more. Welcome to the Ben Greenfield Live show. Are you ready to hack your life? Let’s do this.

Well, you’ve probably heard of glutathione before. And, you might even be bored by glutathione because it seems like everybody’s talking about it and the health and biohacking podcast sector is one giant echo chamber of glutathione. So when I got this book, “The Glutathione Revolution” in the mail, written by today’s guest, Dr. Nayan Patel, I almost didn’t read it. I was like, “All right, here we go. The body’s master antioxidant; blah blah blah.” But, this book turned out to be different. The delivery mechanisms described, and some of the myths and truths about glutathione, wound up really informing me a lot more about this particular antioxidant than I ever really knew about. So, I had to get this guy in the show. I actually, briefly, had a chance to meet him at the American Academy for Anti-Aging Medicine Conference in Vegas, and he’s a fantastic guy. 

He’s a pharmacist. He’s a real thought leader in the industry. And, he’s been working with physicians since 1999 to custom-develop medications for their clients and develop patient-specific drug and nutrition regimens. He works with a lot of celebrities, CEOs, and even physicians turn to Dr. Patel for advice. Particularly, because of his wide range of knowledge on both biochemistry and anti-aging science. And this book, “The Glutathione Revolution” is one that I highly recommend. 

And I also recommend you take a look at his company, Auro Wellness, A-U-R-O Wellness, where he’s done over a decade of research and pretty rigorous testing to figure out how to make glutathione more bioavailable, which we’re going to talk about in today’s show. So, Dr. Patel, welcome.

Nayan: I’m so glad to be here today, Ben. Thank you for having me today. 

Ben: Yeah, yeah. Well, you have a background pharmacy, so we know that you like to throw a pill at everything pharmaceutical. I’m curious where glutathione fit into the picture for you and how you came to be aware of it in the pharmaceutical industry.

Nayan: Absolutely. So, as you just said, I’m a pharmacist. And, being surrounded with so many pills, not doing anything for you is frustrating, right? As a pharmacist, you just keep on dispensing pills, but it really did not do anything for my patients other than just maintain the problem. It never got rid of any problem, just maintain the problem. So, it was not exciting to me at all. And, early on in my career, when I was first hired to work on some liposome technology back in 1999, we made some glutathione liposomal products at that time.

Ben: And by the way, did you say liposomal?

Nayan: Liposomals, yes. 

Ben: What exactly is liposomal? Just in case people haven’t heard that phrase before.

Nayan: Absolutely. So, liposome technology is a, it’s an older technology where they do is they take a molecule and they cover up with some layers so that the body doesn’t breaks it down fast enough. And so, has a chance to absorb it internally without it getting broken down. And so, it’s a great technology for a lot of molecules, but unfortunately was not the right technology for glutathione for me. Because even though I’ve made the product, I was not getting the results that I was promised with this technology. So, you know, you just shelf it because it’s just because of me-too product, not interested. 

Ben: Yeah. That’s interesting with liposomal. Because I mean you see a lot of liposomal glutathione products out there. So, when you say you weren’t noticing results, where do you run specific tests or labs to see if you’re getting the results you want?

Nayan: So, in the pharmacy setting back in the early 2000s and late 1990s, we were not doing a lot of test results. What we are doing was we’re just using in clinical settings for my patients, and we’re looking for outcomes. And, if I don’t see the outcomes in a known time frame, then it basically becomes a mute product for us. Because, you know, even back then, four to five years ago, we were still in a very fast-paced environment where people want to get results. Like, they don’t want to wait for six months to a year to get results. They want results faster than that. And so, with a product that promises this superior way to deliver glutathione, I was expecting results to be at a much faster pace, and I didn’t get.

Ben: And, when you say results, what kind of things would you normally expect, or at least be trying to expect when you’re prescribing glutathione?

Nayan: So, you know, glutathione, it really affects your liver. So, it’s the highest amount is produced in the liver. So, anything to do with liver metabolism, anything to do with getting rid of liver toxicities is what you’re measuring. So, what we want to measure was measure triglyceride levels, measure your sugar levels, and your A1C and see if that was dropping. We wanted to see your oxygen stress markers and see if that was dropping; you know, the MDA levels. And making sure that by doing so, people feel more energetic, that their post-workout recovery is much faster. If they can’t walk, they started to walk much better and easier. So, we are looking for those types of results very early on, and not so much into getting rid of the disease itself. But just starts to see if the body was able to move and function at a much higher pace.

Ben: If you were doing blood tests to see how you responded to glutathione, would you also look at liver enzymes or oxidative stress markers? 

Nayan: Yes, of course. So, liver enzymes are — you know, by the time the liver enzymes’ rising, your liver is really, really taxed, right? Liver is one of those organ that completely regenerates itself within a very short amount of time if you have the right nutrients. And, for the liver to have liver enzymes rising, it has to be insulted in a lot of different ways. So, yes, you can measure liver enzymes and see that if the liver enzymes are rising. That means that gluten levels are completely depleted for sure. 

Ben: Okay. Now, you also mentioned hemoglobin A1C.

Nayan: Yes.

Ben: That has three-month snapshot of blood sugar levels, but also blood glucose. If someone weren’t doing lab tests, is the response to glutathione, if it is a good glutathione — we’ll talk about delivery mechanisms later on, that might be superior to liposomal. But is it such an acute response that like, you know, as you can see here, I’m wearing a CGM, continuous glucose monitor. Would I be able to see, like if I were to use glutathione, say prior to a meal or during the day, a pretty immediate response in blood glucose stabilization? 

Nayan: Absolutely. So, CGM is a game changer. And, as you can see, even the healthy people are wearing CGMs right now because they’re trying to optimize in-zone/out-of-zone sugar levels, right? At all times. And so, if you’re diabetic, then you are pretty much — even though your sugar levels could be normal, like A1C, which is a three-month snapshot, could be normal. But even those diabetic patients that are normal, most of the time, they’re out-of-zone because they’re eating foods. And, by the time that comes back down, it’s not coming back down right away. The sugar levels are not coming back down right away. So, in-zone versus out-of-zone, most of the diabetics are out of zone all the time, even though the three-month snapshot is normal. 

So, the idea behind that is, can we get people in the zone majority of the time even if they’re diabetic or non-diabetic? And so, the gluten really helps reduce oxidative stress markers. So, that way, the body can actually get rid of the sugars at a much faster pace, and so the fluctuations are not that much. And, I’m sure if you are measuring your levels all the time, you can see how much you’re in and out of the zone all the time. 

Ben: Do you know the mechanism of action by which glutathione would actually cause blood glucose stabilization?

Nayan: No, I don’t. I do not know the exact mechanism for the sugar civilizations. I do know part of the functions is working on triglycerides, and working via the liver. But I do not know exactly how it’s becoming insulin — how is it helping the insulin find the sugar molecules, or do the sugar levels down fast enough? I do not know that part. 

Ben: Yeah, that’s interesting. I’m going to dig into that later on. So, back to your story. You weren’t finding that the liposome of glutathione was having the effect that you would have desired from glutathione. 

Nayan: That’s right. So, I was not getting the results I was looking for liposome. So, I started making IV, intravenous form of glutathione. So, I made that for about 20 years, IV forms of glutathione. And, we were one of the largest producer in the United States of the intravenous form. And, I went on a circuit to basically trained physicians on all sorts of IV therapies, and helping them start the whole sort of the IV hydration movement in the United States.

Ben: Are there any downsides to IV glutathione? And, actually, the reason I asked that is, I think it was when I interviewed Dr. Ben Lynch. He was describing how glutathione is an antioxidant after it donates an electron, could become a pro-oxidant. And that, in some people — especially people with certain genetic factors who don’t degrade it properly, you could actually have almost like a paradoxical inflammatory or pro-oxidation effect if you’re doing a large bolus of glutathione all at once.

Nayan: So, yes and no; yes and no. So, the part of the glutathione when it donates electron, it becomes a GS molecule. The two GS molecule comes together and becomes a GSSG molecule, which is an oxidized form of glutathione, two glutathiones coming together, and two sort of the pro-oxidants, so to speak, comes together and becomes inert once again. And that, that actually can measure in your bloodstream, the GSSG molecule all the time. So, the pro-oxidant effect is very short lived, but and it will combine together and becomes a much stable molecule in your body. And, given the right nutrients and energy, this molecule can regenerate itself and make glutathione again. So, yes, it is a proxim, but that part is very short-lived. It becomes an inert molecule again one more time. So, having you that reservoir, so to speak, of GSSG molecule in your body is actually good because then your body can regenerate them with the help of vitamin C, and sunlight, and vitamin E, and other molecules to make the glutathione again.

Ben: Okay, that makes sense. So, there’s a recycling pathway. I suppose somewhat similar to how like, you know, some people will vilify lactic acid due to excess metabolic acidosis, but a lot of it gets recycled in the glucose and the Cori cycle, and that’s available for burning once again. So, it’s not like lactic acid is bad. I suppose, probably, I’m guessing the reason Dr. Ben Lynch said that when I interviewed him was, he’s a genetics guy. And I’m guessing it’s because some people might genetically have inferior recycling processes. I suppose that would probably be the case.

Nayan: And that could be true. And if people have the GSTM 1, GSTM 2, gene SNPs based on where they are in the body, may have some issues with conjugation of the glutathione and elimination of the glutathione itself. So, yeah, there are some issues out there right now. I’ve not come across any that has not been an issue with using glutathione at all though. 

Ben: Yeah, he has a good test. It’s called StrateGene and it tests for different dirty gene pathways including some of those glutathione recycling pathways. So, I suppose people could look into that if they wanted to kind of dig into the glutathione genetics just a little bit more. But back to the IV glutathione. So, you’re doing IVs and training practitioners, and intravenous glutathione administration, and then where’d you move on to after that?

Nayan: Well, the IV glutathione, very early on, we knew that the response rate was very short. It only stays in the body for about 14, 15 minutes. And so —

Ben: Oh, wow.

Nayan: Yeah. So, that idea behind IV therapies was short lived. It was, I mean, we had we had people using intravenous glutathione for hangovers all the time. Very early on, we were treating some doctors in Vegas, and back in the early 2000s. And, these guys rushing cheering out IV [00:14:36] ____

Ben: And just stayed busy and busy in Vegas.

Nayan: Yeah. But again, it was short-lived, right? Did not get the results. And yeah, I was not making products for hangover cure or something to do with hangovers. I was more interested in the other side of the benefits of metabolic disorders, and I was not getting that with the intravenous form of glutathione. 

So, right away, I recruited my colleague at the USC Keck School of Medicine. I said, “Hey, can you please come and join me? I need to work on a project. I’m by myself over here. I need help.” And so, I recruited him. He was at research department at the USC, working on proteins and peptides at that back for about 25 plus years. So, he was very knowledgeable in that things. That I needed to work on this tripeptide, the glutathione is a tripeptide. I want to work on this molecule to get it stabilized for me. Recruit back him in my office came. It took me about 2 and 1/2 years to convince him to join me. And, we started the work on glutathione back in the early 2000s. 

And, by 2007, we had a stable molecule in my hand, which was a liquid form of glutathione. And, I tried to figure out, “So, do I get to do this orally, topically? Do I make into a suppository? Do I make into a freeze-dried capsules?” I was trying to figure out how to make this thing work for my patients. And apparently, it turned out to be a topical application because the science led us to the topical route of application. And, at that time, I decided I said, “You know what? I should shut down my IV business because, you know, this was going to be working just fine and people are going to be okay.” 

Ben: Now, when you say that you figured out a way to make it stable, what’s that mean exactly? Like, the difference between unstable and stable glutathione.

Nayan: So, glutathione is highly unstable because it’s three-part molecule; glutamine, glycine, and cysteine. Cysteine has a sulfur group which is highly unstable. And what happens is that glutathione, if it gives up as electron to the atmosphere, to neutralize oxygen species, it becomes completely just, it breaks it down and you’re done with it. And so, the key was, can I put a cap on this cysteine molecule somehow that it doesn’t get oxidized right away in the water? Because water is H2O; it’s one-part oxidant there. So, even a water-based system, it will break down immediately. So, my goal was to put a chemical cap on it somehow so it doesn’t get broken down in the water, or by the environment or anything. So, that was my first technology that I delivered where I put a chemical cap on the cysteine molecule. So, you can smell the sulfur, you can smell everything, you can taste it, but it doesn’t get broken down immediately. 

Ben: Yeah. That’s why I think a lot of people find glutathione to have almost a little bit of a fart-like essence to it. Especially, you know, when you when you find it in sprays or squirt bottles or things like that. Is it the sulfurous component of the cysteine that’s contributing to that? 

Nayan: That’s exactly right. It’s a thiol group in the cysteine that come through the sulfurous smell.

Ben: Man, you’d really make bank if you could figure out how to make an odor-free version of glutathione. 

Nayan: Ha! So, 2007 is when we first discovered it. And, everybody told me that, “Uh-oh, this is not going to work. It smells.” Smells like sulfur, right? And the base was very sticky. So it’s sticky and it’s sulfury. You said, “Oh my God, nobody’s going to ever going to use this product, ever.” And so, it took me, I don’t know, 13-plus years to keep on modifying, and trying and trying to figure out what to do with this odor. And, the formula I had in 2007, and the formula I released to the open public in 2020, is identical. I couldn’t change one thing. 

Ben: Oh, wow. So, you really didn’t need to change anything in the product for, what, 7 years? 

Nayan: No. It’s like 2007, 2020, it was 13 years plus. 

Ben: Oh, 13 years.

Nayan: Yeah, 13 years. And I could not change on one thing. You know, when the molecule is so simple and comes everything together, you know, it’s like a perfect mesh. When it happens that there’s nothing else we can add on to it or kind of modified to get in the odor and the stickiness. And if I did that part, it just breaks the molecule apart. And so, it did not work.

Ben: Yeah. I want to come back to the topical administration here in a little bit. But you mentioned cysteine, glutamine, and you said glycine, right?

Nayan: Glycine, yes.

Ben: As its precursors. So, based on that, what would be some ways that you could use dietary factors or dietary combinations to increase your dietary building blocks of glutathione? 

Nayan: So, if it’s one thing that you can do is to eat anything that has high cysteine. cysteine is very scarce in our diet and it’s hard to get into a diet. So, if you have cysteine-rich foods; like whey proteins, avocados, you know, sulfur-containing products, those are going to be the best bet to actually, intrinsically, your body can absorb the cysteine and make glutathione out of it. One thing we have a lot in your brain is glutamine. So, having glutamine is actually not a good idea a whole lot; especially, if you have early onset dementia or any kind of neurological disorders. I tell people to stay away from glutamine as much as possible. But, cysteine is by far the best. There are some products out in the market that had glycine and cysteine as a combination of products, too. And, I’m okay with that as well. What I’m not okay with this is taking glutamine abundantly. Glutamine is good for your gut, and it’s okay for that. But taking too much glutamine is actually not helpful to produce glutamine out in your body.

Ben: Interesting. If someone’s listening in and they hear that and they’re concerned that they could potentially be getting too much glutamine and not know about it, what would be some ways that people would be getting too much glutamine? 

Nayan: So, the glutamines are coming from mostly from the supplementation. It is not coming from the diet. Also, keep in mind that one of the byproducts in your brain metabolism for — because your brain consumes 20% of the oxygen that we breathe in every single day. Even the brain is only 2% of the body weight, it’s only 2%, yet it consumes 20% of the oxygen’s coming into a body. And, one of the byproducts in that process of oxidation in our brain is also glutamine. And so, we’re not there yet to measure the brain levels of glutamine at this point. There is some magnetic resonance spectrometer, MRI or MRS, that they’re using to measure the brain levels of glutathiones, and glutamines, and things like that, but we’re not there yet as a blood test to figure that portion out. 

Ben: Okay. Do you know how much glutamine would be too much? And, the reason I ask this is because in a lot of gut healing, I suppose protocols, you see a recommendation for taking like around up to 5 grams of glutamine with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For people who get bloating, gastric distress, who have leaky gut issues, et cetera. So, that’s right there, 15 grams a day. You know, people will use like a powdered glutamine in a drink or something like that. Do you think that would be too much?

Nayan: It could be. It could be if you don’t have a leaky gut problem. If you have leaky gut issues, absolutely. All right? Firstly, I take it myself glutamine, when I have issues with my gut. And I know when I’m getting bloated a little bit. I know I’m not even eating healthy if I’m on a conferences around the world traveling. My gut gets destroyed all the time. And so, I do take glutamine for myself as well. So, keep in mind, glutamine, it’s a great product for leaky gut issues. And very little of that glutamine gets reabsorbed into and crosses the blood-brain barrier. So, as long as it stays in the gut and the body uses it up, you have no issues whatsoever. Now, the correlation between taking glutamine and cost of the blood barrier, that’s the connection we have not made yet. Again, that’s the research for 2024 that I’m working on personally myself. Because when once I found out that the glutamine is actually a problem for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and things like that, I’m on a course of trying to figure out, how do I get the glutamine out of the brain if that’s necessary, or bind it with something so that makes a different molecule. So that way, we can effectively reduce the chance of those diseases in our brain. 

Ben: Yeah. I’m curious if there’d be like qualitative symptoms of excess glutamine intake. I don’t know if it would be brain fog, or fuzzy thinking, or something like that. 

Nayan: You know what? No, I’ve not seen the brain fog with the high dose of glutamine. I’ve not seen that part. The brain fog is coming from something else.

Ben:  Okay. Okay, got it. So, I suppose just to play it safe, if people were doing something like three times a day of 5 grams of glutamine dosing for something like leaky gut, they should not consider that smart daily supplement protocol for life. Like, it would be used to get past gut issues. And then, you maybe want to dial back the glutamine intake.

Nayan: That’s right. Dial back to maybe once a day. 

Ben: Okay. All right, got it. And then, back to cysteine. You mentioned whey protein, and I’ve heard that a lot of sulfurous compounds; cruciferous vegetables, you know, broccoli sprouts, Brussel sprouts, or even eggs, garlic. A lot of these stinky sulfurous foods would be good choices for natural ways from the diet to support glutathione production. Is that correct?

Nayan: Absolutely. And by the way, FDA has only approved N-acetylcysteine as a drug to improve glutathione level. 

Ben: That’s the NAC that supposedly got outlawed or something, yeah?

Nayan: It’s not outlawed. What it is, is that FDA hasn’t approved, as a drug, NAC. So, anybody who sells NAC off the counter and tried to make a claim, that’s the one they have been outlawed. If you sell NAC without making any claims whatsoever, then they are allowed to sell it.

Ben: Okay, yeah. That makes sense. Because for the longest time, you’d see, you know, if you’re reading a book, reading an article about detoxification or liver health, you’d see a lot of people say, “We’ll take glutathione or,” and I’d often see this, “for a more powerful option, take an N-acetylcysteine or NAC.” And in those cases, that’s a claim that was being made that resulted in NAC being a little bit more tightly regulated. 

Nayan: The regulation came in because they are making claim about hangovers. They’re making claim about —

Ben: Yeah, sell a lot of those.

Nayan: Yeah. And so, when you make those claims, that’s when the FDA says, “No, no, no. For those claims, these are FDA-approved products already available.” So, you can sell this product for that claim.

Ben: Okay. I have another question before we get back to topical glutathione. I’ve noticed in the supplement industry, a lot of people are selling glutathione and combining it with antioxidants; like PQQ or CoQ10. I mean, I know of at least three different companies that have that stacked; Glutathione with PQQ and CoQ10.  Do you know why they’d be combining those?

Nayan: So, glutathione is considered the master antioxidant is because that what happens is that, it will take the energy from CoQ10, and PQQ, or vitamin E, or vitamin C, or whatever, right? All this, it will take the energy back from them and keep on regenerating itself. Because GSH-molecule glutathione, when it gets oxidized becomes GSSG molecule, it will take the energy from other components and make GSH again. All right?

Ben: Okay, got it. So, we’re coming full circle to those recycling pathways, which is why people would be producing products like that.

Nayan: That’s right. CoQ10 and PQQ have had other benefits in the mitochondria, and I’m assuming that they are just stacking them up. But the key is, again, can we get the CoQ10 in the mitochondria where it’s produced? Can we get the PQQ and the brain cells where it’s needed the most? And there, to me, that has not been proven yet. And so, again, that’s my 2025 research. Next year, we should be having another thing. I’m working on how to get CoQ10 intracellularly now. And that’s how I’m already working on that right now as we speak.

Ben: Okay, cool. Plenty of homework to do.

Nayan: Yes.

Ben: So, the topical, the transdermal. Are you saying that what you would do is actually — and I tried that Aura stuff that you sent me. It’s kind of like a spray. You would just apply that over a certain area of the body?

Nayan: Yes. So, basically, we just apply any part of the body; the arms, the bellies, the face, the neck. It doesn’t matter. We try to tend to put on a non-hairy area because, you know, the sticky component to it, it’s very tacky. And so, if you apply on your hair, the hair gets stuck to your skin. It just becomes uncomfortable. It doesn’t change the absorption of the product. It just changes the how your body feels with it. So, I’d always shaved my arms. I just shaved my arms, and just putting it in my arms is just easier for me. That’s what I do every day. 

Ben: Now, let’s say I had a couple glasses of wine, or something else that I feel would stress the liver. Is there anything to the notion of applying the topical glutathione directly over a specific organ; like in this case, you know, upper right abdomen or something like that?

Nayan: I don’t think so because it is not the proximity of where it applies it. Of course, if you have a knee pain, and if you apply your knees, may have better results for the pain. But when you’re looking for systemic absorption of this molecule, doesn’t matter where you’re applied, everything — the blood rush to the liver first anyways. So, doesn’t matter where you’re applied is going to get to the liver at the first things. Now, yes, when I drink alcohol, if I have a glass of red wine or a couple of glass of red wine, I need a lot more glutathione and I need a large surface area. So, yes, I would apply to my abdomen because larger surface area. And so, that’s what I would apply also, but doesn’t have to be there.

Ben: Okay. So, it’s more like a hairless area. And I heard this about transdermal applications; an area with higher levels of capillarization, as well as like the inside of the thighs. If those happen to be hairless for you, or the inside of the arms or typically would be an area of the body that’s more sensitive that would have more capillaries and nerve endings. Is there something to that idea?

Nayan: So, the capillaries, yes. Nerve endings, maybe not. But people that apply on the wrist is because the skin is very thin over here. There’s no fat over here. So, all the topical preparations, they go through the fat layer, to lipid layers, to go to get inside your body. With this technology, it doesn’t do that. It cuts through everything. It doesn’t go through the fat layers at all. It just gets between the cell lines and goes in between those lines. So, it doesn’t really matter. You can apply it on the high-fat area or low-fatty area. It doesn’t really matter, get the same results.

Ben: So, if you got big old thunder thighs and, you know, a little bit of extra mass down there, you can still apply it on the thighs and you get absorption. 

Nayan: Well, if they have that, they need your help. 

Ben: That’s true. That’s what I’m here for. So, in terms of the molecule that you’ve developed, when I was — was that in your book or on your website? I saw this word, “Glutaryl.” I don’t know if I’m pronouncing that properly. Is that just like the form of glutathione that you’ve made with this modification of the cysteine?

Nayan: No, Glutaryl is just the name of the product. 

Ben: Okay.

Nayan: It’s just the middle of the product. It’s on my website. Well, when I released a book, I didn’t have any product in mind. I had a product that I was working on, but I did not release the product until the book was released anyways. So, the name of the product is on my website. But I just want to give us, you know, I’m a pharmacist, so I know that the word, “glutaryl,” is an enzyme, it’s a chemical. Let me just, let’s just name it “Glutaryl.” And half the world does not even know what the Glutaryl is anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. So, it’s just the name of the product. But the technology is different. It’s a two-part technology that we have developed to sequester the cysteine molecules that doesn’t even oxidize. And then, get this tripeptide and kind of twist it up a little bit so it becomes, the molecule, becomes small enough so you get through the skin. 

Ben: Yeah. Because most peptides aren’t absorbable, transdermally.

Nayan: Yeah.

Ben: There’s like GHK copper peptide. People use it for hair growth. I think it’s less than 50 Daltons or so; one of the units used to size peptides, and that’s absorbable. But what you’re saying is this is a three-peptide bond, and you just basically reconfigured it to make it take up smaller space so that it gets absorbed through the skin. 

Nayan: That’s right. So, we cannot just squeeze it down. You just kind of squeeze it down because otherwise, it’s not a protein, but it’s a peptide. So, what you got to do is you got to twist it, you know. Twist a little bit so that it doesn’t change the polarity of the molecule. Because the two opposite ends, you cannot touch. So, if you twist it up a little bit, then it’s basically become small. It occupies smaller space so it gets your skin much better. 

Ben: All right. This might be really boring for people, but the geek in me just has to ask, how do you actually twist a peptide? Like, what goes on in a laboratory or a biochemical setting to pull that off?

Nayan: So, it is a chemical setting that we had to work on. We took a cone-shaped molecule, and we put on the top, and we spit it out. And when it comes down, it just twists out.

Ben: And if it’s in that configuration, let’s say I have a bottle of it and it gets exposed to, I don’t know, say like heat, or I notice there’s a very dark bottle that you have these things in or light, would that cause some kind of an unfolding mechanism or degrade the product somehow?

Nayan: No. What it does is that the molecule is kind of stacked inside. So, the upper layer may get axis it a little bit, but the remainder of the molecule stays intact. But as it gets inside your body, the way it does is that that dextrin molecule that we are using, it will bind to some of your cells, and then it will just dump inside your cells inside it right away. And so, I did not know about that part of the piece of the technology until about 3, 4 years ago when we start doing some of the studies at the local universities over here. That’s when you found out that, “Hey, the way the gluta was actually getting delivered into the cell was not just my passive diffusion or just by getting inside your body,” because it’s still intact. It was that whole cone-shaped molecule was getting where it was getting touched to a cell. And basically, just dumping inside the cell. 

Ben: Okay, got it. So, do you need to keep the product refrigerated at all?

Nayan: No, you don’t have to. But the thing is, in my lab, I keep everything refrigerated to begin with. And in my lab, I have products for over 5 years that is still stable after 5 years, if I keep it refrigerated.

Ben: Okay.

Nayan: So, refrigeration just increases stability. But even with that refrigeration, it’s still good for about at least a year, after 2 years, almost.

Ben: Oh yeah. You’d easily go through a bottle in that period of time. What’s the difference between the Plus and the regular version? 

Nayan: So, the regular version is what we use for 13-plus years. I had the Plus version, which is much stronger. It’s just a concentration. The regular version — the Plus is about 1.75 times stronger than the regular version. And, of course, first, I used the Plus version and I saw that, “Oh my God, it’s just too much for glutathione, for everybody else. They don’t need this much glutathione.” And so, that’s when I kept my IV business going because I had to do more research. And I created the regular version, which is I did all my all my trials and all my studies on that one. And so, the Plus version was actually released in 2021 because we had a couple of athletes and celebrities, they were asking us, “Hey, I need more glutathione. I didn’t have glutathione.” And I keep on pushing them, “No, no, you don’t need more glutathione. I’m telling you.”  They treat them, it’s treated like a medicine. You only take what your body can handle it, right? You don’t need more than that. But then, during the COVID, we had a couple of cases where the need for glutathione was tremendous, a lot. And when that happened, we gave the Plus version to a couple of people. They it really helped them out. And, of course, they’re very well-known celebrities. And so, all of a sudden, they took the products and everybody wants the Plus version. So, in reality, the Plus, when we first release the Plus, now, we have uses for the Plus. But until that time, we were only studying the regular version for all the clinical trials that we did. 

Ben: Tell me about the trials.

Nayan: So, we did one human trial that was published, and it was done at the Western University School of Medicine. And we just wanted to — so we want to reciprocate the study that I did 12 years ago. That, “Hey, when you apply glutathione topically, that it gets inside your blood, it gets inside your red blood cells whenever it’s supposed to be,” and I just want to make sure that I can prove it with the human trial. 

So, we took 30 subjects, and we just applied for three days. We just applied twice a day, and we just took levels of the blood and see what the glutathione levels were going. But the researcher went to the IRB. The IRB goes, “Well, if you’re just doing that, it’s a moot point, I want you to start looking for some markers.”  I say, “It’s just a three-day trial.” Three-day trials, we might not see a whole lot of things in there. I said, “But I want you to start studying that as well.” So, in three days, what we saw was — yes, the gluten levels were increased right away. Within 4 hours of application, right? We applied the one application, in 4 hours, they saw reduction of the MDA, the oxidative stress markers in your blood. That went down within 4 hours of applying glutathione. That was like, “Poof!” A game changer, right? 

And then, what the researcher did was they took, they applied the glutathione, they drew the blood, and they infected the blood in the test tube with mycobacterium infection. As of right now, there’s no cure for mycobacterium infections, right? To aviums, and tuberculosis, and all those things. There’s nothing, there’s no drug for that. The only thing we can do is build up our own immune system to deal with these diseases, these infections. So, they took the test tubes, infected the blood, and then they monitor the blood with the glutathione and without the glutathione patients. What they saw was, after 1 hour of applying, this reduction in the mycobacterium dose in the test tube.

Ben: Wow.

Nayan: And so, that triggered another slow promise, “Okay, wait a second. That went down. Those are measuring the IL-2, the IL-12, to interfering gamma, TNF Alpha. These are all the cytokines that are shown to improve your immune system. So, these are measuring those out, and they saw a rise of all those within three days. So, in three days, they saw the absorption was there, they saw the reduction of the oxidative stress marker, they saw the reduction in the mycobacterium load, and improvement in the immune system to a point that it helped have a positive impact on the infection. 

Ben: Wow. So, would you say, you mentioned the acute response to something like a viral infection and managing the inflammatory markers in response to that or a bacterial infection. You briefly mentioned, of course, is nobody would be surprised by the acute effects on something like a hangover or another liver assailant. You know, that drinking too much alcohol and the benefits of using it for that. Is there anything else that you found this to be particularly beneficial for? Particularly, from an acute standpoint. You know, I’ve been in XYZ situation, and I need rapidly absorbable glutathione right away. 

Nayan: So, we have done — again, this has been used with the help of oncologists. So, we have couple of doctors that themselves develop a Stage 4 liver cancer, and they were prescribed heavy dose of chemotherapy. And that chemotherapy will, by far, we’ll put them in the neuropathy. So, it’s like if the cancer doesn’t kill you, chemotherapy will kill you, right? And they were able to use the glutathione immediately to get rid of the neuropathy they were getting from Cisplatin chemotherapy agent. 

Ben: Oh, interesting. So, they’re using it as an adjuvant to chemotherapy. 

Nayan: Yeah.

Ben: But what about — would you think it would have any effects on cancer itself?

Nayan: I don’t think so. It may help if the immune system response. But is there even some enough if the macrophage is enough to get up the cancer cells. It’s very doubtful. It’s very doubtful. We work with a lot of oncologists that they’ve been using glutathione as an adjuvant therapy. I don’t think so. They’re using them as a solo therapy for cancer itself. 

Ben: Okay, got it. Now, the studies that you did, do you have any idea of how that would compare to me just taking a massive amount of say liposomal glutathione or something like that? In the same situation, did you guys test anything like that? 

Nayan: Yeah. So, that’s a great question. Because I want people to make sure they understand that all this process out of the market, some work, some don’t work. And I want you to know why it works and why it doesn’t work. So, that way, they make an informed decision on their own. So, by the way, the liposome products of the glutathione, you will see a rise of glutathione levels eventually. But not because it’s absorbing as glutathione. 

There’s a study that was done in 2011 at the University of Texas in Austin. What they found out was they give the 13 kids with liposome products of glutathione. What they saw was a rise of all the three amino acids; cysteine, glutamine, and glycine, in the blood after a day or so. And then, eventually, those levels drop in the cell rise of glutathione. So, what the researcher concluded was that, “Hey, the body breaks it down. Regardless of what technology product that you use, the body will break down the three amino acids.” Those amino acids get reabsorbed, and actually been used to produce glutathione again. Honestly, you can get the amino acids by itself. Take cysteine, and glycine, and glutamine, and together, the body can meet the glutathione again. 

Ben: Right. You’re basically kind of like slowing down the degradation process or increasing the pool of foundational building blocks for glutathione. 

Nayan: That’s it. That’s it. And the same thing was also proven in the intravenous form of glutathione in 1991. They were injecting two groups of IV push. And what they saw was there was a 300-fold increase of glutathione in the urine, but tenfold increase of cysteine in the blood. So, cysteine was getting reabsorbed and used to produce glutathione. So, even though the IV therapy was working, not because you’re injecting glutathione and was getting reabsorbed, it was because the gluta was getting broken down, cysteine was getting absorbed; cysteine was used to produce glutathione, and then the effect was there. 

Ben: Wow. Now, surely, your entrepreneurial pharmacist’s mind has thought a little bit about this, but could you use this same transdermal technology that you’ve developed for some other products, whether peptides or something else?

Nayan: Yes. And so, right now, in my research lab, we have about seven different products that we are working on. You mentioned GHK copper, is one of them. We have a very well-renowned dermatologist over here in Montecito, California, wants this product in her office. And so, I’ve been working there for about a couple of years. NAD, as you know, is the toughest molecule to work with. We have a stable NAD molecule in my lab for about 18 months now. And so, we are working on that one. We have a bunch of 2, 3, 4, 5 amino acid peptides that we are working on to deliver this technology. We have vitamin C has already been done. So, we have already released that product on the skincare side as well. So, no, you’re right. The same technology we have been using for multiple different things to deliver. Not everything’s going to be topical. Some are going to be topical; some are going to be oral. I do not know. But other the signs lead me to where it’s going to be.

Ben: Interesting. How about you? Like, what would be a typical day or week in your life, as far as how you would use this product? Because, obviously, you’re pretty well versed in the proper application and dosage. So, walk me through like when and the number of sprays and what it looks like for you. 

Nayan: Okay. So, I’m a little different. So, typically, I recommend using four sprays twice a day for overall health and wellness. But like you, I travel a lot. I go to about 30 to 35 conferences per year. And when I’m traveling, I’ll probably apply, I don’t know, maybe about 30 to 35 sprays in one day while I’m traveling. If I do the same amount at home, oh my God, I’ll break out rashes and all kinds of itching all over the body. And it would be — I’ll be a mess. But when I’m traveling, I’ll apply that much. Even if I drink one glass of wine, I’ll probably put at least 12 to 15 sprays after drinking. 

Ben: Oh, man! I think the most I ever did was six. Wow.

Nayan: Yeah. But I want to clean up everything I want. I want like leave it to be 100% clean at all times, right? And so, most of the hotels are moldy. And so, I can smell the mold in the hotel. And so, I hate mold in the hotels. But even though you can have the most expensive hotels that you stay in, you’re going to find mold in the carpet all the time. And so, when I’m traveling, I’ll probably apply at least eight to 10 sprays twice a day, or I get the stronger version depending on what I have in my toilet bag at that time. 

Ben: And I’m assuming the reason you don’t or can’t do that much as home is because when you don’t have as much oxidative stress at home, that there’s a risk of almost like overdosing with glutathione and getting some kind of a Herxheimer or detoxification reaction that is a little bit too much.

Nayan: Absolutely. And thanks for asking, Ben. This is the most important thing people should realize this part. So, until now, there is no gluta part in the market that you cannot take enough of. Again, you can take anything, any part in the market today, you can even infuse 10 grams of IV push. No problem whatsoever, right? But this topical product is actually doesn’t get broken down. That means, it’s bioavailable to your body. and you can only give what your body can use up or need. If you give too much of it, the body goes from the oxidative stress state to reductive stress state, and that is not good. 

So, limiting the use of glutathione is critical. And the only way you find out is if you take too much glutathione, you will have a rash and you’re itching all of the body. That means you got too much. Slow it down. Just bring back the dose down and you should be fine. 

Ben: Will the rash be right over where you applied it or will it be in other places too?

Nayan: So, sometimes, it’s a place you apply it. And it all depends on where the stressors are. So, sometimes, people will apply on the arm and the rash, it can develop on the liver. Right above the liver.

Ben: Oh. 

Nayan: People get rashes on different places. It’s not at the application site per se all the time. Most of the time, it is at the application site. But sometimes, the rash can develop anywhere. I have people here who complain that the rash gets on the face. It goes away pretty immediately. Once you once you stop it down, it just goes away. And then, you reduce the dose down and the rashes will come back. 

Ben: And does the time of day matter?

Nayan: No. No, it doesn’t really matter. But the only thing is that if you’re using more than once a day — okay, first of all, if you want to use too much of glutathione, don’t use everything at the same time, okay? So, at one point, you only use four to six sprays, eight sprays, 10 sprays maximum, you know. Unless, you’re like me. I’m experimenting all this time, it’s a different story. But then, you apply more often. Like, every 6 hours apart, you can apply it again if you wanted to. 

Ben: Okay, interesting. And I’m just curious, you know, you’re obviously very intellectually-driven and do a lot of research on this stuff. When do you actually learn? Like, do you carve out a certain time of day that you pour through research? Or for you, is it just like a constant flow of information? What does it look like for you?

Nayan: So, for me, I’m very, very blessed with the team of people that does everything for me, except for research. So, in my things, like I’m talking to you today, this is it. After this is over, I’ll dig in back into the lab and work with a PhD and try to figure out more ways to stabilize more products and things like that. Hit back, prepare some more presentation slides, or talk and learn more about it. I’m constantly talking to physicians. I don’t talk too much patients anymore, but I talk to physicians all the time, and I take all the phone calls from them because they’re teaching me as to what they’re seeing in their practice. And once I’ve learned from there, I tried to dig up more information about it and say, “Hey, how is this working out? Why is this working for you?” And so, that’s how we collaborate and we work with all doctors across the globe on this product. 

Ben: Do you read books?

Nayan: I do read books. But most of my books that I’d read are, unfortunately, on how to calm myself down. I got to actually hear what your top titles are for that. So, the reason, I think I was on Peter Attia or Andrew Huberman‘s podcast, and James was there about “Atomic Habits.” 

Ben: Oh, yeah. James Clear. 

Nayan: Yeah.

Ben: James Clear, fantastic.

Nayan: I just got his book, and I’m just reading his book right now as we speak, and it’s very interesting. Because I thought I was doing everything right but he gave me a couple more tidbits in there too, is the different laws of on how to create better habits. So, right now, I’m fixing my morning and evening routine so that those times I completely carved out so I don’t have to think about what I’m going to do every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep.  

Ben: Yeah. You two can now have a three-hour elaborate morning routine and not getting work done. And that, you know, James Clear also, he just put out on the App Store, I think it’s called Atoms. It’s an app version that ties in all the principles and atomic habits.  

Nayan: Oh, wow. Okay. Atoms.

Ben: Yeah, [00:52:08] _____.

Nayan: [00:52:09] _____.

Ben: I think maybe Tim Ferris wrote out a newsletter about it or something like that. So, as far as calming yourself down, quieting your mind, quelling anxiety, have you come across any good books for that?

Nayan: No. But what I do for that one is mostly meditation; deep breathing meditations. I probably have about seven different ways of breathing that I’m experimenting every one of them. Andrew Weil has this 4-7-8 breathing, then there’s a 4444 box breathing, then there is just deep breath and hold the breath and just excel it out. So, I’m just trying different ways. I went to the Navy Seals in San Diego, and did the training about breath work with them, about Wim Hof method with them as well.

Ben: What do you mean? You mean their SEALFit course?

Nayan: The SEALFIT course, yes.

Ben: Oh, that was fantastic. I did that one a couple. I actually wound up being a SEALFit instructor and came down and did the Kokoro Camp and coached that one. And it was my most memorable or one of my most memorable parts of that the five-day SEALFit course was they had a nine — this is the first time I’d ever really done breathwork, and I jumped into the deep-end because it was a 90-minute holotropic breathwork session that just left me — I wouldn’t say shattered emotionally, but just spinning as far as the same feeling you’d get from something like a psilocybin journey or something like that. I don’t know if they did that when you were there, but it was —

Nayan: No, it was a 60-minute one, the maximum we had. 

Ben: Yeah, they also had a laughing yoga session, which was interesting. If you like breathwork, there’s this guy — my son and I were just in the sauna this morning. Brand new guy. Because we’re preparing for a Wim Hof retreat in Poland in December. And I found this great Wim Hof instructors, Kitaro Waga, K-I-T-A-R-O W-A-G-A. A bunch of breathwork tips, and some. I really like — you know, for me, I’m very picky about the voice, about the music. I like this app called Othership. Instead of mothership, it’s called Othership. There’s one called the Breath Source. But this guy, Kitaro Waga on YouTube, he’s a new find of mine. And if you like to learn new breathwork tactics, you should check him out. 

Nayan: I will, definitely. I did another instructor with somebody out of New York. And he was just putting your heart in your chest and your belly, and just have a double breathe, and then calm down; double breathe and calm down.

Ben: You mean, like the double like the [breathing sounds].

Nayan: Yep.

Ben: Your double inhale.

Nayan: Exactly, yeah. Yeah, I did that one for about 20 minutes. And, you know, really clears your mind off. And all it is, all you’re trying to do is basically just refocus your mind. So, you know, it’s constantly, my mind’s constantly churning. It’s always churning. And so, I just need to kind of just calm myself down. 

Ben: Yeah, yeah. For me, the same thing. Mine’s always going. And it’s typically breathwork, prayer, and I really like Yoga Nidra; non-sleep, deep rest protocols. Even if I’m not sleeping. I mean, my last international flight, I went to another great instructor on YouTube, Ali Boothroyd. I downloaded an eight-hour Yoga Nidra session from her, played it on the plane, and had the most relaxing, restful overseas plane flight of my life. Laying there for 8 hours, doing a non-sleep, deep rest protocol. 

Nayan: Wow. Well, I had to take an international flight this year. So, I’ll probably head to that as well. 

Ben: Yeah, better than Valium. Well, Nayan, this is super interesting. 

What I’m going to do is, obviously, people might be interested in your product. If you’re listening right now, go to BenGreenfieldLife.com/auropodcast. That’s the name of Nayan’s company, Auro Wellness, A-U-R-O. So, if you go to BenGreenfieldLife.com/auropodcast, A-U-R-O podcast, I’ll link to these Glutaryl Transdermal Glutathione products that we talked about. If you want to try them for yourself and see how you feel. If you have questions, or comments, or feedback about glutathione for Dr. Patel or myself, you can leave them there. And, Nayan, anything else you want to throw in before I let you go?

Nayan: The best part about this part is that if you just try for 30 days, you’re going to feel the difference. You’re going to feel the difference. And if you don’t feel the difference, if you don’t see any changes, maybe your gluta levels are going to be okay, right? If you’re a fitness guy, use it for post-workout. Do not use it before workout. If you’re doing hyperbaric chambers or cold plunge therapy, do it afterwards. Don’t do it before. 

Ben: Why?

Nayan: Because the thing is you don’t want to reduce oxidative stress down early on. 

Ben: Okay. I thought so. You don’t want to quell the inflammatory response, it’ll be beneficial. You don’t want to shut down the hormetic response. 

Nayan: Exactly. So, you want to get all the benefits of exercise and cold plunging, and hyperbaric chambers, and whatever you do, right? And after that’s over, you’ll probably gluta at that point. So, if there are any questions like these and when to apply it and if there’s specific conditions, please let us know. We’ll definitely be able to answer those questions for you.

Ben: Got it. So otherwise, four sprays twice a day, not before workout or a cold plunge. And if you travel, do it like Nayan does, and just do a million billion and see what happens.

Nayan: Yes. Thank you.

Ben: All right. Cool. BenGreenfieldLife.com/auropodcast. Thanks everybody for listening in. Until next time, I’m Ben, with Nayan Patel, signing out from Ben Greenfield Life. Have an amazing week.

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I recently read The Glutathione Revolution: Fight Disease, Slow Aging, and Increase Energy with the Master Antioxidant and had my mind blown by a ton of facts I never knew about glutathione, the body’s so-called “master antioxidant” that plays a crucial role in protecting cells from oxidative stress and damage caused by free radicals, building and repairing tissue, making chemicals and proteins needed in the body, and supporting the immune system.

The book was written by today’s guest, Dr. Nayan Patel, a sought-after pharmacist, wellness expert, and thought leader. After 11 years of clinical research on glutathione, Dr. Patel finally shares how powerful and essential glutathione is to the body’s detox system, discusses the various benefits it has with slowing the aging process, and explains how you can increase your levels naturally.

Dr. Patel is regarded as the foremost expert on absorbable forms of glutathione and holds the only patent on transdermal glutathione. In addition to many other topics such as cellular function and hormone replacement, he is a highly sought-after global authority on the critical role that glutathione and all other antioxidants and endogenous molecules play in the body. Along with traveling the world educating practitioners on advanced biochemistry and anti-aging science, Dr. Patel also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, where he is also an alumnus.

He is a licensed compounding pharmacist who is still involved in designing and compounding drugs and nutrition therapies for his patients, including athletes, CEOs, highly stressed actors, physicians, and the community where he has practiced for 25 years. Besides being a pharmacist, CEO, and leader, he is a father to his three kids, husband to his supportive wife, and son to his dad who is his inspiration to help heal the world.

Dr. Patel is a firm believer in providing the body with the tools it needs to defend itself and promote a healthy lifestyle that fits the pace of the modern world. His company, Auro Wellness (use code BEN10 for a 10% discount), is deeply committed to research and innovation. Following 14 years of intensive research and rigorous testing, Auro Wellness introduced its inaugural product — Glutaryl — featuring a fusion of multi-patented sub-nano absorption technology and the key ingredient, glutathione. This innovative solution stands as the pioneering topical glutathione product capable of providing systemic benefits through skin absorption.

Ready to explore more about one of the latest breakthroughs in anti-aging science? Let’s dive in…

During our discussion, you’ll discover:  

-Who is Dr. Nayan Patel?…01:24

• Pharmacist and thought leader in anti-aging and nutrition
• Works with celebrities and physicians to develop custom drug/nutrition regimens
• Wrote the book The Glutathione Revolution to dispel myths about glutathione
• Founded company Auro Wellness (use code BEN10 to save 10%) to improve the bioavailability of glutathione
• Wide range of knowledge on both biochemistry and anti-aging science
• Holds the only patent for transdermal glutathione delivery

-What is liposomal technology?…04:05

• Liposomes are tiny spherical vesicles made up of one or more lipid bilayers, typically composed of phospholipids like those found in cell membranes
• Liposomal delivery allows nutrients to reach the body effectively without being broken down by the digestive system
• Delivers nutrients where they are needed for maximum absorption
  • These include
  • But not a good delivery service for glutathione
  • As measured by
    • Triglyceride levels
    • Sugar levels
    • AC1
    • MDA levels
    • Liver enzymes

-What are the effects of glutathione supplementation?…08:14

• Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant that is naturally produced by the liver
• Protects the body against free radicals
• A rise in measured liver enzymes means that glutamine levels are depleted
• The liver is one of the organs that can regenerate itself (in a very short time — if given the right nutrients)
• Glutathione may improve
  • Liver health
  • Blood sugar
  • Exercise recovery
  • Energy
  • The aging process
  • Food and environmental allergies
  • Nerve growth
• Helps reduce oxygen stress markers so the body can get rid of sugars at a much faster pace
• Blood tests can measure effectiveness (liver enzymes, oxidative stress markers)

-Does Dr. Patel recommend IV delivery of glutathione?…10:15

• IV glutathione has potential benefits but also downsides
  • Short duration of effect (14–15 minutes)
  • Low response rate
  • Potential issues for those with certain genetic polymorphisms or methylation issues
  • Risk of oxidative stress if given in excess amounts
  • Inconvenience and cost of IV administration
• Excess glutamine may negatively impact those without leaky gut
• Podcast with Dr. Ben Lynch:
• Recycles other antioxidants like CoQ10, but getting into cells is challenging — research is ongoing to get CoQ10 intracellularly

-Could doing a large dose of glutathione have a paradoxical inflammatory or pro-oxidation effect?…10:42

• Yes and no
• When glutathione donates a molecule, it becomes glutathione disulfide (GSSG) — the oxidized form of glutathione
• You can measure GSSG in your bloodstream
• The pro-oxidation effect is very short-lived — it will become a much more stable molecule in your body
• Given the right nutrients and energy, this molecule can regenerate itself and make glutathione again
• Individuals who have certain variants of the GSTM1 and GSTM2 genes may experience difficulties in conjugating glutathione and eliminating it from the body
  • GSTM 1 — associated with higher risk for environmentally related cancer
  • GSTM 2 — associated with Barrett’s adenocarcinoma and frontonasal dysplasia
• DNA Testing
  • StrateGene (use code BEN10 to save 10% off first order)
• Glutathione only stays in the body for about 14–15 minutes

-How do you develop a stable glutathione molecule?…16:35

• Glutathione is a highly unstable molecule consisting of three parts
  • Glutamine — an amino acid that plays a key role in protein synthesis and serves as a primary fuel source for cells in the intestine and immune system
  • Glycine — a simple amino acid that is vital for the synthesis of proteins, DNA, and other important molecules in the body
  • Cysteine — an amino acid that contains sulfur and is a key component of glutathione, an important antioxidant in the body
• Had to find a way for the cysteine molecule to not get oxidized right away
• Recruited a researcher from USC to help stabilize the glutathione molecule
• Took 2.5 years to develop a liquid, stable glutathione molecule
• Tried various delivery methods
  • Oral
  • Topical
  • Positive charge
• Dr Patel’s first technology put a chemical cap on the cysteine molecule
  • It did not break down immediately
  • You could smell the sulfur
  • People find glutathione sprays and bottles have a bit of a fart-like essence
• Took 13 years of modifying and testing to make a stable formula

-How can you use dietary factors/dietary combinations to increase glutathione?…19:53

• Eat anything that has high cysteine
• Your body can absorb the cysteine and make glutathione out of it
• Glutamine is good for your gut
  • You get it from supplementation, not from your diet
  • A byproduct of the oxidation in your brain
  • Great for someone with a leaky gut — so long as it stays in the gut and the body uses it up
• Glutamine is implicated in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
• Dr. Patel’s upcoming research focuses on the correlation between glutamine intake and its effects on the blood-brain barrier
• FDA has approved N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to improve glutathione levels

-Why does the supplement industry sell glutathione and combine it with antioxidants like PQQ or CoQ10?… 26:34

-How should you apply topical transdermal glutathione?…28:29

• Apply to any body part
• Hairy areas may become uncomfortable due to stickiness
• Does not alter absorption because the molecule is absorbed systemically

-What is the two-part technology for sequestering cysteine molecules and improving skin absorption?…32:04

• Glutaryl is Dr Patel’s product (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
  • Step 1 — sequester the cysteine molecules that don’t oxidize
  • Step 2 — chemically twist it with a cone-shaped molecule
  • The molecule becomes small enough so that it gets through the skin
  • Is not untwisted or degraded by light or heat
• After entering your body, it binds to your cells and will dump inside the cells
• GHK-Cu, used for hair growth, can be absorbed through the skin
• Not by passive diffusion
• Glutaryl Plus (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
  • Released in 2021 — 1.75 times stronger than the regular version

-What are the insights of usage from human trials?…38:08

• 30 people participated in a 3-day trial at Western University School of Medicine
  • Applied twice a day — took several levels of blood samples
    • Glutathione levels increased right away (within 4 hours of application)
    • Reduction of the MDA oxygen stress markers
    • Reduction in the mycobacterium load
    • Improvement in the immune system
• A doctor with stage 4 liver cancer effectively used glutathione to alleviate neuropathy

-What is the difference between liposomal, intravenous, and transdermal glutathione delivery methods?…41:59

• Liposomal delivery will see a rise eventually (but not because of absorption)
  • 2011 study shows a rise in all three amino acids
    • Cysteine
    • Glutamine
    • Glycine
  • They get reabsorbed and used to produce glutathione
• Intravenous delivery study in 1991
  • Saw a 300-fold increase in glutathione in the urine
  • 10-fold increase of cysteine in the blood
  • Cysteine was reabsorbed to produce glutathione
• Transdermal glutathione delivery — Dr. Patel holds the only patent
  • Absorbs directly into the bloodstream
  • Avoids passing through the digestion system or the liver
  • Other products being developed for transdermal delivery
    • GHK-Cu
    • Other amino acid peptides
• Vitamin C (use code BEN10 to save 10%)

-What is the dosage for glutathione?…45:24

• Limiting the use of glutathione is critical
• You can only give the body what it can use up
• The body transitions from the oxidative stress state to the reactive stress state
• Itching and a rash are signs you have taken too much (not always at the application site)
• Recommends 4 sprays twice a day for overall health and wellness
• Personally, when traveling Dr. Patel increases it to 30 sprays a day to offset any oxidative stress
• Post-workout
• After doing hyperbaric chambers or cold plunge therapy

-What is Dr. Patel’s self-care routine?…52:08

-And much more…

Upcoming Events:

• Health Optimization Summit — London: June 15–16, 2024

The Health Optimization Summit is the ultimate gathering for anyone passionate about biohacking, wellness, and living their best life. Dubbed a must-do event, it promises a transformative weekend filled with the opportunity to meet and learn from over 35 world-class speakers (including yours truly) in nutrition, longevity, mental health, relationships, and more. Learn best-kept secrets, try out the latest high-tech health gadgets, and discover the cleanest supplements and foods on the market. Don’t miss this life-changing weekend — grab your tickets before they’re gone here.

• The Longevity Circle Retreat in Croatia — Superyacht Wellness Adventure: Sept 4–10, 2024

Step aboard the ultimate luxury wellness journey: the longevity-focused Superyacht Wellness Adventure, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Croatia from September 4–10, 2024. This exclusive, invite-only event offers an unparalleled experience that blends opulence with the pursuit of wellness, disease prevention, and a long, happy life. With only 10 cabins available, this intimate retreat promises personalized attention and an atmosphere of elite exclusivity. Each day, I will lead 5–6 invigorating workouts, share insights through 1–2 enlightening talks, and engage in organic discussions and Q&A sessions, ensuring a transformative experience. Secure your spot here on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure and be part of a select group dedicated to elevating their health.

• Biohacking Retreat with Ben Greenfield — Costa Rica: Oct 28–31, 2024

Join me this October for an unparalleled biohacking retreat set in the breathtaking landscapes of Costa Rica. This is an exclusive opportunity to dive deep into the world of biohacking, wellness, and personal optimization at Kinkára, a sanctuary of rejuvenation and adventure. Over three nights, you’ll get to explore cutting-edge strategies for enhancing your health and performance, from engaging lectures to hands-on meditation and breathwork sessions. We’ll bond over group hikes, savor three meticulously prepared meals daily, unwind with live music, and experience the transformative Temezcal ceremony. Plus, you’ll enjoy luxury amenities and quality time with me and a community of like-minded individuals. Space is intentionally limited to 50 guests to ensure a personalized and impactful experience. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your well-being and connect with the essence of biohacking amidst Costa Rica’s natural beauty. Secure your spot here to ensure you don’t miss out!

• Wim Hof Method Travel — Seminarzentrum Riederalp, Germany: December 11–15, 2024

Get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Wim Hof Method Travel event in Germany. This four-day event features immersive activities designed to push the limits of your body and mind. Led by experienced Wim Hof Method instructors and me, participants will engage in breathwork, ice bathing, meditation, cold hikes, theory sessions, body awareness exercises, and a sweat lodge ceremony. WHM Travel offers the most comprehensive Wim Hof Method experience, allowing participants to fully immerse themselves in the practice (away from all distractions). This extended immersion in a stunning, natural environment will provide you with the opportunity for progressive WHM training. Join the attendees who come from all over the world, seeking to push themselves to new heights, process hardships or trauma, and simply enrich their lives with new experiences and friendships. You can discover more and book your spot here!

Resources from this episode:

– Dr. Nayan Patel:

– Podcasts and Articles:

– Books:

– Other Resources:

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