When it comes to holistic health and wellness, at Agent Nateur we are always looking for the latest in technologies and cutting-edge information to share and help support our followers.  When our founder, Jena, was introduced to Dr. Nayan Patel, she knew had to share him and his breakthrough science with the world. 

Dr. Nayan Patel is the founder and owner of Auro Wellness, a company he set up in 2011, to create products that help the body function at an optimal level and reduce the long-term impact of stress on the body.  He is a sought-after pharmacist, wellness expert, and thought leader in his industry, and has been working with physicians since 1999. He has also been the pharmacist of choice to celebrities, CEOs and physicians themselves. He recently published his first and very comprehensive book, “The Glutathione Revolution: Fight Disease, Slow Aging and Increase Energy with the Master Antioxidant.”  After 11 years of clinical research on the master antioxidant, glutathione, Dr. Patel finally shares how powerful and essential glutathione is to the body's detox system.

We spoke to him about what exactly glutathione is, its importance in our body and why his transdermal technology outweighs other options on the market. He also shares with us some amazing science and explains how supporting the body with glutathione can help with a vast number of diseases and conditions, ranging from immunity enhancement to helping fight aging, and even cancer. 

You are an expert when it comes to glutathione. What exactly is this, and why is it important for us to maintain healthy levels?

Glutathione is:

• a tripeptide composed of three amino acids (glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine)
• something that most humans produce abundantly unless they have a genetic defect
• the master antioxidant in our body

It’s important because:

• it’s produced in every living cell in the body
• it’s the most abundant molecule produced by humans
• it helps keep the body clean from oxidative stress (both chemical and electrical)
• levels of glutathione reduce as we age, but the demand never decreases as we age and in some cases, it increases

What are some root causes as to why we may be low in this master antioxidant?

There are two reasons why we have low glutathione levels.

1. Low production, which can be caused by:

• age, especially after 30, when your production of glutathione decreases a lot
• poor diet and lack of nutrients (three amino acids)
• a genetic defect or not producing enzymes that help the production of glutathione

2. High usage, which can be caused by:

• chronic metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, acute infections, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, etc… resulting in an increase in oxidative stress
• exposure to heavy metal, toxic chemicals, pollution, cigarettes, allergens, insecticides/pesticides, smoke, or excessive sunlight exposure
• high stress

You hold a patent for a very special glutathione that works transdermally through the skin. What are some claims you can make about your glutathione vs other brands out there that we have seen?

We are able to improve glutathione levels on demand. We don’t have to wait for weeks or months to improve glutathione levels and it can happen in days, even though it can work in minutes sometimes. Currently, the studies are out for publication and once published, we can openly say what I just did.

How is transdermal glutathione more effective than oral? What's the mechanism behind this?

The oral glutathione form (in any delivery mechanism) will be broken down to various amino acids which the body absorbs very readily and then the body tries to make glutathione out of it again. By doing so, you are still relying on the body’s ability to combine the three amino acids with two separate enzymes to make glutathione and the levels will improve by about 40%. By comparison, my product, Glutaryl, delivers a highly absorbable form using groundbreaking sub-nanotechnology. With its reduced particle size, it can improve RBC levels of glutathione within hours without going through the process of breaking apart and rejoining again through enzymatic chemical reaction. The effectiveness comes from the fact that you can raise the level immediately and secondly, most importantly, you are not relying on your body’s ability to produce enough glutathione for all your needs. We know that these needs are far greater than what our body can produce.

What's the difference between your technology vs taking a glutathione IV that seems to be so popular?

Intravenous glutathione is very popular but as of today the FDA has not evaluated any product nor approved any glutathione IV for any specific reason. Beyond that, IV glutathione has a very short life in the body (an average of about 14 minutes, plus or minus nine minutes) so in less than 30 minutes, most of the glutathione ends up in the bladder ready to be excreted. The reason for the short life might have to do with the fact that all IV glutathione stays in the plasma (the water part of blood) rather than the red blood cells (RBC). This is important as the research shows that the RBC level of glutathione is more correlated with helping our body fight oxidative stress and the life of glutathione is anywhere from six hours to up to two days, compared to those 14 mins if glutathione stays in the plasma only. The AuroGSH(™) technology used to prepare Glutaryl in the clinical trial has shown improvements in RBC levels of glutathione within hours, so theoretically it has the potential to be effective anywhere from six hours to up to two days.

Can the nano-sized glutathione from other brands be absorbed into red blood cells? If not, how does yours? Why is this important?

Nano-sized glutathione, which is mostly liposomal technology, is creating a physical barrier around the glutathione molecule and not doing anything to reduce the size because quite frankly you cannot. While liposomal technology is great in lots of different products, I have my doubts when it comes to glutathione. The human body is designed to break down any peptides or proteins we consume to various amino acids. Glutathione is a tri-peptide that gets broken down into various amino acids regardless of glutathione being a nano particle or not. The only advantage to having nanoparticles is probably helping it survive the harsh environment inside the stomach where it will get destroyed completely without having a chance for the intestines to break it down. The only way you will have increased levels in RBC is from the amino acids getting absorbed and your own body using them to make glutathione.

By contrast, topical application doesn’t go through the harsh stomach environment or the intestine to be broken down. The particle size is small enough to bypass all the layers of the skin and help improve serum levels and in particular RBC levels of glutathione. A US Patent was granted for the fact that AuroGSH(™) technology can deliver glutathione and other antioxidants via the skin and can improve serum levels.

What happens if we discontinue the use of glutathione once we start taking it? Do we make less? Does it mess with our natural production?

Most forms of glutathione don't suppress glutathione production since the body breaks down glutathione into various amino acids and the body uses the amino acids to produce its own glutathione levels. On the other hand, if a product like Glutaryl(™) doesn't break down, there is the potential that the body doesn’t have to make less or no glutathione since you are getting it from an outside source. Making a tripeptide (glutathione) is not the same as making a hormone where the body, if it stops production for a while, takes a long time to reproduce again. If you take glutathione, the body will use up its energy to produce other peptides and if you stop it, it will immediately start producing glutathione again.

How does glutathione work when it comes to anti-aging? How does this work when we apply it to our skin?

Remember when we are in our teens or our 20's? We think we are invincible and whatever we eat and drink doesn't affect our body a whole lot. Now that I am in my 50’s, I just have to see food, and I can gain weight. What changes is our body’s ability to process and detoxify everything that it’s exposed to and what’s been produced during millions of chemical reactions happening in our body every second. Glutathione really helps to reduce/remove oxidative stress (both electrical and chemical), and a clutter-free body can not just function better but it also moves better. Anti-aging to me is the body’s ability to function like it used to in our 20’s and where it is clean enough so that you are not worried about any diseases. 

Sometimes it's hard to reverse aged physical appearance but even if we can stop it from further deterioration, that is a win for me. Skin is the largest organ in our body exposed to environmental toxins that can benefit from glutathione being applied straight to it. We cannot do the same with the heart, liver or kidneys for example. Since we have access to this organ, it becomes our responsibility to make sure we nourish it and take care of it correctly. That is why we have creams and serums specific to address oxidative stress at Auro Skincare. We have two serums (Glutathione and Vitamin C) and two creams as a complete routine to nullify all the oxidative damage due to the environment.

When it comes to the science, what is the biggest medical claim you can make about glutathione? I've read in the literature that it can protect the body from cancer - is this a claim you can make, and if so, what kinds of cancers?

Glutathione is very well known to have actually reduced levels in chronic diseases and especially cancer. However, there are no glutathione products on the market that are able to make a claim that their product will help fight cancer and/or any chronic metabolic or autoimmune diseases. Topical glutathione is used by many physicians to raise glutathione levels effectively but that doesn't mean it’s going to have any effect on the disease’s progression or outcomes. We have just finished our first clinical trial in humans at Western University Medical School in California to show that following the application of topical glutathione there was a significant increase in the reduced form (active) of glutathione within three days and also an improvement in all the immune markers to fight infections. This was a small 30 patient trial but it was significant enough to learn that it’s possible to improve glutathione levels pretty much on demand.

When it comes to your own personal wellness routines, can you share your Top 10 wellness tips that you practice?

Of course, I’d be happy to share them.

1. Only eat real food.
2. Drink mainly or only water. I don’t drink tea, coffee, milk, juice or sodas on a regular basis.
3. If you have time, meditate for a minimum of 15 minutes once or twice a day..
4. Find time for some exercise every day. I do a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes of exercise per day, every day. I love my rebounder. I also walk the dog for about 20 minutes or more.
5. I only eat between 12 noon and 8pm each day and that is also mostly home cooked meals.
6. Get a good night’s sleep. I aim to sleep for a minimum of seven hours a night, with at least an hour and a half of deep sleep.
7. I have had the same meal for lunch every day (while at work) for the last 25 years -  a vegetable sandwich or salad, with two different types of fruit, and a small protein shake (powdered protein mixed with powdered greens & fiber).
8. I wake up everyday at 5:30am with a fixed morning routine that grounds me. Also, I try to get to sleep around or before 10pm.
9. I do a hyperbaric chamber session for an hour at least twice a week.
10. I practice active breathing for about two minutes at least two or three times a day.

If you’d like to find out more about Dr Patel and his work, you can visit his Auro Wellness website here.