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Longevity & wellness · Evidence tier B

Glutathione

GSH · Reduced glutathione · L-glutathione · L-glutathione reduced · γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine

Glutathione is a natural antioxidant the body makes from three amino acids. Clinics sell drips and shots for lighter skin and wellness, but trials give little support1. In 2026, contaminated pharmacy vials sickened dozens of people23.

Last reviewed · First published · 31 sources · 23 min read · By the Pinc Peptide editors

Illustration: a glass vial with a pink label reading Glutathione
Illustration, not a real product: an empty glass vial (photo: Missouri Historical Society, public domain) with our label. See every vial.

Quick answers

What is it?
A chain of three amino acids that the body makes711. It is the most common antioxidant the body produces5. It is sold as a supplement pill, and clinics sell drips and shots for lighter skin and wellness312.
Does it work?
Little proof. In small trials, pills and creams lightened skin moderately, but a 2025 review said drips should not be used for this1. The largest trial found it did not protect nerves from cancer drugs7. We found no trial of shots under the skin31.
Is it safe?
Unknown over the long term, and lightening could raise skin cancer risk1216. Short trials found it well tolerated1718. But in 2026, at least 30 people got fever, chills or shock-like illness after drips made with supplement-grade glutathione23. Some needed hospital care2.
Is it legal?
No glutathione drug is FDA-approved, though pills are sold as supplements3. US pharmacies may make it for now under an interim FDA policy, which is not approval89. Drips over 100 mL in 12 hours are banned for tested athletes10.
What is in the vials?
Pharmacy-made vials are often recalled: FDA lists 79 recalls from 2012 to 2026, most over sterility problems21. In 2026, at least three Texas pharmacies recalled vials over found or suspected bacterial toxins2130. Online vials are barely tested: Finnrick logged 5 tests, July to September 202626.

What it is

Glutathione is a small molecule made of three amino acids: glutamate (glutamic acid), cysteine and glycine7. The body makes it naturally11, and it is the most abundant antioxidant the body produces5. It mops up free radicals and other reactive oxygen molecules and takes part in many detoxification reactions7. Its structure is unusual for a peptide: glutamate is linked to cysteine through its side chain (the gamma carboxyl group) rather than the usual backbone bond4. Skin-lightening claims rest on its reported ability to shift pigment production from brown toward red melanin12. Given by IV, it leaves the blood quickly: after a 2 g/m2 infusion (dosed by body surface area) in 10 healthy volunteers, its half-life in plasma was about 14 minutes and urinary glutathione rose 300-fold13. Taken by mouth, 1,000 mg a day for 6 months raised glutathione stores in blood cells by 30 to 35% in one trial5, while 500 mg twice a day for 4 weeks changed nothing measurable in another14.

Glutathione is not an invented drug; the body makes it11. Researchers have given it in large IV doses since at least 1991, when a study measured its breakdown in healthy volunteers, and 1990s trials used it to try to protect cancer patients from cisplatin side effects1315. As of 2019, injectable glutathione was approved in the Philippines as an add-on treatment in cisplatin chemotherapy16. By 2016, clinics in South Africa and online sellers were advertising IV glutathione for skin lightening, and in 2019 the Philippine FDA warned about beauty salons and spas offering lightening drips1216.

Benefits: what the research shows

Most controlled human trials of glutathione were small, and the larger ones gave mixed results. Given with platinum chemotherapy, it looked protective in early trials. In a 1995 trial in 50 people with advanced stomach cancer, 4 of 24 assessable patients on glutathione had nerve damage (neuropathy) after 15 weeks, vs 16 of 18 on placebo15. In a 1997 trial in 151 women with ovarian cancer, more of those given glutathione completed all six planned cycles of cisplatin (58% vs 39%), with better quality-of-life scores and similar tumor response (73% vs 62%, not significant)6. But the largest and most recent trial, a 2014 US phase 3 study in 185 patients on paclitaxel and carboplatin, found no protection against neuropathy, and some results favored placebo7. In Parkinson’s disease, IV glutathione three times a week for 4 weeks (21 patients) and nasal glutathione for 3 months (45 patients) were not better than placebo1117. Inhaled glutathione for 6 months did not improve lung function in 153 people with cystic fibrosis18. For the uses it is marketed for, the evidence is thin. Oral glutathione raised glutathione levels in a 6-month trial of 54 adults, and the levels fell back within a month of stopping5; a 4-week trial in 40 adults found no change14. For skin lightening, 500 mg a day by mouth for 4 weeks lowered skin melanin more than placebo at 2 of 6 measured sites in 60 medical students19. A 2025 systematic review found several small trials in which oral pills and creams modestly lowered skin melanin, but only one placebo-controlled trial of IV glutathione, and it concluded that IV glutathione is contraindicated for skin lightening because of lack of efficacy and side effects1. No trial of glutathione injected under the skin was found for this entry, and a 2016 review found no study of long-term IV use for any purpose12.

Key human studies

StudyDesignPeopleDose and routeResult
Leal et al., Cancer 20147PubMed · DOI Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCCTG/Alliance N08CA); adults starting paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy 185 1.5 g/m2 IV over 15 minutes just before each chemotherapy dose; placebo was 100 mL saline No difference in neuropathy on the CIPN20 sensory scale (P=.21) or in grade 2 or worse neuropathy (P=.449). Time to grade 2 or worse neuropathy (P=.039) and acute paclitaxel pain with weekly dosing (P=.002) favored placebo7.
Smyth et al., Ann Oncol 19976PubMed · DOI Double-blind randomized trial; women with stage I to IV ovarian cancer given cisplatin 100 mg/m2 with or without glutathione 151 Glutathione given with each cisplatin cycle; dose and route are not stated in the abstract 58% vs 39% received all six cisplatin cycles (P=0.04). Quality-of-life scores were better for depression, vomiting, nerve symptoms, hair loss, breathlessness and concentration. Tumor response 73% vs 62% (P=0.25, not significant)6.
Griese et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 201318PubMed · DOI · NCT00506688 Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial (registered as phase 2); people with cystic fibrosis aged 8 and older 153 646 mg inhaled by nebulizer every 12 hours for 6 months No difference in lung function (FEV1, P=0.180 and P=0.205), flare-ups (pulmonary exacerbations) or quality of life. A small gain at 3 months did not last. Adverse events were similar to placebo18.
Hauser et al., Mov Disord 200917PubMed · DOI Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot; Parkinson’s disease with poorly controlled symptoms 21 1,400 mg IV three times a week for 4 weeks Well tolerated, with no safety concerns. Symptom scores (UPDRS) improved 2.8 points more than placebo during treatment (P=0.32) and worsened 3.5 points more over the next 8 weeks (P=0.54); neither difference was significant17.
Richie et al., Eur J Nutr 20155PubMed · DOI Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; healthy non-smoking adults 54 250 mg or 1,000 mg a day by mouth for 6 months On 1,000 mg, glutathione rose 30 to 35% in red cells, plasma and lymphocytes and 260% in cheek-lining cells at 6 months; on 250 mg, 17% in blood and 29% in red cells. Levels returned to baseline 1 month after stopping. Natural killer cell activity more than doubled vs placebo at 3 months on the high dose5.
Arjinpathana et al., J Dermatolog Treat 201219PubMed · DOI Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; healthy medical students in Bangkok, Thailand 60 500 mg a day by mouth in two divided doses for 4 weeks The melanin index fell at all 6 skin sites on glutathione, but the drop beat placebo significantly at only 2 (right face, p=0.021; sun-exposed left forearm, p=0.036). The authors said long-term safety was not established19.

Doses studied

Doses below are what studies used or what a label says. They are not advice, and gray-market products may not contain what their label says.

In human studies

IV: 1.5 g/m2 over 15 minutes before each chemotherapy dose715, plus 600 mg into muscle on days 2 to 5 in one trial15; 1,400 mg three times a week for 4 weeks in Parkinson’s disease17; and a single 2 g/m2 infusion in a study of how the body handles it13. By mouth: 250 or 1,000 mg a day for 6 months5, 500 mg twice daily for 4 weeks14, and 500 mg a day for 4 weeks for skin19. Nasal: 100 or 200 mg three times a day for 3 months11. Inhaled: 646 mg every 12 hours for 6 months18. We found no human study of glutathione injected under the skin, so we know of no dose studied for the way most gray-market vials are used31.

In animal studies

Not summarized. Glutathione has been tested directly in human trials, so this entry does not rely on animal dosing.

What users report Anecdotal · not validated · not a recommendation

A dosing-calculator site lists 100 to 200 mg by injection under the skin, once a day or every other day. The site presents these as educational protocols, not trial results25.

Half-life
About 14 minutes in plasma (14.1 ± 9.2 min)13After a single IV infusion of 2 g/m2 in 10 healthy volunteers
Routes
  • Intravenous infusion (human trials in chemotherapy and Parkinson’s disease)
  • Intramuscular injection (given with IV doses in one chemotherapy trial)
  • Oral capsules (dietary supplement; small trials)
  • Intranasal spray (one Parkinson’s trial)
  • Inhaled by nebulizer (one cystic fibrosis trial)
  • Topical creams and lotions (small skin-lightening trials)
  • Subcutaneous injection (clinic and gray-market use; no trials found)

Every dose studied for Glutathione, with sources →

Quality and the gray market

What testing finds

Recalls tell most of the quality story for compounded glutathione. openFDA lists 79 recall records for glutathione products, started from 25 May 2012 to 5 August 2026 (data updated 23 September 2026), and 65 of them cite sterility problems21. The two newest in that data are Class I recalls, FDA’s most serious level, for bacterial endotoxin (toxic material from bacteria) in 200 mg/mL multidose vials: Victory Medical Center Pharmacy in Austin (91 units, started 1 July 2026) and Optimal Balance Pharmacy in Houston (53 vials, started 5 August 2026), both distributed nationwide21. CDC lists a third Texas pharmacy, Centric Compounding, that recalled glutathione and IV vitamin blends3. FDA tied the 2026 cases to one lot (#229536) of dietary-supplement-grade glutathione supplied by Medisca2. On 1 October 2026 Greenwich Rx, a compounding pharmacy in Tomball, Texas, announced a recall of 10 lots of glutathione because their endotoxin levels might be too high30. The recalled multidose vials held 10 mL of 200 mg/mL glutathione and were meant for injection under the skin30. They went to patients nationwide from 26 June to 21 September 202630. Greenwich Rx said it had two reports involving patients who received emergency department care after IV use of a glutathione product not made for IV use30. In 2019 FDA’s lab found supplement-grade glutathione powder with endotoxin as high as five times the appropriate limit22. Gray-market testing is sparse: Finnrick, an independent tester, logged 5 glutathione tests from 3 vendors between 1 July 2026 and 17 September 2026, with 1 pass, 1 fail and 3 incomplete26. In 2016 FDA flagged an imported shipment declared as glutathione that was found to contain undeclared human growth hormone27.

How it is sold

Glutathione reaches buyers four ways. Oral capsules are sold as dietary supplements3. Wellness clinics and med spas sell IV drips and shots: the first 2026 cluster, reported by Texas health officials in July, followed IV glutathione at an outpatient wellness clinic, and patients in the outbreak received it by IV, under the skin or into muscle3. Telehealth is moving in: Hims said on 12 August 2026 that it plans to sell glutathione by year-end28. And ‘research use only’ vials are sold online. One vendor’s best-seller list showed ‘Glutathione 1500mg’ at $59.99 (accessed 30 September 2026)29. Skin lightening is another selling point. By 2016, clinics in South Africa advertised IV glutathione for lightening, and people were buying it online12; in 2019 the Philippine FDA warned about salons and spas offering lightening drips16.

Side effects and risks

  • Endotoxin contamination: supplement-grade or poorly made glutathione injections have caused fever, chills, low blood pressure and shock-like illness. Endotoxin exposure can also be fatal222.
  • Infection: nonsterile injections can carry germs. One 2018 patient was hospitalized for a possible bloodstream infection, and the Philippine FDA warned of HIV and hepatitis transmission when drips are given by non-medical staff or in non-sterile settings1622.
  • Unproven benefit: trials have not shown that IV or injected glutathione lightens skin or improves wellness, and a 2025 review concluded IV use for lightening is contraindicated1.
  • Unknown long-term safety: a 2016 review found no study of long-term IV use for any purpose, and the shift toward red melanin could raise the risk of sun-related skin cancer1216.
  • Other reported side effects: the Philippine FDA listed toxic effects on the liver, kidneys and nervous system, and possible Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a severe skin reaction, for injectable glutathione used for lightening16.
  • Anti-doping: drips or injections over 100 mL per 12 hours are prohibited for tested athletes even though glutathione itself is not10.

Documented harms

  • 17 Oct 2018A patient given a 2,400 mg IV infusion of compounded glutathione had sudden chills, fever and shaking and was admitted to a hospital for a possible bloodstream infection. The pharmacy had used L-glutathione repackaged by Letco Medical, the source FDA later warned compounders not to use22.
  • 9 Jan 2019Seven patients at an outpatient clinic each received 1,400 mg of compounded IV glutathione and within minutes had nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, chills, body aches and sneezing. One had low blood pressure and trouble breathing and was moved to a hospital. FDA testing found excess endotoxin in the supplement-grade powder22.
  • 2017In a 3-month trial of nasal glutathione for Parkinson’s disease, one participant on the higher dose (200 mg three times a day) developed cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. The abstract does not say whether glutathione caused it11.
  • 27 Aug 2026FDA said at least 30 patients had fever, chills, pain, dizziness, signs of shock or sepsis-like symptoms after IV glutathione, some needing hospital care. The compounding pharmacies involved had all used one lot of dietary-supplement-grade glutathione from Medisca2.
  • 15 Sep 2026CDC reported over 25 people sickened in at least four states (Texas, Washington, Florida and New York) after injectable glutathione. At least 3 were hospitalized, and one needed intensive care for shock and abnormal blood clotting3.
  • 1 Oct 2026Greenwich Rx, a compounding pharmacy in Texas, reported two patients who received emergency department care after IV use of a glutathione product not made for IV use. It disclosed them while recalling 10 lots of its glutathione vials for possibly high endotoxin levels30.

Questions people ask

Is glutathione a peptide?

Yes, a small one. It is a tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine and glycine, but the glutamate is attached through its side chain (a gamma bond) rather than the usual peptide bond47. The body makes it naturally11.

Is glutathione FDA approved?

No glutathione drug product is FDA-approved in the US3. It is sold as an oral supplement, and pharmacies may compound injections under an interim policy because it is in 503A Category 1 (list updated 14 May 2026), which is not approval89.

Do glutathione IV drips lighten skin?

There is little evidence that they do. A 2025 systematic review found only one placebo-controlled IV trial and concluded IV glutathione is contraindicated for skin lightening; pills and creams showed modest effects in small trials1.

Does oral glutathione work?

It can raise the body’s glutathione: 1,000 mg a day for 6 months raised levels in blood cells by about a third in one trial5. A 4-week trial of 500 mg twice a day found no change in glutathione or oxidative stress markers14.

Are glutathione injections safe?

Glutathione was well tolerated in short trials by IV and by inhalation1718. The documented harms come mostly from contaminated products: in 2026, compounded glutathione made from a supplement-grade ingredient sickened dozens of people, some seriously23.

Is glutathione banned in sports?

Glutathione itself is not on WADA’s 2026 or 2027 lists1024. But IV infusions or injections totaling more than 100 mL in 12 hours are banned outside hospital care, so a glutathione drip can break the rules10.

What is still unknown

  • Whether subcutaneous glutathione, the common gray-market route, raises tissue glutathione or does anything useful; no human study was found.
  • Long-term safety of repeated IV glutathione, including the theoretical skin cancer risk from a shift in skin pigment.
  • Why the chemotherapy trials disagree; the glutathione dose and route in the 1997 ovarian cancer trial are not in its abstract and were not checked.
  • The final size of the 2026 US outbreak. FDA reported at least 30 patients (27 August 2026) and CDC over 25 people (mid-September 2026); the Centric Compounding recall named by CDC did not appear in openFDA data updated 23 September 2026.
  • Who first isolated glutathione and when; the original historical papers were not opened.
  • Regulatory status of injectable glutathione in the UK, EU and Canada; not verified.
  • Whether FDA will add glutathione to the final 503A bulks list; Category 1 is an interim status.

Sources

  1. 1Glutathione as a skin-lightening agent and in melasma: a systematic review International Journal of Dermatology, Jun 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. 2FDA reminds compounders not to use dietary supplement grade glutathione for injectables U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 27 Aug 2026. fda.gov
  3. 3Adverse Events Linked to Injectable Glutathione Compounded with Dietary Supplement Grade Ingredient: Current Situation U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Sep 2026. cdc.gov
  4. 4Glutathione, CID 124886 PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine, accessed 1 Oct 2026. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. 5Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione European Journal of Nutrition, Mar 2015. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. 6Glutathione reduces the toxicity and improves quality of life of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer treated with cisplatin: results of a double-blind, randomised trial Annals of Oncology, Jun 1997. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. 7North Central Cancer Treatment Group/Alliance trial N08CA-the use of glutathione for prevention of paclitaxel/carboplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: a phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study Cancer, 15 Jun 2014. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. 8Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (categories list) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov
  9. 9Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov
  10. 10World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 World Anti-Doping Agency, 24 Sep 2025. wada-ama.org
  11. 11Phase IIb Study of Intranasal Glutathione in Parkinson’s Disease Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. 12Intravenous glutathione for skin lightening: Inadequate safety data South African Medical Journal, 6 Jul 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  13. 13High-dose intravenous glutathione in man. Pharmacokinetics and effects on cyst(e)ine in plasma and urine European Journal of Clinical Investigation, Feb 1991. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  14. 14Effects of oral glutathione supplementation on systemic oxidative stress biomarkers in human volunteers Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Sep 2011. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  15. 15Neuroprotective effect of reduced glutathione on cisplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial Journal of Clinical Oncology, Jan 1995. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  16. 16FDA Advisory No. 2019-182: Unsafe use of glutathione as skin lightening agent Food and Drug Administration Philippines, 5 Jul 2019. fda.gov.ph
  17. 17Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson’s disease Movement Disorders, 15 May 2009. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  18. 18Inhalation treatment with glutathione in patients with cystic fibrosis. A randomized clinical trial American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 1 Jul 2013. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  19. 19Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study Journal of Dermatological Treatment, Apr 2012. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  20. 20Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (categories list) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 21 Mar 2025. fda.gov
  21. 21Drug recall enforcement reports for products described as ‘glutathione’ (openFDA query) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), 23 Sep 2026. api.fda.gov · data query
  22. 22FDA highlights concerns with using dietary ingredient glutathione to compound sterile injectables U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 7 Jun 2019. fda.gov
  23. 23Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—October 2026) Instrument 2026 (F2026L01327) Federal Register of Legislation, Australian Government, 28 Sep 2026. legislation.gov.au
  24. 24World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2027 World Anti-Doping Agency, 21 Sep 2026. wada-ama.org
  25. 25Glutathione (600 mg Vial) Dosage Protocol PeptideDosages, 20 Sep 2026. peptidedosages.com
  26. 26Glutathione: safety testing results and vendor ratings Finnrick, 17 Sep 2026. finnrick.com
  27. 27Import Alert 66-41: Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 1 Oct 2026. accessdata.fda.gov
  28. 28As Hims prepares for peptides launch, Wall Street cautious on prospects this year Reuters (via Yahoo Finance), 12 Aug 2026. finance.yahoo.com
  29. 29Orbitrex homepage, ‘Best-selling research peptides’ list Orbitrex (vendor), accessed 30 Sep 2026. orbitrex.com (seller page, deliberately not linked)
  30. 30Greenwich Rx Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Compounded Glutathione Due to Elevated Endotoxin Levels U.S. Food and Drug Administration (company announcement), 1 Oct 2026. fda.gov
  31. 31PubMed search: human clinical trials with glutathione in the title and subcutaneous in the title or abstract (4 results, none giving glutathione under the skin) National Library of Medicine (PubMed), accessed 7 Oct 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Not medical advice. This page reports what studies and regulators say; it does not recommend using any product. How we grade evidence · Report an error.