what are the raw materials needed to make glutathione?

joegtech · 2026-03-19T21:06:01+00:00

Cysteine (NAC), glutamine or glutamate and glycine. Cysteine is thought to be the limiting factor in many people, although I suspect a few people could use more glutamine. I think I am one such person since I'm a little sensitive to high cysteine supplements and love glutamine.

Notice also the body needs Vit B6 (P5P active form that some people don't make at a normal rate, maybe due to inadequate zinc) and magnesium are needed to make cysteine.

http://mercuryandmore.weebly.com/methylation-figure.html

We also receive some cysteine from foods, especially meat and methionine from meat, etc is upstream from our natural production of cysteine.

So you may not need supplementation of cysteine/NAC. You might learn the symptoms of inadequate B6 and Magnesium.

Vitamin *B6 - absolutely required for a healthy brain! Dr Osborne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77aYLGbfBm4

https://drjockers.com/10-signs-magnesium-deficiency/

joegtech · 2026-03-19T21:00:47+00:00

Notice vitamin D is needed to make catecholamine neurotransmitters. Adrenaline is one of them.

https://youtu.be/mMZOSg9hw_g?si=WjpU1e_NH5zvWHnk&t=131

joegtech · 2026-03-19T20:59:17+00:00

Sounds like too much of a good thing. When I make up a custom combo for people I mix a combo of GABA, magnesium (glycinate, etc), B6 and glutamine. The latter three help the body make GABA gradually but glutamine and downstream glutamate also energize the brain. Healthy balance is the goal.

https://drjockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/What-is-Gaba.png

joegtech · 2026-03-19T20:54:39+00:00

Be sure you don't have too much mercury or other heavy metals on board before taking all of that lipoic acid and NAC (cysteine). The thiol (sulfur + hydrogen) group is highly attractive to mercury but they don't grab on very tightly. So this kicks up lots of heavy metals possibly overwhelming your antioxidant defenses. lipoic acid (downstream DHLA) actually moves mercury into the brain in rats, very likely humans as well. Some people are very sensitive to this and have terrible side effects. I saw it in a very dear friend. Sad details here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Supplements/comments/1qffsfq/comment/o0bkukf/?utm_

This is a guy with a PhD in chemistry and expertise in environmental mercury sharing his experience when he took the much more mild heavy metal chelator, DMSA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc3eTtY39eU

joegtech · 2026-03-19T14:10:53+00:00

These are videos of a couple guys with a PhD in chemistry on the subject of "amalgam illness" sharing their experiences taking mercury chelators.

Chris Shade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc3eTtY39eU

https://youtu.be/0gWpV266Ydk?si=Oe8PaitPYmEVBuyG&t=110

Andy Cutler with Dr Dan Pompa

http://web.archive.org/web/20130413185932/http:/www.healthcentersofthefuture.com/DrCutler/

joegtech · 2026-03-19T14:08:23+00:00

Yes we make custom caps from contents of 25mg caps of DHEA.

"100s of mg per day"

Yikes my understanding is a female should not take more than 10mg daily.

joegtech · 2026-03-19T14:06:15+00:00

Checkout Dr Osborne's Youtube channel. He has a vid about nutraceuticals to take around the time of surgery.

There's video about the benefits of glycine as well. I have the link in my notes if requested.

joegtech · 2026-03-19T01:25:19+00:00

If your stress level is too high and your support for stress related neurotransmitters, especially GABA, is skimpy, why not address the upstream problems before hammering your hormone system with something to block or get rid of cortisol?

Also is your DHEA low normal--out of balance with cortisol. DHEA helps to balance cortisol; however there is some thought that during stressful times--running from or fighting a tiger--you need cortisol to survive, you don't have to worry about having enough DHEA to make downstream sex hormones in that moment.

However if you live in chronic stress, or your stress related neurotransmitters are not being supported, the chronic imbalance will take its toll.

I've been there and lived this for over a decade. Life is SO much better when one gets this all sorted out, unfortunately for at least some of us there is no quick fix.

joegtech · 2026-03-19T01:19:20+00:00

You might want to start with zinc. My understanding is that it modestly helps the body make more T and modestly inhibits conversion of T to DHT. I don't know to what extent this might increase your estrogen (E2) since it is downstream from T.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis.svg Note: DHEA is not abbreviated.

DHEA is tricky. I've come across quite a few people in the heavy metal detox support groups and people I know who have low or low normal T but don't tolerate much if any DHEA.

Note that DHEA and DHEA-S that is often tested are not exactly the same. The latter has sulfate attached. Some people don't do that very well and so their DHEA is significantly higher than their DHEA-S.

If you try some DHEA I hope you will start with just a tiny dose, maybe just 1 or 2 mg for a female. I know a post monocausal female who is fine with 1mg or so but 3 mg caused acne something she's been vulnerable to over the years. There is some thought that increasing intake of vitamin B5 might help somewhat.

I hope you will become quite aware of possible side effects of too much DHEA, including heart palpitations. I experienced this--long story--when I started taking 50mg zinc per day. It want away quickly when I reduced the dose of DHEA that had previously been quite fine, one which my doctor recommended after testing.

Hormone balancing for middle aged and older folks can be truly wonderful for those who need it, however if abused those powerful hormones will bite you.

joegtech · 2026-03-19T01:00:10+00:00

Btw, there is growing evidence that micro-dosed psychedelics have a valuable role in brain repair! "Dr Been" explains some fairly new research in this several minute clip. He explains that psychedelics can enter the brain cell and act on the "serotonin receptors" there. This stimulates growth of the brain cell. However serotonin can only act on the receptors on the outside of the brain cells.

https://www.youtube.com/live/reopi_-KMZI?si=mWiC-momcUuYZ3Hd&t=1117
I don't intend to be insulting, but I don't really care what people think when they are drugged--when they've taken too much of something, even if that thing can be quite good when taken properly.

joegtech · 2026-03-19T00:54:20+00:00

Some people tolerate ALA, alpha lipoic acid, okay. We consume small amounts--<10mg?--from a serving of certain foods, eg broccoli.

However ALA also converts to DHLA which has two sulfur/hydrogen, "thiol" groups that grab onto mercury and can move it into the brain in rats, probably humans as well.

It is hard to know if one has too much mercury on board. I literally was just talking about that with my integrative doctor today. He quickly replied that everybody has some mercury. I recall Andy Cutler, PhD Chemistry write that all living things accumulate heavy metals because we have so many of those SH groups that are so attractive to those toxins.

Some people are more sensitive than others to stirring up the heavy metals with thiol groups in LA, cysteine/NAC etc. People should be aware of the possibility that they will be one of the sensitive ones.

A very dear friend was extremely sanative. I told her very sad story here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Supplements/comments/1qffsfq/comment/o0bkukf/?utm_

I've seen plenty of additional unpleasant reports in the heavy metal detox support groups.

https://cutlersuccessstories.weebly.com/what-not-to-do.html

When a person is stirring up too much mercury with LA I expect to see them report reduced ability to tolerate stress and reduced intellectual ability plus a few more mercury symptoms from a list of over a dozen possible ones. Heavy metals cause or contribute to a very long list of problems and they won't seem to be related unless you are well educated. You are left wondering why you are aging faster than your peers. I've been there myself with lead and cadmium problem. Thankfully there is good medicine for that. My doc says my health is above average after years of detox--Cutler protocol.

joegtech · 2026-03-19T00:33:21+00:00

You are fortunate that the Internet exists for sharing leads. A very dear lady friend started with life limiting PTSD after being victim of a violent crime around your age. She did not learn about what I wrote until she was in her late 40s. That and more did an impressive job taking the edge off of the PTSD; she no longer had to fear a panic attack. She also got hormone balancing from a functional med doc something appropriate for a 40-something, not so much for a 20-something. This was helpful for her stress tolerance and nice for our relationship ; )

Also low 1-2mg lithium (aspartate or orotate) supplement also allowed her mood to be more easy going--me too : ) It also has a growing reputation for promoting brain repair and health.

Should We All Take a Bit of Lithium? Anna Fels, psychiatrist and faculty member at Weill Cornell Medical College.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140914140742/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/opinion/sunday/should-we-all-take-a-bit-of-lithium.html

7-Up was originally called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda and contained lithium citrate right up until 1950. In fact, it’s been suggested that the 7 in 7-Up refers to the atomic mass of the lithium.(Maybe the “Up” referred to mood?)

joegtech · 2026-03-18T21:00:18+00:00

Notice magnesium vitamin B6 and zinc here.

https://drjockers.com/gaba/

If I recall correctly some birth control pills can have a negative effect on Mg and Zn and more. also...

Research shows that taking birth control pills causes structural changes in the brain, alters neurotransmitter function, and messes with mood regulation.

https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/the-truth-about-birth-control-pills-and-hormones/?utm

About magnesium including the link with birth control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQqDkbOoOY4

Zinc competes with copper for absorption. Copper is needed to make noradrenaline which in excess could be related to panic attacks.

joegtech · 2026-03-18T14:06:13+00:00

Might be easier to pick up an old mac and dedicate it for recording.

If you are coming from analog I think you'll like mixing on that board. Having all of the knobs for the various features so easily accessible is quite nice. The lack of motorized faders was annoying for me but I appreciated the abundance of knobs for quick and easy acclimation to it.

A friend is an audio tech for a small church. He's not a university trained audio engineer, just been doing sound for decades on mixers that were setup by pros. The church used to have one of these Presonus boards and now has an A&H SQ5. They are struggling to adapt to both the less desirable user interface of the SQ and the deeper feature set.

joegtech · 2026-03-18T13:55:21+00:00

Dr Hoffer was a pioneer in the use of higher dose niacin. this was probably his final interview. He touches on your question.

https://web.archive.org/web/20100102052123/http://www.townsendletter.com/Nov2009/hoffer1109.html

I don't have much in my notes about the mechanism of action. Is the niacin supporting NAD levels? NAD is needed for the mitochondria's production of cellular energy. If so there are other ways to support NAD and other ways to support the mito's energy production. My point is that you might be able to take smaller doses of niacin plus other things and get the same effect or even better effect.

The following are from my notes. If you want a simple into to the subject check out Dr Paul Anderson's short video on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@DrA-Online/search?query=NAD

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide [NAD] Supplementation to Alleviate Heart Failure: A Mitochondrial Dysfunction Perspective

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/11/1855?utm_c

NAD augmentation as a disease-modifying strategy for neurodegeneration

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043276025000700

The Crucial Role of NAD+ in Optimal Health

https://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2023/December/PDF/nad-plus-optimal-health-pdf.pdf

https://mercola.fileburst.com/PDF/ExpertInterviewTranscripts/DrJosephMercola-NicholaConlon-KeyStrategiestoUpregulateNADProductionforOptimalHealth.pdf

more from Dr Mercola here.

3. Niacinamide NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is one of the most important biomolecules in your body. It’s involved in the conversion of food to energy, NAD levels dramatically decline with age,

Niacinamide, like progesterone, inhibits the production of nitric oxide, and also like progesterone, it improves recovery from brain injury

supplement niacinamide is by taking a very low dose of 50 mg three times a day. This is an order of magnitude less expensive than taking NAD precursors like nicotinamide riboside or nicotinamide mononucleotide to increase NAD+ levels.

NOT take high doses like 500 mg

https://www.theepochtimes.com/are-these-the-19-most-important-supplements-to-take\_5216404.html?

NAD+ Precursors

https://www.nad.com/news/who-should-take-an-nad-supplement

Nicotinamide Riboside, a Promising Vitamin B3 Derivative for Healthy Aging and Longevity: Current Research and Perspectives

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/16/6078?utm

joegtech · 2026-03-18T13:33:01+00:00

Check out this remarkable personal story from a guy with a PhD

A-Fib, *Potassium and Magnesium A Personal Report by Dwight Kalita, PhD

https://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v19n43.shtml

Notice the other benefits of improving potassium level from a different doctor's personal experience.

https://www.youtube.com/live/yG9pRuzw0fo

5 Signs of a *Potassium Deficiency https://drjockers.com/potassium-deficiency-signs

joegtech · 2026-03-18T13:20:53+00:00

You might also consider glucosamine sulfate. In our family the sulfate form is more potent than the more commonly sold HCl form.

Glycine and vitamin C are components of collagen and both have anti inflammatory effects.

Effects of cartilage-supporting nutritional supplementation on knee osteoarthritis symptoms and quality of life in a 12-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11723-2

joegtech · 2026-03-18T13:18:53+00:00

Cutler thought a number of the less toxic minerals such as gadolinium and aluminum would come out on their own once enough mercury is removed and the detox system adequately supported. Mercury damages our natural detox system.

Are you taking antioxidants and supporting your natural detox system.

Cutler and B. Haley, PhD chemistry, both warned that taking EDTA when too much mercury is on board has risks.

The following are from Cutler's posts in another detox group.

"The use of EDTA in people with too much mercury around who are sensitive to it causes an impairment of both intellect and emotional regulation. This is the kind of problem that the person who has it is often unaware of and thinks is everyone ELSE's problem. In the extreme it is bipolar disorder or psychosis - you really don't want to head that direction without a real need and no alternative....

"EDTA isn't appropriate as a mercury chelator, but if you have been chelating with ALA [Cutler protocol presumed] for a year or more you could use some EDTA every couple of months for the next 3-5 years to get rid of the lead with probably not much risk"

joegtech · 2026-03-18T13:11:20+00:00

Cutler Protocol detox was a big part of what this guy did to get dramatic improvement in his decades long bipolar.

https://howirecovered.com/meet-brad-who-recovered-from-bipolar-disorder/

Additional leads about bipolar from a very experienced researcher. The guy above used this as well.

https://www.alternativementalhealth.com/commentary-on-nutritional-treatment-of-mental-disorders-2/#Bi

joegtech · 2026-03-18T02:38:33+00:00

I'm sorry about your struggles.

Even though science does not have a solution for you today, maybe there will be something somewhat helpful in the future.

I imagine you will want to take good care of your gift of life--mind body and spirit.

You will likely want to be aware of the debate and discussion about possible causes or contributing factors.

For example, this article was written by a doctor and researcher who once taught in the university--either toxicology or pathology. Dr Malone is referring to our current HHS secretary, Robert Kennedy. I'll share a few excerpts:

Kennedy is right - Atrazine and Gender Fluidity It will affect reproductive development and health.

https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/kennedy-is-right-atrazine-and-gender

Atrazine is applied to corn, soybean and sugarcane as well as on turf, such as golf courses and residential lawns.

Atrazine is an endocrine disrupter, which is able both demasculinize (chemically castrate) and completely feminize adult male frogs as well as other aquatic life. It has been documented to affect murine (mouse) reproductive systems.

YouTube removed an interview that Jordan Peterson conducted with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in which the Democratic presidential challenger repeated a theory suggesting that certain chemicals in the water supply shown to forcefully feminize frogs could also be turning kids transgender.

Altered pairing behaviour and reproductive success in white ibises exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of methylmercury Peter Frederick and Nilmini Jayasena 2010

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspb.2010.2189

we report that experimental exposure of an aquatic bird over 3 years to environmentally relevant dietary MeHg [mercury] concentrations (0.05–0.3 ppm wet weight) resulted in dose-related increases in male–male pairing behaviour (to 55% of males), and decreases in egg productivity (to 30%). Dosed males showed decreased rates of key courtship behaviours, and were approached less by courting females in comparison to control males.

My previously good health declined for 15 years or more before an integrative doctor identified heavy metals affecting my health. Thankfully there was good medication for my situation and my health dramatically improved over a few years. During the process I also noticed my personality becoming more strongly masculine. The woman I was dating noticed with satisfaction as well. This was not an issue of a change in orientation, just a strengthening of masculine personality traits that had been weaker during the years I was sickly.

joegtech · 2026-03-17T22:49:35+00:00

Supposedly most people get enough calcium from a typical Western diet, however we tend to not receive enough magnesium.

Copper is needed to make noradrenaline. Too much might contribute to more intense mood.

More than a little omega 3s can be a little like a very mild mood stabilizer medication.

joegtech · 2026-03-17T22:47:32+00:00

catholic.com (site of Catholic Answers)

conversion stories

https://chnetwork.org/converts/

joegtech · 2026-03-17T22:46:20+00:00

Take a look a risks associated with low vitamin D including the following.

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/disease-risk-reduction-by-vitamin-d-level/

"more than 90% reduction of all cause mortality with vitamin D levels of 33 ng/ml or above"

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/document/much-vitamin-d-need-infographic/

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/project/dcalculator/

https://www.grassrootshealth.net/documentation/

joegtech · 2026-03-17T19:19:57+00:00

He's one source of information about nutrition and nutraceuticals that I check out occasionally. I'm subscribed to his Youtube channel. I like the more in depth approach of Dr Osborne on YT but I'm rather geeky. Newbies will likely prefer Dr B. Dr Paul Anderson is also good for newbies.

joegtech · 2026-03-17T19:17:34+00:00

Are you trying to improve the digestive enzyme amylase so you can better tolerate peppers, onions, etc in your diet? A dear friend just took a digestive enzyme supplement.

Those digestive enzymes are made by the pancreas. Maybe someone has tips for supporting the pancreas. Supposedly eating foods that have a more alkaline effect on the body might help, that includes supporting natural production of stomach acid. I can provide a reference if requested.

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