Glutathione in food

Glutathione (GSH) contents were measured in a variety of common foodstuffs. The results show that GSH contents for many fresh fruits and vegetables are in the range of 40–150 mg/kg wet wt (140–450 μmol/kg wet wt) and for raw meats are in the range of 50–200 mg/kg wet wt (175–600 μmol/kg wet wt). Treatment with dithiothreitol showed that a substantial amount of glutathione was also present in the oxidized (disulfide) form in some foods. Cooking decreased the GSH content and produced products that mostly did not yield GSH upon treatment with dithiothreitol. Dairy products, cereal grains, and prepared foods were generally low in GSH content. Thus, the various food groups differ considerably in GSH content, and it appears likely that large variations in GSH intake could occur inhuman diets.