A doctor tells ANH what’s at stake if the FDA moves forward with a glutathione ban. Action Alert!
For the last few weeks, we’ve been telling you about the FDA threat to glutathione in almost all of its forms. An FDA committee that has already voted to ban many natural medicines met to decide whether compounding pharmacies can continue to make glutathione in any form, including IVs, inhaled forms, suppositories, and nasal sprays. The goods news is that today, the committee voted NOT to ban glutathione; this is an important victory, but the FDA does not have to follow the committee’s recommendation, so we need to keep up the pressure. ANH spoke with David Brownstein, MD, about what the potential of a ban means for doctors and patients.
ANH: What would a glutathione ban mean for your practice and your patients?
Dr. Brownstein: I’ve used glutathione for nearly 30 years in my practice, both in oral form and intravenously. It is one of the most safe and effective natural therapies I’ve ever seen. Just this morning I saw a patient suffering from chronic fatigue and Epstein Barr infection. She had a headache, had no energy, and was suffering from brain fog. Thirty minutes after receiving a glutathione IV, she was back to normal. That’s just one example. I use glutathione on a daily basis in my practice. It’s helpful with arthritic patients, cancer patients, COVID patients, people with chronic fatigue…
ANH: What about glutathione makes it so helpful for so many patients?
Dr. Brownstein: Glutathione is a potent antioxidant that gets depleted when people are sick. In certain disease conditions the body’s antioxidant systems get overwhelmed—this happens during infections, in autoimmune disease, and others.
ANH: Are there any alternatives if the FDA does move forward with a ban?
Dr. Brownstein: There are no alternatives, nothing works like glutathione. There is simply no reason glutathione should be taken off the market. When used appropriately, there are no safety issues with it. It would be a tragedy if it gets banned. Many patients would suffer.
“Many patients would suffer…it would be a tragedy.” These are the stakes. We’ve reported on the variety of conditions that glutathione helps with, from Alzheimer’s and cognitive impairment to pulmonary disease and COVID-19. We also reported on the FDA’s bogus reasoning for recommending a ban because of “safety issues”—when, according to the FDA’s own data, glutathione causes an average of four adverse events per year.
Clearly there are other factors at play; we believe the FDA is doing all of this to protect drug industry profits. Glutathione is a threat to the drugs that treat the disease conditions mentioned above. In fact, there are several clinical trials that are looking, or have already looked at, glutathione to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, cystic fibrosis, HIV infection, COVID-19, and more.
Even though it is great news that the FDA’s advisory committee voted not to ban compounded glutathione, we know the FDA wants a ban because it has said as much already. The agency can still do so when it issues a proposed rule on whether to allow glutathione to be compounded. We have to fight this ban to the bitter end.
Action Alert! Use the form below to post a message to regulations.gov defending glutathione; you will also send a message to the FDA, the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, and Congress. Please send your message immediately.
