When to take glutathione: is there a right time of day?

Glutathione is a small molecule made up of three amino acids, and your body produces it naturally¹. You’ll find more about the substance in our simple guide to glutathione. Here, we look at the practical question of when to take it.

Is there a right time of day to take glutathione?

On current evidence, no. The studies on oral glutathione looked at whether blood levels rise, not at what time of day this works better. We don’t know of any comparison of morning versus evening, or of an empty stomach versus taking it with food. Advice to take it at a particular time of day is therefore based more on habit than on measurements.

What the studies tell us about taking it

The studies do point in one direction, though: higher levels were measured with daily intake, not after a single dose. In an early study with seven healthy volunteers, glutathione in the blood plasma did not rise significantly in the four and a half hours after a single 3 g dose².

Daily intake was a different story. In a randomised study with 54 adults, participants took 250 or 1,000 mg of glutathione or a placebo every day for six months³.

In those taking glutathione, blood levels were higher after one, three and six months than at the start³. On the higher dose, levels in red blood cells, plasma and lymphocytes had risen by 30 to 35% after six months³.

After a one-month break, levels in this study were back at baseline³. In practice, a regular habit matters more than the perfect time of day.

A small pilot study with liposomal glutathione (12 adults, 500 or 1,000 mg daily) measured higher levels after just one week, and after two weeks an increase of up to 40% in whole blood⁴. By contrast, a study with conventional, non-liposomal glutathione found no change in red blood cell levels in 40 adults after four weeks of 500 mg twice daily¹. These studies did not compare the products directly with each other.

To see how glutathione absorption is researched, read our article on what studies on oral glutathione examine.

On an empty stomach or with food?

You’ll often read that glutathione should be taken on an empty stomach. We don’t know of any comparative studies on this. Stick to the recommended daily amount on the label, and if taking it on an empty stomach doesn’t agree with you, take it with a light meal.

Which supplements are best taken on an empty stomach and which with food is covered in our article on taking supplements on an empty stomach or with food.

Should you take glutathione in the evening?

There’s no evidence for or against the evening either. Some people take glutathione in the evening because they have more time then, while others prefer the morning as a way to start the day. Both are fine, as long as you take it every day at the same time. Keeping the pack in a set place, next to your toothbrush for example, helps you stick with it.

How best to space different supplements through the day is covered in our article on taking supplements in the morning or evening.

Does the liposomal form change the timing?

No. For liposomal glutathione, too, no time of day has been shown to be better. The form mainly affects how the contents travel through the stomach and gut: a liposome is a tiny vesicle made of phospholipids that encloses its contents along the way. What’s known about the differences between forms of glutathione is covered in our article on liposomal, reduced and S-acetyl glutathione.

When to take glutathione: the short answer

As far as we know today, what counts with glutathione is regularity, not the time of day. Choose a fixed time that fits into your day. Do not exceed the recommended daily amount.

Frequently asked questions about taking glutathione