Best Glutathione 2026: Reduced vs Liposomal vs S-Acetyl, by Cost
Informational summary — not medical advice. This page ranks product value and label disclosure; on whether glutathione works, see the hub and the evidence breakdown. Third-party testing claims below could not be independently reconfirmed this session. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Three competing forms make three different "why we're better" bioavailability claims, and only one has a human RCT behind it. Standard reduced glutathione — the form Richie 2015 tested for 6 months — is the only form with a human trial directly measuring body glutathione stores. Of the 6 products tracked, 5 disclose an actual reduced-glutathione mg per serving; the outlier is Jarrow's S-Acetyl product, a genuinely different molecule, not a higher-potency version of the same one. Ranked by disclosed actual mg first, cost per actual mg second — never by which absorption story sounds most convincing.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Ranked by disclosed actual reduced-glutathione mg first, cost per actual mg second, never commissions.
The one-line takeaway Nutricost is the cheapest per actual mg of reduced glutathione and carries no added ingredients to muddy the comparison. Jarrow's 500mg reduced-GSH pick matches the Arjinpathana skin-trial dose exactly. Life Extension delivers only 50mg — well under every trial dose. NOW's 500mg is trial-matched but bundled with liver-support herbs. Codeage (liposomal) and Jarrow S-Acetyl both carry "more bioavailable" claims that are animal-only or unverified in humans — buy them for the base dose, not the absorption story.
Every product compared: actual reduced glutathione & cost
Sorted by cost per actual mg of reduced glutathione, cheapest first; the S-acetyl product sorts last because it is a different compound, not a cheaper or pricier version of the same one. Read the Actual reduced GSH column before the price. Full data is a public CC BY JSON file.
| Product | Form | Label mg | Actual reduced GSH | $ / serving | $ / actual mg | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutricost Glutathione 500 mg | Reduced L-glutathione capsule | 500 mg | 500 mg | $0.17 | $0.0003 | Cheapest per actual mg |
| NOW Foods NOW Glutathione 500 mg | Reduced GSH + milk thistle extract + alpha lipoic acid capsule | 500 mg | 500 mg | $0.39 | $0.0008 | Combo formula, not plain GSH ⚠ |
| Codeage Liposomal Glutathione 1000 mg | Liposomal (phospholipid-encapsulated) reduced GSH capsule | 1000 mg | 1000 mg | $0.81 | $0.0008 | Liposomal — superiority unproven ⚠ |
| Jarrow Formulas Glutathione Reduced 500 mg | Reduced L-glutathione capsule | 500 mg | 500 mg | $0.51 | $0.0010 | Matches the 500mg skin-trial dose |
| Life Extension Glutathione, Cysteine & C | Reduced GSH + L-cysteine + vitamin C capsule | 50 mg | 50 mg | $0.15 | $0.0030 | Under-dosed vs every trial ⚠ |
| Jarrow Formulas S-Acetyl L-Glutathione 100 mg | S-acetyl-glutathione tablet | 100 mg | N/A — different molecule | $0.48 | Not comparable | Different molecule — not comparable ⚠ |
Prices are live Amazon figures, July 2026; they move. Cost per serving = price ÷ servings per container. Cost per actual mg = price ÷ (servings × disclosed actual reduced-glutathione mg per serving) — not applicable for the S-acetyl product, a different compound. Codeage's servings-per-container is an estimate, not independently reconfirmed this session.
Two things worth reading before you buy
Life Extension Glutathione, Cysteine & C is genuinely under-dosed against the evidence. It delivers only 50mg of actual reduced glutathione per capsule — well below the 250-1000mg/day range Richie 2015 tested for body stores, and below the 500mg/day Arjinpathana tested for skin. It also adds 200mg L-cysteine and 500mg vitamin C, which are separate ingredients, not glutathione. The "Glutathione" name on the bottle should not be read as implying a trial-equivalent dose.
Jarrow Formulas S-Acetyl L-Glutathione 100 mg isn't a stronger version of the same molecule — it's a different one. S-acetyl-glutathione's lower 100mg label dose rests on a peptidase-resistance mechanism, the theory that acetylation helps it survive digestion better than reduced glutathione. That's plausible biochemistry, but Camillerapp 2025 only established its safety in animals (NOAEL 1500mg/kg/day) — no published human bioavailability trial verified in this pack confirms the absorption advantage. Its cost per mg isn't shown above because a dollar-per-mg comparison against reduced glutathione would imply an equivalence that hasn't been proven.
No product here is confirmed to use Setria-brand glutathione. Setria's own human trials (McKinley-Barnard 2015, Hwang 2018, Cabre 2023, Figueroa 2023) tested it combined with L-citrulline for exercise and vascular endpoints, never for skin lightening or absorption alone — so even a confirmed Setria SKU wouldn't inherit the skin/absorption results discussed on this site. None of the listings reviewed this session confirmed Setria sourcing on a current label or COA, so it isn't claimed for any product above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best glutathione supplement?
Discloses actual reduced-glutathione mg first, cheapest cost per actual mg second. 5 of 6 products here disclose it; Nutricost currently has the lowest cost per actual mg.
Is liposomal glutathione worth paying more for?
Not on current evidence — the liposomal edge (Byeon 2019) is a rat-only PK study. Its 1000mg dose matches Richie's high-dose arm, but "better absorbed" is unproven in humans.
Is S-acetyl-glutathione more bioavailable?
Unverified in humans and not cost-comparable per mg to reduced glutathione — a different molecule with animal safety data (Camillerapp 2025) but no human PK trial.
Why is Life Extension's product flagged?
Only 50mg actual glutathione per capsule — well below every trial dose (250-1000mg/day) — despite the "Glutathione" name.
Related
- Glutathione: what it is & who it's for
- Glutathione dosage guide — trial dose vs retail dose
- Glutathione for liver & oxidative stress
- Absorption & skin-whitening, in full
- NAC for liver & glutathione — the cheaper, better-evidenced precursor route
Sources
- Manufacturer labels and live Amazon pricing for all listed products, July 2026. Full dataset: /glutathione/cost-by-brand.json (CC BY 4.0).
- Richie JP, et al. "Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione." Eur J Nutr. 2015. PMID: 24791752 (250mg & 1000mg/day dose reference).
- Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. "Glutathione as an oral whitening agent." J Dermatolog Treat. 2012. PMID: 20524875 (500mg/day dose reference).
- Byeon JS, et al. "Comparative pharmacokinetics of glutathione proliposome formulations in rats." Drug Deliv. 2019. PMID: 30843439 (rat study, cited for the liposomal claim).
- Camillerapp C, et al. "Toxicological evaluation of S-acetyl-glutathione." Food Chem Toxicol. 2025. PMID: 39892735 (animal safety, cited for the S-acetyl claim).