{ "dataset": "glutathione-cost-by-brand", "title": "Glutathione Supplements Compared — cost per actual mg of reduced glutathione", "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/glutathione/best-overall/", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Glutathione Cost Comparison", "dateModified": "2026-07-18", "methodology": "Five of the six products tracked here disclose an actual reduced-glutathione mg per serving directly on the label, so costPerActualMg = price / (servings x actual reduced-glutathione mg per serving) is a real, computable comparison. The exception is Jarrow S-Acetyl L-Glutathione: S-acetyl-glutathione is a DIFFERENT, acetylated molecule from reduced L-glutathione (the form used in every skin-lightening and body-stores trial in this pack), and no verified human head-to-head bioavailability trial establishes a conversion factor — its actualReducedGshMgPerServing is therefore NULL by design, and it is excluded from the cost-per-actual-mg ranking rather than being treated as unranked. TRIAL DOSE CONTEXT: Richie 2015 (PMID 24791752, n=54, RCT) tested 250mg/day and 1000mg/day oral reduced glutathione for 6 months and found dose-dependent increases in blood, erythrocyte, plasma, lymphocyte, and buccal-cell glutathione (THE key body-stores/absorption citation). Arjinpathana 2012 (PMID 20524875, n=60, RCT) tested 500mg/day for 4 weeks and found melanin index reduced significantly at 2 of several sites — the authors' own conclusion, quoted directly: \"oral glutathione administration results in a lightening of skin color in a small number of subjects,\" with long-term safety not established. FLAGGED PRODUCTS: Life Extension Glutathione, Cysteine & C discloses only 50mg actual glutathione per serving — well below every trial dose (250-1000mg/day) — despite \"Glutathione\" leading the product name. NOW Glutathione matches the 500mg Arjinpathana dose but adds milk thistle extract and alpha lipoic acid, making it a liver-support combo, not a plain-glutathione cost comparator. Codeage Liposomal Glutathione and Jarrow S-Acetyl L-Glutathione both carry \"more bioavailable\" marketing claims that are NOT verified in humans in this pack: the liposomal claim traces to Byeon 2019 (PMID 30843439), a RAT-ONLY pharmacokinetic study (~5-11% edge over a commercial capsule, modest and animal-only); the S-acetyl claim rests on a peptidase-resistance mechanism supported only by Camillerapp 2025 (PMID 39892735) animal safety data (NOAEL 1500mg/kg/day), with no published human bioavailability trial. IV glutathione is NEVER endorsed on this site: no RCT efficacy evidence exists, it is not FDA-approved for skin lightening, and the Philippine FDA issued a public safety warning after adverse effects (Sonthalia 2016, PMID 27088927). No product in this dataset is confirmed to use Setria-brand glutathione — label sourcing was not independently verified on a current label or certificate of analysis for any SKU, and Setria's own human trials tested it only in combination with L-citrulline for exercise/vascular endpoints, never skin or absorption alone. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.", "headline": { "productsCompared": 6, "disclosedActualMg": 5, "trialLowMg": 250, "trialHighMg": 1000, "skinTrialMg": 500, "cheapestPerActualMg": 0.0003, "cheapestPerActualMgBrand": "Nutricost", "trialDoseMatchBrand": "Nutricost", "underdosedFlaggedBrand": "Life Extension", "sacetylDifferentMoleculeBrand": "Jarrow Formulas", "note": "Ranked by disclosed actual reduced-glutathione mg first, cost per actual mg second — never by absorption-superiority marketing. S-acetyl-glutathione is excluded from the cost-per-actual-mg ranking because it is a different molecule from reduced glutathione, not a cheaper or pricier version of the same one." }, "columns": [ "brand", "product", "slug", "form", "labelMgPerServing", "actualReducedGshMgPerServing", "servings", "price", "costPerServing", "costPerActualMg", "verdict", "thirdParty" ], "units": { "labelMgPerServing": "mg (label form)", "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": "mg reduced glutathione", "price": "USD", "costPerServing": "USD/serving", "costPerActualMg": "USD per mg of actual reduced glutathione" }, "citations": [ { "claim": "RCT n=54 healthy adults, 250mg/day and 1000mg/day oral reduced glutathione, 6 months + 1-month washout: glutathione rose dose- and time-dependently across blood, erythrocytes, plasma, lymphocytes, and buccal mucosal cells. High-dose: +30-35% in erythrocytes/plasma/lymphocytes, +260% in buccal cells (p<0.05). Low-dose: +17% whole blood, +29% erythrocytes (p<0.05).", "source": "Richie JP, et al. 2015, Eur J Nutr", "pmid": "24791752" }, { "claim": "RCT n=60, 500mg/day divided doses, 4 weeks: melanin index reduced significantly at 2 of several sites (face p=0.021, forearm p=0.036). Authors' own conclusion: \"a lightening of skin color in a small number of subjects\"; long-term safety not established.", "source": "Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. 2012, J Dermatolog Treat", "pmid": "20524875" }, { "claim": "Open-label, single-arm trial (NO control group), n=30, oral lozenge, 8 weeks: significant melanin-index decrease from baseline. Dose not disclosed in abstract. Weakest-design trial in this evidence pack.", "source": "Handog EB, et al. 2016, Int J Dermatol", "pmid": "26148180" }, { "claim": "RCT crossover, n=20, 3 weeks per arm: novel sublingual glutathione formulation raised plasma glutathione significantly more than standard oral capsules (p=0.003).", "source": "Schmitt B, et al. 2015, Redox Biol", "pmid": "26262996" }, { "claim": "Rat pharmacokinetic study (NOT human): positively-charged glutathione proliposome showed 1.08-fold higher oral bioavailability than a commercial capsule formulation — a modest, animal-only finding.", "source": "Byeon JS, et al. 2019, Drug Deliv", "pmid": "30843439" }, { "claim": "Review: \"although the use of intravenous glutathione injections is popular, there is no evidence to prove its efficacy.\" Reports a Philippine FDA public warning against off-label IV glutathione use following adverse effects.", "source": "Sonthalia S, et al. 2016, Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol", "pmid": "27088927" } ], "products": [ { "brand": "Nutricost", "product": "Glutathione 500 mg", "slug": "nutricost-glutathione-500mg", "form": "Reduced L-glutathione capsule", "labelMgPerServing": 500, "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": 500, "servings": 240, "price": 39.95, "costPerServing": 0.17, "costPerActualMg": 0.0003, "verdict": "budget-best-cost-per-mg", "thirdParty": "Not independently verified this session (no live label/COA check)", "priceNote": "Pure reduced glutathione, no added ingredients; the large 240-capsule count drives the lowest cost per actual mg tracked here" }, { "brand": "NOW Foods", "product": "NOW Glutathione 500 mg", "slug": "now-glutathione-500mg", "form": "Reduced GSH + milk thistle extract + alpha lipoic acid capsule", "labelMgPerServing": 500, "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": 500, "servings": 60, "price": 23.24, "costPerServing": 0.39, "costPerActualMg": 0.0008, "verdict": "liver-support-combo", "thirdParty": "Not independently verified this session (no live label/COA check)", "priceNote": "Combo with milk thistle extract + alpha lipoic acid — a liver-support formula, not a plain-glutathione cost comparator" }, { "brand": "Codeage", "product": "Liposomal Glutathione 1000 mg", "slug": "codeage-liposomal-glutathione-1000mg", "form": "Liposomal (phospholipid-encapsulated) reduced GSH capsule", "labelMgPerServing": 1000, "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": 1000, "servings": 60, "price": 48.3, "costPerServing": 0.81, "costPerActualMg": 0.0008, "verdict": "liposomal-unverified-premium", "thirdParty": "Not independently verified this session (no live label/COA check)", "priceNote": "Servings-per-container estimated (60) — not independently reconfirmed this session; liposomal-superiority claim is rat-only PK data (Byeon 2019), not human-proven" }, { "brand": "Jarrow Formulas", "product": "Glutathione Reduced 500 mg", "slug": "jarrow-glutathione-reduced-500mg", "form": "Reduced L-glutathione capsule", "labelMgPerServing": 500, "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": 500, "servings": 120, "price": 61.05, "costPerServing": 0.51, "costPerActualMg": 0.001, "verdict": "trial-dose-match", "thirdParty": "Not independently verified this session (no live label/COA check)", "priceNote": "Matches Arjinpathana's 500mg/day skin trial dose; label does not confirm Setria-brand sourcing for this specific SKU" }, { "brand": "Life Extension", "product": "Glutathione, Cysteine & C", "slug": "life-extension-glutathione-cysteine-c", "form": "Reduced GSH + L-cysteine + vitamin C capsule", "labelMgPerServing": 50, "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": 50, "servings": 100, "price": 14.85, "costPerServing": 0.15, "costPerActualMg": 0.003, "verdict": "underdosed-combo", "thirdParty": "Not independently verified this session (no live label/COA check)", "priceNote": "Only 50mg actual glutathione per capsule (plus 200mg L-cysteine, 500mg vitamin C) — well below every trial dose (250-1000mg/day) in this evidence pack" }, { "brand": "Jarrow Formulas", "product": "S-Acetyl L-Glutathione 100 mg", "slug": "jarrow-s-acetyl-glutathione-100mg", "form": "S-acetyl-glutathione tablet", "labelMgPerServing": 100, "actualReducedGshMgPerServing": null, "servings": 60, "price": 28.99, "costPerServing": 0.48, "costPerActualMg": null, "verdict": "sacetyl-different-molecule", "thirdParty": "Not independently verified this session (no live label/COA check)", "priceNote": "A different, acetylated molecule from reduced glutathione — not directly cost-comparable per mg; lower label dose reflects a claimed-bioavailability premise, not a verified human PK advantage" } ] }