It can damage DNA and destroy proteins and other things within the cells. Oxidants are very dangerous for this reason. And super oxides are some of the most potent oxidants. So glutathione can step in and help lower those effects of super oxides as well. But when that happens, glutathione can only be used once and then it has to go through a process through glutathione reductase to
be broken apart from a glutathione molecule. Sorry, from two glutathione molecules become GSSG. And so through glutathione peroxidase, it can separate them again and become GSH, a single ready to work glutathione molecule. Again, if you have genetic issues around being able to reduce glutathione, you
may always be less efficient at it. And so if glutathione is all going to stabilizing superoxide radicals and other free radicals and oxidants, then you're not going to have all the great benefits of detox and immune system support. Everything just less efficient. All these systems work side by side, but
GSR encodes glutathione reductase. It uses reducing power from NADPH to help convert oxidized glutathione back to reduced glutathione, allowing this antioxidant system to be reused.