Comparison
Epitalon vs Glutathione
Side-by-side of Epitalon and Glutathione. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
Glutathione
Glutathione (GSH) is the body's primary intracellular antioxidant. Oral supplementation has variable bioavailability; sublingual, liposomal, and IV forms.
Effects at a glance
Epitalon
- •Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation
- •Russian clinical literature reports mortality reduction in elderly cohorts and improved melatonin output
- •Reported telomerase activation in human somatic cell culture and lifespan extension in mice and Drosophila
- •Independent Western replication is essentially absent; no FDA-standard RCTs
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously daily for 10 to 20 day cycles, 2 to 4 times yearly
- •Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List
Glutathione
- •Body's primary intracellular antioxidant; tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine, glycine
- •Oral bioavailability poor; sublingual, liposomal, IV more reliable
- •Richie 2014 trial showed body GSH store increases at 250-1000 mg/day for 6 months
- •NAC supplementation often more cost-effective indirect strategy
- •Modest signals in NAFLD, skin aging, immune support; weak in cardiovascular
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Epitalon | Glutathione |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | supplement |
| Also known as | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) | GSH, L-glutathione, reduced glutathione |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 5 | 500 |
| Dosing frequency | daily during cycle | daily, often divided |
| Routes | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal | oral, sublingual, intravenous |
| Onset (hr) | 24 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 168 | 2 |
| Molecular weight | 390.35 | 307.32 |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | C10H17N3O6S |
| Mechanism | Synthetic tetrapeptide proposed to interact directly with DNA and chromatin to modulate tissue-specific gene expression. Reported effects include telomerase activation, increased melatonin output from pineal cells, and circadian normalization. | Tripeptide antioxidant; substrate for glutathione peroxidase (H2O2 reduction), GST (xenobiotic conjugation), glutaredoxin (redox signaling). GSH:GSSG ratio is the central cellular redox indicator. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU | OTC dietary supplement |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled (research chemical) | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data at supplemental doses; endogenous compound is safe |
| CAS | 307297-39-8 | 70-18-8 |
| PubChem CID | 219042 | 124886 |
| Wikidata | Q5384126 | Q116907 |
Safety profile
Epitalon
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- occasional mild headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical telomerase concern)
- concurrent immunosuppression
Interactions
- melatonin: potential additive effect on circadian and pineal output; no controlled data(minor)
Glutathione
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
Contraindications
- asthma (IV / inhaled forms specifically)
- active chemotherapy without oncologist guidance
Interactions
- chemotherapy agents: theoretical interference with GSH-depletion-dependent agents(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Glutathione comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Epitalon is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is circadian regulation, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is liver function, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is immune support, pick Glutathione.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Glutathione is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Glutathione. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Epitalon only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Epitalon and Glutathione?
Epitalon and Glutathione differ in category (peptide vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Epitalon or Glutathione?
Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours; Glutathione half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Epitalon with Glutathione?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper