Comparison
Glutathione vs Ipamorelin
Side-by-side of Glutathione and Ipamorelin. 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.
Glutathione
Glutathione (GSH) is the body's primary intracellular antioxidant. Oral supplementation has variable bioavailability; sublingual, liposomal, and IV forms.
Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin peptide benefits: selective ghrelin-receptor GHRP, 200 to 300 mcg dosage, GH pulse without cortisol or prolactin rise, CJC-1295 stack vs sermorelin.
Effects at a glance
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
Ipamorelin
- •Pentapeptide GHS-R1a agonist with the cleanest selectivity profile in the GHRP class
- •Minimal cortisol and prolactin elevation at standard doses (substantially less than GHRP-2 or hexarelin)
- •~2 hour plasma half-life, longest of the synthetic GHRPs
- •Largest human safety database (~600 participants in Helsinn's postoperative ileus phase 2)
- •Standard pairing for CJC-1295 no-DAC at 200 to 300 mcg subcutaneously 2 to 3 times daily
- •Banned by WADA under S2; never reached registration despite phase 2b development
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Glutathione | Ipamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | GSH, L-glutathione, reduced glutathione | NNC 26-0161, Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2 |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 2 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 0.2 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, often divided | 2-3x daily |
| Routes | oral, sublingual, intravenous | subcutaneous, intravenous |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.25 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 307.32 | 711.86 |
| Molecular formula | C10H17N3O6S | C38H49N9O5 |
| Mechanism | Tripeptide antioxidant; substrate for glutathione peroxidase (H2O2 reduction), GST (xenobiotic conjugation), glutaredoxin (redox signaling). GSH:GSSG ratio is the central cellular redox indicator. | Selective GHS-R1a agonist that stimulates pulsatile GH release with minimal cortisol or prolactin co-activation. Suppresses hypothalamic somatostatin and stimulates pituitary somatotrophs. |
| Legal status | OTC dietary supplement | Not FDA approved; advanced through phase 2b in postoperative ileus before discontinuation; research-use-only grey market; banned by WADA |
| WADA status | allowed | banned |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | Not scheduled (research chemical) |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data at supplemental doses; endogenous compound is safe | Insufficient data; not recommended |
| CAS | 70-18-8 | 170851-70-4 |
| PubChem CID | 124886 | 11338566 |
| Wikidata | Q116907 | Q1666741 |
Safety profile
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)
Ipamorelin
Common side effects
- injection-site irritation
- vivid dreams
- transient mild head pressure
- occasional headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active malignancy
- history of pituitary tumor
- uncontrolled diabetes
Interactions
- CJC-1295: synergistic GH release via parallel GHRH and ghrelin pathways; standard pairing(minor)
- sermorelin: additive GH release; functionally similar pairing to CJC-1295 with shorter GHRH half-life(minor)
- insulin: sustained GH can blunt insulin sensitivity over weeks(moderate)
- corticosteroids: blunt GH response; reduce expected efficacy(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. Ipamorelin is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is liver function, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is growth-hormone axis, pick Ipamorelin.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Ipamorelin.
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 Ipamorelin 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 Glutathione and Ipamorelin?
Glutathione and Ipamorelin differ in category (supplement vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Glutathione or Ipamorelin?
Glutathione half-life is 0.5 hours; Ipamorelin half-life is 2 hours.
Can you stack Glutathione with Ipamorelin?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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