Comparison
Glutathione vs Spermidine
Side-by-side of Glutathione and Spermidine. 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.
Spermidine
Spermidine supplement benefits cover autophagy induction, longevity signals, and cognition. Wheat germ extract data, doses, and human trials reviewed.
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
Spermidine
- •Endogenous polyamine that induces autophagy via EP300 acetyltransferase inhibition and TFEB activation
- •Concentrated in wheat germ, soybeans, aged cheese, and mushrooms; ~10 to 15 mg/day in Mediterranean diets
- •Eisenberg 2016 reported dietary spermidine extended mouse lifespan and improved cardiac function
- •Wirth 2018 pilot (n=28) reported cognitive signal at 0.9 mg/day in older adults at risk for dementia
- •Larger Wirth 2019 follow-up (n=85) did not replicate the memory benefit at 12 months
- •Generally regarded as safe at supplemental doses; food-source position is reassuring
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Glutathione | Spermidine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | supplement |
| Also known as | GSH, L-glutathione, reduced glutathione | spermidine trihydrochloride, wheat-germ-extract spermidine |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 6 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 1.2 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, often divided | daily, typically morning with food |
| Routes | oral, sublingual, intravenous | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 2 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 307.32 | 145.25 |
| Molecular formula | C10H17N3O6S | C7H19N3 |
| Mechanism | Tripeptide antioxidant; substrate for glutathione peroxidase (H2O2 reduction), GST (xenobiotic conjugation), glutaredoxin (redox signaling). GSH:GSSG ratio is the central cellular redox indicator. | Induces macroautophagy via inhibition of EP300 histone acetyltransferase and activation of TFEB-mediated lysosomal biogenesis. Substrate for hypusination of eIF5A, required for translation of mitochondrial respiration proteins. |
| Legal status | OTC dietary supplement | OTC dietary supplement (wheat-germ extract has GRAS status in US) |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | OTC supplement (not scheduled) |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data at supplemental doses; endogenous compound is safe | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended at supplemental doses |
| CAS | 70-18-8 | 124-20-9 |
| PubChem CID | 124886 | 1102 |
| Wikidata | Q116907 | Q411089 |
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)
Spermidine
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- wheat-germ allergy or celiac disease (for wheat-germ-extract products)
- active cancer (theoretical)
- pregnancy and lactation (insufficient data)
Interactions
- DFMO (difluoromethylornithine): competing polyamine metabolism; do not combine without oncology guidance(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Glutathione and Spermidine score evenly on the criteria we weight (goal breadth, legal accessibility, evidence depth). The conditionals below should drive the decision more than any aggregate score.
- → If your priority is liver function, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is immune support, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Spermidine.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Glutathione ~0.5 hr vs Spermidine ~6 hr). Spermidine reaches steady state faster; Glutathione is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: either is defensible. Glutathione edges out on goal breadth + legal accessibility; Spermidine is the right call if your priority sits in the goals listed 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 Spermidine?
Glutathione and Spermidine differ in category (supplement vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Glutathione or Spermidine?
Glutathione half-life is 0.5 hours; Spermidine half-life is 6 hours.
Can you stack Glutathione with Spermidine?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper