Comparison
Glutathione vs TB-500
Side-by-side of Glutathione and TB-500. 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.
TB-500
TB-500 peptide, a 17-aa thymosin beta-4 fragment. Preclinical tendon and wound healing via actin sequestration. Typical dosage 2 to 5 mg weekly. No human RCTs.
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
TB-500
- •17-amino-acid fragment of endogenous Thymosin Beta-4, an actin-sequestering peptide
- •Preclinical models show accelerated tendon, ligament, and dermal wound healing
- •Equine veterinary use for soft-tissue injury is the most documented real-world application
- •Anecdotal human protocols use 2 to 5 mg twice weekly subcutaneously for 4 to 6 weeks
- •WADA banned under S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors) since 2018
- •No completed phase II or III human RCTs as of 2026; long-term safety unestablished
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Glutathione | TB-500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | GSH, L-glutathione, reduced glutathione | Thymosin Beta-4 fragment, TB4-Frag, Thymosin Beta 4 |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 2 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 2.5 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, often divided | 2x weekly (anecdotal protocols) |
| Routes | oral, sublingual, intravenous | subcutaneous, intramuscular |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | - |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | - |
| Molecular weight | 307.32 | 4963.4 |
| Molecular formula | C10H17N3O6S | C212H350N56O78S |
| Mechanism | Tripeptide antioxidant; substrate for glutathione peroxidase (H2O2 reduction), GST (xenobiotic conjugation), glutaredoxin (redox signaling). GSH:GSSG ratio is the central cellular redox indicator. | Sequesters G-actin monomers, modulates cell migration and angiogenesis, and upregulates VEGF and myosin transcription. Promotes endothelial differentiation and stem-cell migration to injury sites in preclinical models. |
| Legal status | OTC dietary supplement | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market; banned by WADA |
| WADA status | allowed | banned |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data at supplemental doses; endogenous compound is safe | Insufficient data |
| CAS | 70-18-8 | 885340-08-9 |
| PubChem CID | 124886 | 62707662 |
| Wikidata | Q116907 | Q7799921 |
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)
TB-500
Common side effects
- injection-site irritation
- fatigue (anecdotal)
- lethargy in early dosing (anecdotal)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active malignancy (theoretical angiogenic concern)
- no established human safety profile
Interactions
- BPC-157: Frequently co-administered in anecdotal healing protocols; no controlled interaction data(minor)
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. TB-500 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 post-training recovery, pick TB-500.
- → If your priority is tendon repair, pick TB-500.
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 TB-500 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 TB-500?
Glutathione and TB-500 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 TB-500?
Glutathione half-life is 0.5 hours; TB-500 half-life is 2 hours.
Can you stack Glutathione with TB-500?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper