• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Are coffee enemas ok if ones glutathione is low?

Messages
1
Hi,
I have the MTHFR A1298C gene mutation and have low levels of glutathione, most likely as a result of the mutation.

I understand that coffee enemas dramatically increase the activity of the enzyme called glutathione S-transferase. I also understand that this enzyme, glutathione S-transferase, increases the body's demand for glutathione.

So my question is, if I am low on glutathione to begin with would coffee enemas be contraindicated?

I read somewhere that some people add glutathione powder to their coffee enemas, would that help to meet the increased glutathione demand created by the glutathione S-transferase enzyme? I haven't found this addressed anywhere on this site or in google searches. Any thoughts?
Barbara
 

alicec

Senior Member
Messages
1,572
Location
Australia
I have the MTHFR A1298C gene mutation and have low levels of glutathione, most likely as a result of the mutation.

That SNP is extremely common - about 9% of people globally are +/+ and 42% are +/-. All those millions of people do not have problems with glutathione production, nor indeed any other health problems attributable to the SNP.

The SNP itself has a very small slowing effect on the MTHFR enzyme, an effect which is easily compensated for by obtaining plenty of folate from diet and or modest levels of supplements.

The SNP would not be the cause of your problems with glutathione production.

understand that coffee enemas dramatically increase the activity of the enzyme called glutathione S-transferase. I also understand that this enzyme, glutathione S-transferase, increases the body's demand for glutathione.

Those claims are an oversimplification as well as making extrapolations from research which had nothing to do with coffee enemas.

There are some studies in rats and mice showing that feeding coffee or coffee components results in increased production of some sub-types of GST.

Many food components are known to induce these enzymes. Since they are substrates for the enzyme, this is seen as an adaptive response which ensures that sufficient enzyme is available for processing the chemicals.

GST itself induces the enzyme which synthesises GSH, thus ensuring there is an adequate supply of this conjugant for GST function.

The rate limiting step for GSH synthesis is supply of cysteine. This in turn can be compromised by many things, some of which may be behind your low GSH.

As for coffee enemas, there are many claims made for them but little or no evidence for the claims. Here is a thread which discusses some of the issues.

Here is the only study I have been able to find on the actual effect of coffee enemas on GSH in humans. No effect was found.
 
Last edited:

Basilico

Florida
Messages
948
My husband and I are in the early stages of attempting to raise glutathione levels. He's been taking liposomal glutathione and it seems to have prevented him from developing PEM several times. Encouraged by those results, he started taking a high quality grass-fed non-denatured whey powder supplement in the morning. The last two mornings that he's taken it, he seemed to feel noticeably better (though the effect wore off by lunchtime). It's still too early to know for sure whether the improvement was due to the whey or just a coincidence (or if he needs additional doses), but early results are promising. Since taking non-denatured whey is a great way to increase glutathione and you have an issue with this, have you considered trying it, too?