Food for the Brain develops pin-prick test that measures glutathione levels in blood to assess rate of brain aging.
A British charity focused on dementia prevention, Food for the Brain, has launched a home pin-prick blood test called the Glutathione Index. The test measures glutathione levels, a key antioxidant in brain cells, to assess the rate of brain aging and predict dementia risk.
Glutathione plays a crucial role in protecting brain cells by neutralizing oxidative stress, which is linked to aging and cognitive decline. According to Patrick Holford who chairs the Alzheimer’s Prevention Project at Food for the Brain, glutathione is “the master antioxidant”.
“Your glutathione status is the best measure of your anti-aging potential, keeping brain and body actively rejuvenated,” he said. “Every second there are hundreds of thousands of metabolic ‘fires’ going on inside the energy factories in our brain cells. Think of glutathione as the water in the fire engine. It gets rapidly used up keeping your brain protected. The ‘spent’ or oxidised glutathione, much like steam, then has to be cooled to reload the fire engine.”
The Glutathione Index test provides a measurable indicator of how fast a person’s brain is aging. Glutathione’s recycling process, which involves vitamin C and an enzyme called glutathione reductase, is essential for maintaining brain health. The charity says its test evaluates the ratio between active, “fully loaded” glutathione and oxidized, or “spent,” glutathione. A poor ratio indicates a higher risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
“Patients with dementia have a reduction in glutathione and its ability to be recycled,” said Dr Konrad Kowalski, part of the team that developed the test at Food for the Brain’s lab. “This ratio, the glutathione Index, is a biomarker for many diseases, including both type 1 and 2 diabetes, liver cirrhosis, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.”
“It’s too early to know the perfect number but it is looking like a Glutathione Index of 500 means your brain can roll with the punches, while below 200 a person definitely needs to be both changing their diet and supplementing antioxidants.
Kowalski adds that an optimal Glutathione Index is still being studied, but an index of 500 suggests healthy brain function, while levels below 200 may indicate the need for dietary and antioxidant intervention.
“Having a way to measure brain ageing with a home test kit from a pin prick of blood, means we can realistically see what the impact of specific diet changes and antioxidant supplements might be,” he said.
Food for the Brain is currently seeking volunteers to take the £69 test, along with completing a cognitive function test and a diet and lifestyle questionnaire. Participants will be retested after three and six months, with the aim of tracking the impact of personalized dietary changes and antioxidant supplementation on brain aging.
