One of the important factors that directly impacts your longevity & biological age is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is one of the culprits in the onset of various metabolic diseases & even cancer. What exactly is Oxidative Stress? It is a state of imbalance between pro-oxidant & antioxidant activities. Interaction between your biology with the food you eat, environment you live in , toxins or even exercise could lead to production of reactive oxidative species(ROS) which could lead to mitochondria dysfunction, DNA , lipid & protein damage, causing metabolic diseases & even cancer. However our body has defense mechanisms in place. Our body can produce antioxidant glutathione but it needs help from tiny little bugs living in our gut. Gut microbiomes metabolise non-essential amino acids- glutamate, glycine & cysteine & synthesise into glutathione. The glutathione can be oxidised by the help of a specific enzyme called glutathione peroxidase(Gpx). Again certain gut microbes when active could express certain genes that could code for protein that induces production of this enzyme. Once Glutathione is oxidised, it could donate electrons to neutralise ROS. Gut microbiome has a major role to play in maintaining redox balance. Besides, the role of oral microbiome cannot be ruled out as certain oral microbes stimulate production of nitric oxide via nitrate-nitrite pathways that activate certain signalling pathways in the cells that upregulate enzymes that produce glutathione. In addition, nitric oxide influences availability of cysteine that the gut microbiome can use to synthesise glutathione.As such oral & gut microbiomes work together to make sure that glutathione is produced &, oxidised, that can neutralise ROS. However glutathione contains sulphur containing amino acids & a certain gut &/or oral microbiome could synthesise sulphide in H2S. H2s is a potential toxin that could block complex IV of electron transport chain, disrupt production of butyrate(which is needed for stimulating antioxidant activities), disrupt mucus barrier & interfere with metabolic functions The role of the gut microbiome extends beyond Glutathione. Your gut microbes could metabolise various polyphenols, flavonoids, flavonols, ellagic acid & more & synthesize into beneficial compounds that could promote antioxidant activity & neutralise ROS. Therefore it is important to understand your unique biochemistry rather than assuming that your body will produce Glutathione or any other antioxidant at its even as well as if your gut/oral microbes could transform dietary glutathione into harmful toxin H2S which would have cascading effect on your metabolic health.Know more at: www.genefitletics.com/orahyg Citations https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10216031/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17157184 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10643359/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4631205 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1328324/full