Best Multivitamins with Glutathione: What to Look for and Why It Matters

Touted as the “master antioxidant,” glutathione has been making waves in many health-conscious circles. While most multivitamins skip it entirely, a handful of premium supplement brands have begun adding it to their multivitamins. So what exactly is glutathione and why is it the hot new ingredient in multivitamins?

The Best Multivitamins with Glutathione At a Glance

If you’re looking to add glutathione to your supplement regimen through a multivitamin, look for quality over quantity. Choose a form that has superior bioavailability and can survive the digestion process.

The best multivitamin options that include glutathione are:

1. mindbodygreen’s ultimate multivitamin+ – Best for people who want to seamlessly add glutathione to their lifestyle and prioritize high quality and bioavailability. 
2. Super Nutrition’s Super Immune – Best for individuals on a budget who want to try glutathione out.
3. Pure Encapsulations Multivitamin and Glutathione – Best for those who don’t mind separate products and want greater customization over their supplements. 

Why is Glutathione Being Included in Multivitamins?

Glutathione is an antioxidant made up of the amino acids glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid. It’s produced in the body and consumed through diet and has a host of functions in the body. It is found in each cell in the body and helps protect and defend cells against free radicals and illness. It plays a role in modulating inflammatory responses and the immune system. Glutathione also plays an important role in detoxifying the body by working with the liver to remove toxins and medications from the body. Outside of cellular defense, it can also reduce signs of aging and improve skin health. Glutathione is quite simply a jack of all trades in the body. 

The amino acids glutathione is made of are non-essential, meaning that they can all be made in the body, so at first glance, it may seem that we don’t need to supplement with glutathione.  However, that isn’t always the case. Glutathione can be depleted by causes both internal and external. Some of the primary drivers for glutathione loss in the body include:

• Oxidative stress caused by pollution, heavy metals, and other environmental toxins
• Poor diet that lacks amino acids and other key nutrients
• Regular consumption of alcohol and some medications
• Chronic stress, both physical and emotional
• The natural results of aging.

Circumstances in and out of our control can overwhelm the body’s ability to produce glutathione, making supplementation beneficial or even necessary for many. Individuals with chronic illnesses, low immune function, older individuals, and those facing high levels of stress are often excellent candidates for glutathione supplements. Adding glutathione to a multivitamin helps support the evolving needs of many in our population. 

While it could be effective on its own, a multivitamin is a natural way to supplement glutathione due to the vitamin’s other ingredients. The B, C, and E vitamins found in multivitamins all aid in the production of glutathione in the body, so adding them all together gives glutathione the boost it needs to increase levels and production in the body. But if it is so useful, why isn’t it being incorporated into more multivitamins?

Why Standard Glutathione Often Falls Short

While it seems like an obvious add, standard glutathione isn’t typically incorporated into a multivitamin because it has low bioavailability. It’s broken down in the GI tract, so most of the antioxidant never makes it to the cells. Its purpose is then wasted, which is one reason why glutathione isn’t included in vitamins. Early research on glutathione had very mixed results, with some studies showing that oral supplementation was ineffective, while others claimed it did raise cellular glutathione levels. Because results were such a mixed bag, glutathione was written off by most supplement manufacturers.

In recent years, new clinical evidence has emerged highlighting new ways to supplement with glutathione that might actually work. Rather than using a standard version of glutathione, researchers have found new ways to help it survive digestion and deliver it to cells. There are 4 forms of glutathione that have been shown to do exactly this. When you’re looking for glutathione in a multivitamin, look for one of the following forms:

• Liposomal glutathione – This type of glutathione is encapsulated in a thin layer of fat which protects it through the digestive process.
• S-acetyl glutathione – This is a modified form of glutathione that is significantly more stable through digestion, and is considered one of the best for bioavailability.
• Sublingual glutathione – This option is placed under the tongue and then dissolved and absorbed into the bloodstream directly, bypassing the digestive system completely.
• Reduced glutathione – Another modified form of glutathione, this form comes from high-quality sources that are then reduced for greater stability through the digestive system and higher bioavailability. This type of glutathione is often branded under the name Setria.

Each of these forms are going to have increased bioavailability for better results. Next time you’re looking at labels, remember that this is why the form of glutathione matters more than the quantity of it listed on the bottle.

What to Look for in a Glutathione Multivitamin

As I evaluated the best multivitamins that contain glutathione, I looked at 6 factors that all contribute to the making of a good vitamin:

1. Form of glutathione – Choose Setria or liposomal forms over generic or traditional forms (often labeled as L-glutathione).
2. Dose – Clinically studied doses typically range from 250-500 mg. Higher dosages may be recommended, but usually only under medical supervision.
3. Other active ingredients – Look for vitamins C, E, B6, B9, B12, and Selenium to promote glutathione production in the body.
4. Third-party testing – Choose a supplement tested by a third party such as the NSF, ISO, USP, or Informed Sport so that you know you’re getting exactly what’s on the label.
5. Transparency – Look for a supplement that tells you exactly how much glutathione (and other ingredients) you’re getting, rather than an obscure blend without any real numbers.
6. Delivery format – Capsules are going to be better than uncoated tablets when it comes to absorption of sensitive ingredients like glutathione.

Now that you know what to look for, let’s jump into the best multivitamins with glutathione.

The Best Multivitamins with Glutathione

mindbodygreen ultimate multivitamin+

mindbodygreen is one of the first to effectively add glutathione to their multivitamin. Their ultimate multivitamin+ uses Setria, the patented form of reduced glutathione. Setria is created through a fermentation process that helps stabilize the glutathione so it can survive digestion. 

Studies have shown that for Setria to be most effective, supplementation should be ongoing, making it a perfect addition to mindbodygreen’s multivitamin, which is meant to be taken on a long-term basis. This formulation has 100 mg of glutathione, which is on the low end of the typical supplementation amount, but its effects are amplified by the other ingredients in the ultimate multivitamin+.

In addition to Setria, this multivitamin is a powerhouse of other nutrients. Included are all of the vitamins and minerals needed to support the body’s natural production of glutathione. It has all 8 B vitamins for greater energy as well as heart and brain health. Many micronutrients are also included with an emphasis on the ones that are typically missing from the American diet like vitamin D and E. Other prominent ingredients promote longevity and immune support, which are often packaged as individual products, rather than in combination as a multivitamin.

As far as quality goes, mindbodygreen goes all in here. The ultimate multivitamin+ goes through four rounds of ISO-certified third-party testing, so you know that you’re getting the ingredients listed and nothing else. They were also transparent about the amount of glutathione included in their multivitamin and list it as its own ingredient, not in some proprietary or inconclusive blend. The multivitamin is in a capsule form, with two capsules being a daily dose. Their multivitamin is also one of the most friendly to special diets that I’ve seen. It is vegan, non-GMO, and free of gluten, dairy, and soy. 

That being said, it is a premium supplement with a price tag to match. It’s not going to be comparable in price to your drugstore multi, but if you’re looking for quality ingredients on top of glutathione, it’s a solid choice.

Who It’s Best For: Health-conscious individuals who prioritize clean, tested ingredients, including glutathione.

Who It’s Not for: Budget-focused individuals or people who like to DIY their supplements rather than take a comprehensive vitamin.

Super Nutrition Super Immune 

Another highly rated multivitamin containing glutathione is Super Immune by Super Nutrition. It has been in production since 2021, and calls itself a “seasonal wellness multivitamin.” Focused heavily on immunity, it contains a wide variety of ingredients that have some crossover with the multivitamin from mindbodygreen. What sets these two apart is their glutathione source. Super Nutrition simply lists 100 mg of L-glutathione as an ingredient, but does not provide additional information on what form it is in, so its bioavailability is unknown.

It contains other ingredients that do support glutathione production as well as overall immunity. Super immune is unique in that it contains a blend of whole foods, herbs, and phyto-antioxidants for improved immunity, bone health, and energy. If the idea of swapping your normal multivitamin for a supercharged one during cold and flu season appeals to you, this is a great one to do it with.

Super Immune undergoes ISO-certified testing and discoloses their results of supplements, microbes, and heavy metals on their iHerb product listing. A+ for transparency. Few brands are willing to provide individual results for their products and supplement batches. Super Immune is also non-GMO and gluten- and soy-free. 

The multivitamin itself comes in a tablet form, which is less than ideal for delicate supplements like glutathione. I didn’t love its tablet form and the fact that its glutathione source seems to be unknown. The daily recommendation is 4 tablets, so if you’re someone who barely downs one vitamin a day, this may not be a great fit. However, the price is right if you’re on a mid-range budget. It’s a bit more than half the cost of other multivitamins with glutathione, but what you cut in cost, you also cut in quality. 

Who It’s Best For: Budget-savvy individuals who prioritize immune support.

Who It’s Not For: People who want their supplement sourced and with maximum bioavailability.

Pure Encapsulations Combo

While not a true multivitamin with glutathione, Pure Encapsulations offers a variety of multivitamins and glutathione options so that you can mix and match. For those wanting a higher dose of glutathione and ultimate customization, this multivitamin and glutathione combo might be a better bet than a single multivitamin.They offer three forms of glutathione, including a 100 mg capsule of reduced glutathione, 100 mg liposomal glutathione liquid, and a liposomal glutathione capsule with a proprietary glutathione blend along with Setria. 

These give users a variety of options that they can use in conjunction with one of Pure Encapsulation’s multivitamins. While this isn’t a one-stop-shop kind of capsule like mindbodygreen’s is, it does offer more customization when it comes to the amount of glutathione used. You can choose the type that works best and add it to your current vitamin regimen. 

Their O.N.E. Multivitamin includes major nutrients needed for glutathione support along with extra support for the nervous system and heart. It’s free from most major allergens, artificial colors and sweeteners, gluten, and unneeded fillers and preservatives, making it one of the cleaner multivitamins out there. All three glutathione products also adhere to these standards, so you can rest assured knowing the supplements are high quality. Pure Encapsulations also tests their products by cGMP-certified labs to check for safety and potency of their products.

Overall, their products are high quality, and may be a great fit if you don’t want or need everything in a single multivitamin. This seems like the easiest solution in some ways – just add a glutathione supplement to what you have now, and call it a day. But this is where price comes into play. Glutathione in any of its forms from Pure Encapsulations are available at a premium price point. If you’re buying a multivitamin and glutathione separately, you’re going to wind up paying a lot more than if you can get them in the same product. If you want ultimate control over your glutathione supplementation, the price tag might be worth it. But it can seem a little overkill for most people who don’t need that much customization.

Who It’s Best For: The DIY supplementer and individuals who want total control over the form and quantity of glutathione they’re taking.

Who It’s Not For: People who want an easy solution to add glutathione to their supplementation and want one-and-done type supplements.

Choosing the Best Multivitamin For You

All of these are great picks, just for different people. If you’re on a budget, Super Immune is a great entry point. If you’re a supplement control freak and don’t mind mixing and matching, Pure Encapsulations offers fantastic customization. And if you’re someone who wants to add glutathione without the hassle and headache, mindbodygreen’s ultimate multivitamin+ is the way to go. 

At the end of the day, two things matter. First, a method of supplementing glutathione that you will be consistent with and the quality of the product you’re getting. If it becomes a burden to add an extra vitamin or you don’t remember to take it, it’s not going to do you much good. Likewise, if you end up with a form of glutathione that gets digested before it has the chance to hit your cells, you’re not going to see results. When it comes to multivitamins with glutathione, choose your form and choose your quality wisely and you’ll reap the benefits.