Setria® Glutathione May Brighten Skin from Within: Study

Oral consumption of Kyowa Hakko’s Setria-branded glutathione may boost skin health in healthy women, says a new study.

Data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, three-arm study with 60 women indicated that 250 mg of glutathione per day for 12 weeks resulted in significant reductions in wrinkles and increased skin elasticity.

The benefits were observed for both oxidized and reduced forms of glutathione, reported scientists from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Our results […] showed that [Setria Glutathione] was significantly superior to placebo in its ability to improve wrinkles, at least at some anatomic locations,” ​they wrote in the Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology​​.

“This is an extremely interesting and novel finding as cutaneous aging is a significant problem faced by the majority of people of any age. As the world’s populations are rapidly heading toward an aging society and human life spans are increasing, this problem will certainly be of greater magnitude in the foreseeable future. Having to apply topical antiwrinkle preparation to the entire skin is both costly and in many circumstances impractical for the elderly, especially when compared with popping a pill.”​

“Also of importance are the findings that both forms of glutathione showed trends in increased skin elasticity at various sites, both sun-exposed and sun-protected skin. These findings have never been reported before and deserve further investigations in larger populations.”​

Skin brightening​

The global market for skin lighteners is expected to reach $23 billion by 2020, according to a recent report from Global Industry Analysts.​

A spokesperson from Kyowa Hakko told NutraIngredients-USA that Setria Glutathione being used as a "beauty-from-within" product is an emerging category for the ingredient because the skin lightening category is rapidly growing.

"The SE Asia market for glutathione supplementation is booming," ​added the spokesperson. "In fact, Setria Glutathione can be found in products from Thailand and Malaysia for skin whitening, and examples of these products are listed below. Setria Glutathione, recognized as a "master antioxidant," supports healthy immune function, internal detoxification processes and serves as a leading antioxidant to support skin health and healthy aging. Setria Glutathione protects cells from oxidative stress and supports the body's detoxification process. Although the body produces its own glutathione, levels can be depleted by UV light, poor diet, pollution, stress and aging. Clinical studies show Setria Glutathione supplementation helps increase the body's stores of glutathione."

Study details​

For the new study, 60 women were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 250 mg per day of reduced glutathione (Setria); 250 mg per day of oxidized glutathione (AquaGluta); or placebo for 12 weeks.  

Results showed that women receiving the glutathione supplements tended to have lower melanin index and UV spots compared to placebo, but these results did not reach statistical significance.

Statistically significant reductions in wrinkles were observed compared to placebo for women receiving Setria. Both glutathione groups experienced improvements in skin elasticity, but these improvements did not reach statistical significance, compared with placebo.

The researchers did not observe any serious adverse effects throughout the study.

Yuki Nakamura, researcher at Kyowa’s Healthcare Product Development Center, commented: “It was previously reported that oral GSH administration at 500mg/day may help in brightening of skin color, and the main objective of this study was to find out whether Setria Glutathione maintains its skin brightening efficacy when given at a dose of 250mg/day.”​

Source: Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology​​
2017, Volume 2017:10 Pages 147—153, doi: 10.2147/CCID.S128339
“Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects”​
Authors: S. Weschawalit et al. 

Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2023 - William Reed Ltd - All Rights Reserved - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions