Firefighters say glutathione helped them - their union warns it could be risky

David Marquez, who's been a firefighter for over 25 years, testified about how beneficial he found glutathione

Days after he helped extinguish the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles, Pasadena Fire Captain David Marquez inhaled his first dose of glutathione on the side of the road outside the Rose Bowl stadium.

"We were having trouble sleeping," he said of his team. "Chronic cough, headache, fatigue - just a really rough set of symptoms following the fire."

"We were so desperate because of how messed up we were. We were willing to pretty much try anything," he said.

And as awareness of the risks evolve, so too has interest in alternative - but often unproven and potentially dangerous - treatments.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) issued a rare warning about glutathione last month. It noted two recent recalls due to contaminants at compounding pharmacies that produce glutathione. It also noted scientific trials of other common, naturally-occurring vitamins that were found to increase – rather than decrease – the risk of cancer, although none of those vitamins are used in glutathione treatment.

"We don't know if it's a placebo effect. We don't know the long-term effect of this type of treatment."

"The lack of research really raised concerns for us," he said. He adds that the IAFF has spoken to "multiple members who said that they did not feel well after the treatment, [and] that they felt worse."

The recent rise of glutathione can be traced back to 2017, when a group of naturopaths formed together in Santa Rosa, California, to provide assistance to fire crews combating the Tubbs Fire.

In response to the warning from IAFF, the group released a statement agreeing with the need for further testing, and offering to work with researchers to determine glutathione's effectiveness.

Riegle is hopeful the data the group has collected will spur on further research, and "to prove that this is a good long-term solution for firefighters". But she adds that all of the evidence IHAN has collected is anecdotal, and far from conclusive.

"It shouldn't ever be misconstrued as clinical trial data, or double-blind, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed data. It is just meant as a starting point to be able to garner support for future studies." Medical trials of a new drug typically take years before receiving regulatory approval, and involve rigorous a research and standards.