Glutathione As a Skin Whitener

Over the past few years, the Philippine market has been saturated by the drug product Glutathione. This drug is used as a skin whitener in the form of soaps and capsules. There are so many brands in the market and it has been one of the most popular whitening agent for women and men alike. There has been controversies regarding the quality standards of some brands before and I believe it has been resolved now.

Glutathione is an endogenous substance, i.e. it normally exist in the body, that is used as an antioxidant primarily in the liver. It is used as a substance to counter act free radicals that might damage normal cells in the body. Free radicals are unstable chemical compounds that are looking for electrons for its stability. When it enters the body, it can react with the chemical components of our cells since it contains electrons that the free radical need. When the cell is affected by the free radical, it can cause the death of that cell or it can cause mutation that might lead to cancer. Glutathione's chemical structure is composed of electrons that can be readily accessible for the free radicals. It will provide them the electrons that they need for them to become stable and will not cause harm to the living cells. So, instead of the cells, glutathione will be the one which will be enacted upon by the free radicals. Glutathione is a drug that is used in medicine before as a liver protectant. Since this drug is a known antioxidant, it will prevent the damage inflicted on healthy liver cells. It was found out that one of its side effect is the whitening of the skin.

Glutathione can act on the normal synthesis or the creation of a protein called melanin. Melanin in its simples definition is a protein that causes the formation of skin pigments or skin color. This is a natural protectant of the body agains the harmful rays of the sun. Depending on different factors such as race, location, and genetics, the amount of melanin produced in the skin will vary among people. People living in the upper and lower hemispheres may have a fairer skin due to the fact that the region do not receive that much sunlight and melanin production can be minimal. People who are inhabitants of those regions may adapt to their environment and will carry the trait of having a fair skin that can be passed on to their off springs and new generations. Unlike those people who lives near the equator which receives ample amount of sunlight, the body will counteract that by producing melanin to protect the underlying tissues from too much sun damage. People who have traits of having a fair skin may produce more melanin if they are exposed in an environment near the equator but still maintains their natural color. This is called the "tan" skin. When those people living in a region near the equator will live in an environment that is not receiving too much sunlight, their bodies will produce less of melanin but still maintains their dark skin color. Depending on those situation, the body will produce a melanin that is suited for each individual. If the body perceives that it needs a darker melanin color, then it will produce the protein and if not, it will produce less. Now, glutatione will act on these melanin production. The drug will not stop the generation of melanin since it is required to maintain body color. It will just act chemically with the production of melanin and combine itself to melanin to produce a variety of melanin that have less pigmentation or color. Aside from the giving you a healthy liver, it also promotes a fairer white skin. Now that’s sweet. The question left is whether it is effective?

In the practice of pharmacy and medicine, a certain drug should meet a required amount or concentration before an effect would be seen. In the case of glutathione, there is an intravenous injection preparation that will guarantee that this concentration is reached. However, this is very expensive. When it comes to soaps and other skin products, glutathione may somewhat be absorbed but it varies and the application should be done on the time that the body is producing melanin. The exact time is unknown in each individual and therefore it may lead to frustrations. Oral preparations such as capsules are readily available in the market in doses required to have a whitening effect. But, based on the chemical properties of glutathione, it is not well absorbed in the gut and therefore will not deliver the required amounts. Even if you will overdose yourself with it, that will not guarantee of a whiter skin. It will also need some time before a fairer skin will be seen. Glutathione is also combined with other antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E in order to have a better effect. But still, the vitamins can be easily absorbed by the body but glutathione will not. In this case, the most effective way would be the administration with the use of an injection. But like as stated before, it is very expensive.

Other drugs are available and in the market and people may have heard of it. This is called as N-acetylcysteine. This drug is a metabolic precursor of glutathione. It means that when this drug is taken in the body, it will be metabolized and be formed as glutathione. N-acetylcysteine is well absorbed in the stomach and is used to replenish glutathione stores in the body in case of poisoning. Once, transformed into glutathione, it will act as glutathione which can have an effect of skin whitening. However, the drawbacks of using N-acetylcysteine are primarily, it is a prescription drug (it requires a valid prescription before purchasing) that is used in the management of severe cough. If this drug is used for more than three (3) days, it can cause a side effect in which a person will suffer a more severe cough. Whitening agents are used for long periods of time before effects can be seen and this drug should not.

Even if glutathione is created in our body, its primary function is to protect the liver and therefore it is not produced in amounts that will affect the skin production of melanin.

Fairer skin is one of the impacts of modern day advertisement in the Philippines which for someone to be beautiful or handsome requires a light skin color. This is the primary reason why the market for glutathione had increased in the past few years and may still increase.

This article does not intend to discredit the whitening effects of glutathione and does not point out that the use will not give effects.

Having a fair skin for a Filipino is something but do not forget that our skin color especially the one called as “Kayumangging Kaligatan” is envied by foreigners in our land. Many of the “whites” spends hundreds of dollars just to have a tan skin and we are spending thousands of pesos just to have a whiter skin. This skin color, kayumanggi, is what is given to us and should be proud of. 

How To Properly Answer Question in Quizzes and Exams

As a student, we have all wanted to prevent quizzes and exams since it would be a dreaded day or hour for us. Some people take it lightly and even get a high score even they do not review. If you are in the side that needs an extra effort to pass then apply that extra..hehe.. Quizzes and exams from various faculty staff are always unique in their methods. We cannot compare them when it comes to their teaching methodology and we should simply comply. Generation of questions for evaluating students is not as easy as one may think. Faculty members thinks carefully before they create a question that they believe students can answer. Most quizzes and exams have an approximate 10% easy questions and 10% difficult questions. The remaining 80% would be moderate.

You might have been wondering why sometimes you do not obtain the score you expect even if you review that much. We sometimes think that we will already pass if we have easily answered the questions, but in reality we haven't. Sometimes, students fail to answer the question even if they have already written so much.

Here are tips that may help you in your quiz and exam.

On Instructions

Read the instructions carefully or listen for the instructions carefully. A proctor, or the one giving the examination may not repeat it or may not explain the instruction. Follow each of them and take note of the important parts like "No erasures", "Give (number) examples", "capital letters only", and the likes. Many students have failed in the board exams just because of failure to follow instructions. Faculty staff might be strict when it comes to placing your answers on the paper or answer sheet so take note of that.

Examination Types

There are various exam types that is used by a faculty or a teacher. The type they use are dependent on their preference and usually it will be repetitive.

Objective Type of Questions

      This will involve a single answer that can be equivalent to a certain number of points.

1. Identification type - one of the easiest type of questions because it only involves simple recall of data from the discussion. This is easy for those who are good in memorizing stuff and quite moderate for those who prefer to analyze. There is a wide range of answer using this type of questions so it is necessary to give the most appropriate. It usually start with what, when, and who. Be careful of the spelling though because you are required to write whole words or phrases.

2. Enumeration - almost the same with identification but it will involve the writing down of members of a certain group or parts of a certain series that can be in order or not. People may fail to remember all of those asked like for example the steps in neurotransmission.

3. Matching Type - this involves finding a certain characteristic from the item being asked for example is the generic name and find its brand name or pharmacologic category. If the number of items is equivalent to the choices, there is a very high chance that the choices are not repeated to you can rule out the items that you already know. The difficulty lies if there is more choices than that of the items or the choices are less than that of the items. In the former, some of the choices may just be an additional for you to be able to think but just answer the items that you are really sure before ruling out the other choices. The latter is somewhat difficult because choices are repeated but identifying a certain group of items that is under the one of the items will lead to ease in answering the others.

4. Multiple Choice - the chances of getting the correct answer is higher as compared to the first three. But choosing the answer would be difficult because right answers may be present on all of the choices and choosing the best answer is a problem if there is "all of the above". Use a lifeline! 50-50!Rule out answers that you think is possibly incorrect and then you'll have 50% of having the correct answer. Only use the "all of the above" or "none of the above" if you are confident that all of the other answers are correct or incorrect. If you do not know the right answer right away, skip to the next one and go back to the item if you still have time.

5. True or false question - it can give you a 50% chance of getting the right answer if there is no need to prove your answer or write or underline the word that makes the sentence incorrect. Watch out for words such as "not, always, usually, including, all, most, some," and other qualifiers. Analyze the sentence taking note of this words that can alter the meaning of the sentence. Numbers found in statements can be tricky but most of the time if numbers are placed on them, it is true although it is not always the case. This type of question can be combined to multiple choice that resulted to the painful morse type. This type is just like the normal T or F question but it has more than one statements and answered using letters indicating which items are true. Take note of the choices and the statements. If you find a statement that you really know that is true or false, then make that statement as a basis for the other statements. for example, A. 1 and 3 are correct, B. 2 is the only correct, C. 1 and 2 is correct, D. 2 and 3 is correct, E. 1,2,3 are all correct. If you are sure that 2 is incorrect then the answer will have a high chance to be A even if you do not know whether 1 or 3 is correct.

Essay Type

This type of examination is the hated by most students since they will have to write so many things and yet obtain a few points. Still, proper analysis of the question is needed. Tips that can be given will include proper grammar since most sentences have different meanings just by changing a certain word or just by the verb tenses. E.g. I will receive, receiving, received have different meanings already. Placement of words in the sentence is also crucial to the meaning of the sentence. Completeness may also be a factor. Keywords should be placed in the sentences or better yet underline them. Answer the question direct to the point. You can have a single sentence intro or conclusion but do not write everything that is in your notebooks or books. Simplify thoughts with the use of your own words or using words that have similar meanings. Several cues in the question can be useful to answer them properly and if you will not be able to answer or notice this cues, you might have a large red question mark since you did not answer the question.

1. Define - it is a process of giving a meaning to  a certain word. Definitions can come from your notes or books but they are written in a certain pattern.

Word to be defined + qualifier + short description

Like in the first sentence, define is the object word, a process would be the qualifier, and the rest would be the description. Do not define words using the same word e.g. define is a process of defining words. You will never understand the meaning of the word because the description contains the same word. It is like a math equation that there is two variables in which it will take time to find the value of each. Do not also use "is when" in defining e.g. hypertension is when person have .... because it is not a qualifier. Better if you would use e.g. hypertension is a condition... which will state its type.

2. Rationalize/Explain/Why/Give the rationale behind - these statements are usually of the same method of answering. You must provide the reasons that underlies in the question which will cause or brought about the events or principles being asked. Do not define!Do not explain ONLY USING EXAMPLES! There are not the information that you are asked to state so do not do them. Examples can be given only to strengthen your reason and they should not be the primary reason that you have. Base answers from principles or events and in pharmacy use the drug mechanism of action.

3. Describe - this statement asks you to provide an information about the overview of a certain principle or event. It is like talking to someone and telling them the looks of the hottest girl or guy in campus, or the combination of clothes of a certain person. Again, do not define!

4. Compare or differentiate - students usually define the two words to be compared or diffentiated and place while in between definitions. This is not the answer that can be generated and this is not the information that is asked to be stated. You can define somehow but establish points of comparison or differentiation. E.g. compare drug A to drug B - Drug A is similar to drug B since both of them are under this chemical class. Drug B may be more effective as compared to drug A because of this factor. If you are asked to differentiate then establish points that will prove that the two factors are different. E.g Drug A does not have the same effect with Drug B due to their binding sites are different. Drug A binds to this receptor in which drug B does not. This receptor is known to contribute to the effectivity of drug A, although drug B does not have a significant affinity to this...

5. Questions beggining with What , Who, or When - since this is an essay type of quiz you must provide some details regarding your answer.

6. How Questions - provide information that will generally tell a process, mechanism, or methods in which a certain event or principle is attributed to. Do not define! This type of questions are detailed and usually should be choronologically ordered since it will explain a process. If the proces is composed of several steps, provide a brief description (1 to 3 sentences or 1 line only)

These are just few of those question types that usually goes out of the quizzes. I am already sleepy so I can't type any more..hehe. but if you would like to ask for tips post a comment and I'll try to answer them soon enough..

Thanks pipz..