Nutricost Glutathione 500 mg wins one axis decisively: cost-per-serving. A 240-count bottle at a full 500 mg dose works out to roughly a dime a day — by far the cheapest way to run a real glutathione dose long enough to matter, and Richie 2015 says months of consistent dosing is what it takes. It's single-ingredient, third-party tested per the brand, and exactly what a high-volume daily user wants. The trade-offs that put it at #8 rather than higher are honest and specific: it's generic reduced glutathione with no named branded source, no NSF/USP seal, and the same plain-form absorption caveat that hangs over every reduced capsule here. So it's a conditional 'buy' — the value champion IF you've already accepted that plain-form glutathione's absorption is debated and you want maximum servings per dollar. Here's the full breakdown.
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Read the complete Glutathione guide →Plain reduced glutathione — the most-debated oral absorption (Witschi 1992, Allen 2011) — AND a generic, non-named source, so it scores lowest of the reduced-form picks on this axis. The form is the same plain GSH as the named-Setria capsules; what it lacks is the verifiable provenance that lifts those a notch.
A full 500 mg per capsule, squarely in the 250-1000 mg/day Richie 2015 range. No under-dosing — on dose alone it matches the best plain-form picks, and the 240-count means you can run it consistently for months, which is exactly what the repletion evidence requires.
Non-GMO, gluten-free, and 'third-party tested per the brand' — a reasonable assurance, but it's a brand claim with no public batch-level COA or NSF/USP seal documented, and it's a generic (unbranded) source. Lower on verifiable provenance than the Setria/OPITAC picks. The testing claim is the main quality signal and rests on the brand's word.
At roughly $0.10 per 500 mg serving, it's the lowest cost-per-serving on the entire list — cheaper even than the low-sticker Jarrow because of the 240-count bulk. For running a real glutathione dose over the long haul, nothing here is more economical. The axis it wins outright.
One capsule a day, single-ingredient, and a 240-count bottle that lasts about eight months — minimal re-order friction for a long protocol. Loses a touch only because, like every plain capsule, it carries the absorption caveat into daily use, and the budget-brand packaging is utilitarian.
“500 mg of reduced glutathione per capsule, 240 capsules per bottle.”
The full 500 mg reduced-GSH dose and 240-count bottle are as stated — the combination that produces the lowest cost-per-serving on the list and a roughly eight-month supply at one a day.
“Third-party tested for quality and purity.”
Nutricost states third-party testing, which is a positive signal — but it's a brand claim with no public, batch-level certificate of analysis or NSF/USP seal documented to independently verify it. 'Partial': a reasonable assurance from a high-volume brand, not a fully auditable certification.
“Non-GMO and gluten-free.”
The product is non-GMO and gluten-free as stated — standard, verifiable formulation attributes appropriate to the single-ingredient budget capsule.
“Boosts your body's glutathione levels.”
Not reliably or quickly. Witschi 1992 saw no plasma rise after a single dose; Allen 2011 saw no biomarker change over 4 weeks; only Richie 2015 showed body stores rising, over six months. 'Boosts your levels' is unverified as a fast or guaranteed effect — slow repletion appears possible but isn't assured.
“High-quality glutathione at the best value.”
'Best value' on cost-per-serving is verified — it's the cheapest per serving here. 'High-quality' is qualified: it's a clean generic with a brand testing claim, but no named branded source and no independent seal, so it's solid budget quality rather than verifiably premium. Accurate on value, generous on 'high-quality.'
The entire case for Nutricost is economics, and the economics are excellent: a 240-count bottle at a full 500 mg works out to roughly a dime a day, the lowest cost-per-serving on the list. Because glutathione repletion takes months of consistent dosing (Richie 2015 ran six months), that low running cost genuinely matters — it makes it realistic to actually sustain the long protocol the evidence is based on, rather than running out or rationing. For the committed, cost-focused plain-GSH user, this is the value champion.
You save partly through bulk and partly because this is generic reduced glutathione, not a named branded material like Setria. There's no evidence the generic works worse — it's the same plain reduced GSH facing the same absorption debate — but you give up verifiable provenance, the ability to point to a specific clinically-referenced raw material. That's a fair trade for a cost-optimizer, but it's the reason this sits below the named-Setria capsule (#1) despite being cheaper: trust and traceability, not a proven efficacy gap.
Nutricost's third-party-testing claim is a genuine positive, but it's the brand's word — there's no public batch-level COA or NSF/USP seal to independently check (which is true across this whole list, not unique to Nutricost). For a budget brand moving high volume, that's a reasonable level of assurance, but a buyer who wants independently-verifiable quality should know the testing claim isn't auditable here, and the named-source picks at least give you provenance you can confirm.
The crucial framing: a dime a day is only a bargain if the form does something for you, and plain oral glutathione's absorption is genuinely debated. So Nutricost is the right pick specifically for someone who has already decided to run plain-form GSH — either because they responded to a cheaper trial (Jarrow #5) or because they accept the slow-repletion reading of Richie 2015 — and now wants to do it as cheaply as possible long-term. For a first-time buyer still unsure whether plain glutathione works for them, a smaller bottle or a different form (or NAC) is the more rational starting point.
Nutricost Glutathione 500 mg is the right pick for one specific buyer: the cost-optimizer who has already decided to run plain-form glutathione and wants to do it as cheaply as possible. On cost-per-serving it wins outright — 240 capsules at a full 500 mg dose, about a dime a day — and that low running cost genuinely helps, because glutathione only works over months of consistent dosing, which a big cheap bottle makes realistic to sustain. It sits at #8 for transparent reasons, not poor quality. It's generic reduced glutathione with no named branded source (you trade Setria's verifiable provenance for the saving), the plain-form absorption debate applies in full (Witschi 1992 and Allen 2011 negative short-term; Richie 2015 positive only over six months), and its 'third-party tested' claim isn't independently auditable. So buy it once you've accepted the form debate and want the most servings per dollar; if you want a verifiable named source, pay up to Healthy Origins (#1); if you want to solve absorption, go liposomal (#2, #3); and if you simply want the cheapest route to glutathione status, weigh NAC. For the committed bulk plain-GSH user, though, this is the value pick.
Check Nutricost · Reduced L-glutathione, 500 mg · 240 capsules on AmazonThe named-source step up — verifiable Setria reduced glutathione at 500 mg, still the lowest cost-per-day among named-source picks. Pay a bit more for provenance you can check.
See it on the list →The lowest-sticker way to TEST plain glutathione before committing to bulk — a full 500 mg at ~$14. Try this first, then buy Nutricost in bulk if you respond.
See it on the list →The pick if absorption is your real concern — full 500 mg in a liposomal form with human evidence behind the category (Sinha 2018). More per dose, but it addresses the very debate Nutricost can't.
See it on the list →250-1000 mg/day oral glutathione raised body stores over 6 months — the repletion evidence behind this 500 mg capsule, and the reason a cheap, sustainable long-term supply matters.
A single 3 g oral dose didn't raise plasma glutathione — 'negligible' availability. The plain-form absorption caveat that a low price does not resolve.
500 mg/day for 4 weeks moved no oxidative-stress biomarkers — the short-term null result that means even the cheapest plain capsule should be judged over months.
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