NAC
N-acetyl-cysteine
is the acetylated form of L-cysteine which is more efficiently absorbed
and used. It is also an antioxidant that is helpful against viruses. N-acetyl-cysteine
has been used as a liver protectant and to break up pulmonary and bronchial
mucus. N-acetyl-cysteine can boost glutathione levels in cells.
L-cysteine
is a conditionally essential amino acid, one of only three sulfur-containing
amino acids, the others being taurine (which can be produced from L-cysteine)
and L-methionine from which L-cysteine can be produced in the body by a
multi-step process. L-cysteine can act as an antioxidant, may prevent liver
diseases, and can help to thicken the individual diameters of existing
hair if taken regularly.
Glutathione
(gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine) is a peptide (short protein)-like
molecule synthesized in the body from the three amino acids L-glutamic
acid, L-cysteine, and glycine. Glutathione is one of the body’s most important
and powerful antioxidants. A major function of vitamin C is to keep glutathione,
L-cysteine, and N-acetyl-cysteine in reduced form so that they can continue
to have their powerful free radical quenching effects.
Even though many published studies show that garlic, selenium, alpha-lipoic
acid, L-cysteine and N-acetyl-cysteine can boost cellular glutathione levels,
people with health problems may benefit from taking high doses of glutamine.
Those with cataracts or liver disease may want to take 500 mg a day of
this very potent antioxidant.
N-acetyl-cysteine is the more efficiently absorbed and used form of
L-cysteine. N-acetyl-cysteine can act as an antioxidant and is helpful
against viruses. N-acetyl-cysteine has been used as a liver protectant
and to break up pulmonary and bronchial mucus. N-acetyl-cysteine can boost
glutathione levels in cells and is an FDA-approved prescription drug sold
under the tradename “Mucomist” to treat acetaminophen induced liver injury.
When taking L-cysteine, N-acetyl-cysteine, or glutathione, it is recommended
that three times as much vitamin C should be taken at the same time to
prevent these amino acids from being oxidized in the body.
NAC
(N- acetylcysteine) is a derivative of the naturally occurring amino acid
cysteine. In the One reason way NAC has been popular among HIV-positive folks is it is
believed to pump up levels of glutathione (GSH). GSH is a vital protein
that cells need to function. Many studies have documented low GSH in people
with HIV. Dr. Luc Montagnier -- one of the world's leading HIV researchers
-- has done a lot of work with CD4+ cells and has found that even cells
without HIV can grow weak and die, but with added GSH can regain their
vigor. This is where NAC comes in. NAC is broken down by the body into
cysteine. Researchers have noted low levels of cysteine in HIV-positive
folks. The body uses cysteine to replace glutathione. Taking NAC may be
a way to add cysteine, so that your body can replenish depleted GSH levels.
This was demonstrated in the 1996 Standford study.
Whether or not NAC is converted to GSH, it might help protect the body
from the effects of excess TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor). TNF is a
naturally occurring protein in your body. It's often elevated in people
with HIV and may be a part of HIV disease. It can turn on latent HIV, and
increase HIV reproduction. It can cause a generalized inflammatory response
that may be critical to AIDS-related weight loss. Both GSH and NAC interfere
with TNF in the test tube.
NAC and GSH are also anti-oxidants -- substances that mop up free radicals,
volatile particles produced naturally in the body, especially when you
have an infection. Too many free radicals can cause inflammation and damage
organs; and like TNF, may turn on and speed the spread of HIV. How much
these free radicals contribute to HIV disease is unclear.
In terms of clinical trial data -- studies involving actual people with
HIV -- the results have been decidedly mixed. Some studies reported some
benefits, while others did not.
Produced
by the body, N-acetylcysteine (commonly called NAC) is a form of the amino
acid cysteine. Because it enhances the production of the enzyme glutathione,
one of the body's powerhouse antioxidants, NAC can both stave off disease
and play an important role in boosting the immune system. Studies have
shown that glutathione levels are often reduced in people with certain
conditions related to the immune system.
For more
than three decades, NAC has been used as a mucolytic ("mucus dissolving")
agent to help break up the thick mucus often present in people suffering
from chronic respiratory ailments. When administered intravenously, NAC
has also proved invaluable in the treatment of acetaminophen overdose;
it appears to protect the liver from this potentially toxic substance.
Now widely available in supplement form, NAC is currently being recommended
for preventing and treating a wide variety of ailments that may respond
to its antioxidant properties.
Supplemental
antioxidants--NAC is one of many-- are believed to protect the body's cells
from altered oxygen molecules called free radicals. Damage from free radicals
is thought to be a significant factor in such degenerative conditions as
cancer and heart disease. Of course, factors other than oxidative damage,
such as life style factors and genetic susceptibility, play strong roles
in disease development as well. The hope is that by reducing susceptibility
to free radical damage, a person may further lower susceptibility to a
variety of chronic medical conditions. Incidentally, it is by means of
its antioxidant actions that NAC helps the liver eliminate potentially
dangerous environmental and biological toxins from the body.
Specifically,
NAC may help to:
·Reduce
congestion related to sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, and other respiratory
diseases. Conventional physicians routinely use NAC to dilute thick
mucus, making it much easier to cough up or drain from the nasal passages
and other congested areas. It's often used to ease congestion in people
with pneumonia and other chronic respiratory diseases. It has even been
shown to reduce mucus secretions in people who smoke or who are regularly
exposed to secondhand smoke.
·Treat
HIV-infected individuals. Some studies have shown that NAC interferes
with the replication of certain viruses, including the HIV (human immunodeficiency
virus) responsible for causing AIDS. Just what this means for HIV-infected
individuals remains unclear, however. One study did show that HIV-positive
patients taking NAC supplements were twice as likely to survive for two
years than those not taking NAC. Because NAC can boost glutathione production,
it supports the proper functioning of immune-system components such as
T cells, B cells, and phagocytes, all of which are important for maintaining
the body's defenses and potentially protecting against AIDs-related illnesses
such as pneumonia.
·Lessen
flu symptoms. By thinning mucus and weakening the flu virus, supplemental
NAC could potentially lessen the severity and duration of the flu.
·Prevent
heart disease. In some studies, NAC appears to significantly lower
levels of homocysteineand possibly lipoprotein(a), substances associated
with an increased risk of heart disease. As an antioxidant, it also helps
prevent the damaging oxidation--and thereby the precipitation--of LDL ("bad")
cholesterol from the material that lines blood vessels. More research in
this area is needed, however.
·Delay
age-related cataracts and macular degeneration. Both of these conditions
have been associated with damage from oxygen free radicals. By boosting
antioxidant activity in the eye's lens and macula, NAC may have a role
to play in preventing cataracts (which cause the lens to become cloudy)
and macular degeneration (which can result in blindness as this area of
the retina deteriorates).
·Counter
environmental toxins. NAC-supported glutathione interacts with the
dangerous byproducts of many toxic substances, promoting their excretion
through the liver. These substances include carbon tetrachloride, chloroform,
and carbon monoxide; alcohol; such heavy metals as mercury, chromium, and
boron; and the microorganisms aflatoxin and Eschicheria coli.
·Lessen
the risk of cancer. By helping to rid the body of environmental toxins
and by fighting free radicals, NAC, at least theoretically, may have a
role to play in preventing cancer. NAC might also slow the growth of cancerous
tissues in these ways. Clinical trials are underway to explore this possibility.
Interestingly, one study did find that NAC reduced nausea and vomiting
caused by chemotherapy.
·Slow
the progression of multiple sclerosis. One theory regarding the cause
of this degenerative condition attributes it to free-radical damage caused
by low levels of glutathione. If this is true, NAC's antioxidant actions
may be of help in protecting nerve cells from such damage. More research
on NAC's effect on this disease is clearly needed.
·Affect
the course of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is often marked
by reduced quantities of glutathione in the brain. In theory, boosting
glutathione with NAC supplements could slow loss of function in Parkinson's
sufferers. NAC's antioxidant actions might also help by minimizing age-related
deterioration of the nervous system.
--Regular
supplementation with NAC will increase the urinary excretion of copper,
a mineral. So if you're using NAC for an extended period of time, it's
probably wise to add both copper (2 mg a day) and zinc (30 mg a day) to
your treatment regimen.
--If
you use NAC for more than a month, add a mixed amino acid complex to your
treatment regimen to ensure that you are getting adequate, balanced amounts
of all the amino acids.
·For
the majority of ailments mentioned: Take 500 mg three times a day.
·For
bronchitis: For acute bronchitis, take 500 mg three times a day between
meals. For chronic bronchitis, take 250 mg three times a day between meals.
·For
sinusitis: Take 500 mg twice a day between meals.
·For
multiple sclerosis: Take 500 mg three times a day every other day between
meals; alternate with 30 mg zinc and 2 mg copper.
·NAC
is most effective when taken on an empty stomach.
·If
you've added a mixed amino acid complex to your NAC regimen, be sure to
take it on an empty stomach as well, but at a different time of day than
you take the NAC.
·There
are no known drug or nutrient interactions associated with NAC.
·NAC
has no side effects as long as it is taken in the recommended dosage.
·High
doses of oral NAC may cause gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting,
or in rare cases a rash possibly accompanied by fever.
·Scientists
must still determine how much NAC and glutathione can be safely absorbed
and processed by the body.
·Evidence
indicates that in some healthy individuals, high doses of NAC (2,800 mg
a day) can act as a pro-oxidant rather than an antioxidant, actually lowering
levels of glutathione rather than increasing them. For this reason, otherwise
healthy individuals may want to avoid taking high doses of NAC until more
information is available.
·Because
there are no adequate studies of NAC in pregnant women, it's not recommended
for women who are or may be pregnant.
·Taking
NAC may elevate certain liver function test results. Before taking liver
tests stop taking NAC for two weeks prior to your test.It
may show an increase in your AST & ALT liver enzymes and not give your
doctor a clear test result.
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