All About NAC
Supplement Benefits • Side effects • Dosages O
ur understanding of how anti- oxidant supplementation works has changed in the last decade. Rather than act directly as antioxidants, most of these compounds stimulate the body’s own production of endogenous antioxidants. That’s right—most of the popular and beneficial “antioxidant” supplements work by provoking a mild hormetic stress response that activates our own antioxidant defenses. But homegrown antioxidants aren’t made out of thin air. They are material substances that require physical building- blocks. Probably the most important anti- oxidant is glutathione, and its most impor- tant building block is NAC.
What is NAC? N-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC, is the stable, supplement form of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine provides one of the most crucial backbones undergirding the body’s premier antioxidant: Glutathione. In the conventional medical world,
NAC is mainly used to rescue people from acetaminophen toxicity. If you overdose on Tylenol and get to a doctor within 8 hours, they’ll give you a big dose of NAC to save your liver and your life. But how
does it work? How does NAC beat Tylenol toxicity?
By increasing glutathione stores in the
liver. Glutathione binds to the toxic Tylenol metabolite and makes it harmless, but it doesn’t last forever. A big dose of a major toxin like Tylenol is enough to deplete glutathione stores and increase acute glu- tathione requirements. NAC provides the
raw material for glutathione production, allowing it to commence and get to pro- tecting.
Might this have other effects? Does glutathione do anything else?
• It reduces reactive oxygen species down to less damaging metabolites.
Christen Duke, ANP-C
www.RobinhoodIntegrativeHealth.com Christen Duke, ANP-C
Christen Duke, ANP is a board certified Adult Nurse Practitioner with over 18 years experience in adult medicine. Using a natural, holistic approach, she encourages and assists people to maximize their health through optimal nu- trition, supplementation, and bio- identical hormone replacement. She continues to expand her mas- tery of other integrative issues. Christen’s goal for her patients is for them to live healthy lives feel- ing their best.
336.768.3335 MARCH 2021 15
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