• It is the master detoxifier, a major line of defense against invading mutagenic, carcinogenic, and inflammatory agents.
• It defends against glycation.
• It controls hundreds of proteins in the body.
• It protects against lung damage and maintains respiratory function, espe- cially in the context of infectious respira- tory diseases.
• It regulates glutamate levels in the brain, reducing over-excitation.
In other words, it does a lot. We should probably try to keep our levels up. If we don’t? Well…
Low levels of glutathione have been
linked to such disparate conditions as dia- betes, tuberculosis, cancer, HIV, and aging. Heart failure patients tend to have low glutathione. Low glutathione levels are generally associated with elevated markers of inflammation, like CRP. Okay, so glutathione is important—
low levels are linked to many different diseases and health conditions, it’s a good idea to have adequate levels for general health, and NAC is one of the better ways to replenish glutathione. At normal doses of Tylenol, taking NAC along with it pre- vents glutathione depletion without nega- tively affecting the therapeutic effect of the drug.
NAC helps the liver metabolize alco-
hol, too, by speeding up the clearance of its most toxic metabolite—acetaldehyde. In rats, NAC even mitigates the hyperten- sive effect of drinking alcohol, suggesting general detoxification effects.
Detoxification with NAC All those “experts” who say detox is a
myth and your body is perfectly able to detoxify everything it needs to without fancy supplements and therapies are half- right. The body is able to detoxify a wide range of toxins, provided we give it the substrates it requires. NAC is one such substrate that seems to help us deal with incoming toxins. In workers with chronic lead expo-
sure, NAC increases antioxidant capacity in red blood cells, reduces oxidative stress, and lowers blood levels of lead. In adults with acute pesticide poison-
ing, NAC (600 mg 3 times per day) re- duces inflammatory markers and the need for atropine (a pharmaceutical that treats pesticide poisoning). After exposure to diesel fumes, taking
NAC reduces blood vessel damage and, in asthmatic patients, lowers the airway responsiveness. NAC even reduces the toxic effects in
people who eat poison mushrooms or get dosed with mustard gas. If large doses of NAC can help people deal with serious toxin loads, moderate doses of NAC can probably help people deal with normal loads.
NAC and Lung Health In bronchitis and Chronic Pulmonary
Obstructive Disease (COPD), the lungs lose glutathione and accumulate too much thick mucus, reducing their function and making it harder to breathe. When you take NAC in this situation, it replenishes lung glutathione and thins out the mucus. The result is that bronchitis patients
who take NAC over the course of 3-6 months experience lower rates of “exac- erbations” (worsening episodes) and see their symptoms improve. Same goes for COPD patients on a year-long course of NAC; they enjoy improved lung capacity.
Flu Resistance One study in older adults had some remarkable results. Subjects were random- ized to one of two groups. The first group got placebo. The second group got 600 mg of NAC, twice a day, for 6 months. Over the course of the study, they tracked “in- fluenza-like” symptoms, finding that the NAC group had far fewer than the placebo group. Then they tested the subjects for influenza antibodies and found that both groups had equal seroconversion rates. Both groups were equally likely to have gotten the flu over the 6 months, but just 25% of
the infected NAC group ever
showed symptoms versus 79% of the in- fected placebo group who showed symp- toms.
NAC Reduces Inflammation and Oxida- tive Stress The modern world is a stressful place.
Gina Davis, FNP-C Gina Davis is a Board-Certified
www.RobinhoodIntegrativeHealth.com Gina Davis, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner. She has been a nurse since 2003 and has specialized in diabetes management for the past10 years. She is commit- ted to helping others achieve their health potential physically, emo- tionally, and spiritually using a ho- listic
approach.She is excited to help those looking to enhance their over- all health for thyroid, bioidentical hormones, autoimmune diseases, and many other issues. Let her help you to achieve Health as it Ought to Be.
336.768.3335 16
NaturalTriad.com
We have long commutes to jobs we often dislike. We’re stuck indoors when we’d rather be outside in the fresh air and sun- light. We have to closely read labels—or avoid them altogether—to make sure we’re eating healthy fare. The air is polluted, we’re disconnected from nature, we sit too much and move too little. I’m not saying this to be a downer or alarmist—the world remains a beautiful place full of joy and wonder—but a realist. Life is good but our bodies are under constant, chronic low- level assault from evolutionarily novel physiological and psychological stressors. Increased oxidative stress is the base- line for too many people, and NAC has been shown to be one of the best “all- purpose” supplements for reducing it.
Mental and Psychological Health NAC checks off a few important
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