boxes for mental health. It crosses the blood brain barrier, reduces oxidative stress, and regulates glutamate levels in the brain. Now, glutamate isn’t “bad,” but too much glutamate in the wrong places can lead to over-excitation. That’s often what we see in mental and psychological disorders—over-excitation, excessive ac- tivity.
NAC smoothes that out. It sticks glu-
tamate where it belongs in the right con- centrations. It provides the right amount of inhibition to counter the excitation. This is probably why NAC supplemen-
tation has shown preliminary promise in treating a number of disorders, including autism, Alzheimer’s disease, cocaine and cannabis addiction, bipolar disorder, de- pression, trichotillomania, nail biting, skin picking, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and even mild trau- matic brain injury.
NAC and Fertility Both male and female infertility often
come down to elevated oxidative stress. Can NAC reduce stress? Yes. Can NAC improve fertility? Yes.
In men visiting a fertility clinic, an
NAC supplement (600 mg/day for 3 months) increased serum antioxidant ca- pacity, reduced oxidative stress, and im- proved sperm quality, motility, and con- sistency.
A combo of selenium and NAC was also able to improve semen quality in men with fertility issues. As for women’s fertility, NAC seems to be most effective in women with PCOS already taking clomiphene citrate (a PCOS drug meant to stimulate fertility). A pair of studies found that NAC increased both ovulation and pregnancy rate in women with PCOS who had proven resistant to clomiphene citrate alone.
Should Everyone Take NAC? Not necessarily. Most of its benefits occur in people with depleted glutathione levels and/or elevated inflammatory status. One paper found that NAC was only helpful in patients with depleted glutathi- one levels. Those with low glutathione saw platelet function improvements, while those patients with normal glutathione levels saw no improvements in their plate- let function. Another paper found similar results
with depression. Only those patients with elevated CRP levels at baseline experi- enced a reduction in depressive symptoms after taking NAC. And most of the studied health condi- tions are quite serious and, relatively speaking, rare. What draws me in is the fact that glutathione is upstream of so many different physiological processes. It’s not some specific compound with very limited application or relevance. It’s a specific compound with broad applica- tions. You may not have the glutamate over- excitation issues of someone with full- blown schizophrenia or social anxiety disorder, but a little NAC might help you focus or improve your internal self-talk. You may not have COPD, but making
sure your lung glutathione stores are re- plete isn’t a bad idea. You’re probably not completely infer-
tile, but reducing oxidative stress and improving sperm or endometrial quality never hurt anyone’s chances. All that said, NAC is one of the safer supplements available. It probably won’t hurt to try a small dose whether you have elevated inflammation or depleted gluta- thione or not—and many people do have suboptimal glutathione status without knowing it.
What’s a Good NAC Dosage? Many of the therapeutic effects used in the studies I referenced today were in the 500-600 mg range. Sometimes higher, but not necessarily.
I included 500 mg of it in my broad- spectrum micronutrient supplement, Pri- mal Master Formula, because that is a well-tolerated, well-attested dose that’s safe to use and quite effective at glutathi- one maintenance. I am a very light/moderate drinker
these days, but whenever I do have more than usual, I’ll take 500 mg of NAC and 500 mg of vitamin C about an hour before drinking. This dose seems to improve the positive effects and reduce any negative side effects, probably by increasing gluta- thione, enhancing ethanol metabolism, and clearing acetaldehyde more quickly.
Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal food and lifestyle movement, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, where he discusses how he combines the keto diet with a Primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is the author of numerous other books as well, including The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the pri- mal/paleo movement back in 2009. After spending three decades researching and educating folks on why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.
Daniel Lackey, FNP-C
www.RobinhoodIntegrativeHealth.com Daniel Lackey, FNP-C
Daniel Lackey, FNP-C is a board certified Nurse Practitioner. His background is in Emergency Medi- cine, with 5 years of experience as an ER nurse. His nurse practitioner degree includes specialties in fami- ly practice and adult gerontological acute care. Following his true pas- sion, however, he also obtained a certification in functional medi- cine. He finds it is truly rewarding and efficacious to address the root cause of illness instead of viewing the body as separate systems.
336.768.3335 MARCH 2021 17
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