The NAC supplement benefits include stimulating the body’s natural defenses against free radicals. Research supports the use of NAC for a variety of ailments. And the best supplements are beneficial even if you’re not sick.
NAC stands for N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). It comes from the amino-acid, cysteine. There are 20 amino acids, Nine of them are essential. This means you have to get enough from the foods you eat. The others are non-essential. But cysteine is semi-essential. That means that although your body makes it, it’s probably a good idea to supplement it.
NAC Supplement Benefits: Boosting Glutathione
That’s because NAC’s most important activity is restoring levels of glutathione in your body.
On its own, cysteine plays an important role in your body’s defenses against harmful toxins. Cysteine binds to toxins like heavy metals. By doing this, cysteine can prevent damage to cells. But a good NAC supplement is like cysteine on steroids (not literally, of course). That’s because of its ability to replenish glutathione.
Glutathione is the most abundant antioxidant in the human body. In fact, it’s often referred to as “the master antioxidant.” Cysteine is actually one of three amino acids that combine to form glutathione. The other two are glycine and glutamine.
Now let’s circle back to the point above about how cysteine is sort of like a semi-essential amino acid. That’s because if you have low levels of cysteine, you might have too little circulating glutathione.
And why does glutathione matter? Are you familiar with the term “free radicals?” Inhaling second-hand smoke, car exhaust and being exposed to other pollutants creates free radicals. Free radicals damage your cells. Too much free radical damage results in premature aging or disease.
Moreover, glutathione is a natural anti inflammatory. It also boosts your immune system.
Thus, the biggest NAC supplement benefit is that it’s a very powerful antioxidant. Sure, eating a handful of blueberries every day and other healthy fruits and veggies can help fight disease.
Since you’re being bombarded by toxins that can disrupt your hormone balance every day So, taking a N-acetyl cysteine supplement with might be a good idea.
Taking a NAC Supplement: Why is it Necessary?
Some people, maybe those who are skeptical about supplements in general, might pose the following question….
Your body produces glutathione on its own. So if you eat a low-sugar and overall healthy diet and exercise, why is a NAC supplement necessary?
After all, there’s glutathione supplements as well. Why not just cut out the middleman (or supplement, in this case) and just pop a glutathione pill?
Taking a glutathione supplement may benefit your health. But according to research studies (like this one), a NAC can resist breakdown in the digestive organs better than glutathione. In fact, a N-acetyl cysteine may increase glutathione activity shortly after ingestion.
Furthermore, NAC is not a substance you can readily obtain from diet. True, you can eat eggs and other protein sources such as turkey and chicken to get some cysteine. But if you want to really boost glutathione, taking N-acetyl cysteine can help.
NAC Supplement Benefits
Perhaps the greatest benefit of taking a NAC supplement is protection from diseases caused by free oxygen radicals. To simplify, this means that these supplements help detoxify your body.
N-acetyl cysteine devours free radicals. Without doubt, you’re familiar with the classic arcade game, Pac-Man. NAC is like Pac-Man gobbling up dots. Those dots, in this analogy, are free radicals.
NAC may also help avert a global flu outbreak (source). The supplement may do this by preventing viruses from replicating. NAC may also hinder the inflammatory action of virus molecules.
What is NAC Supplement Used For?
NAC can not only prevent a doomsday flu outbreak. According to Life Extenstion Foundation (LEF) it’s also effective for colds. In fact, is a low-cost, effective remedy for coughing, wheezing, and thick phlegm.
NAC is also a remedy for normalizing blood sugar levels. It also helps reduce the thickness of volume. This makes NAC a beneficial supplement for people with cystic fibrosis. In addition, a NAC supplement can treat poisoning from over-the-counter pain-relievers that contain acetaminophen (Tylenol, for example).
Taking too much acetaminophen damages the liver. Consequently, glutathione levels plummet. Thus, taking a N-acetyl cysteine can resupply the cells with protective glutathione.
One of the other NAC supplement benefits is fighting several different types of infection. HIV and COPD are two example. Moreover, this supplement can negate the effects of stress from hardcore workouts.
NAC may be extraordinarily effective at boosting glutathione. So much that it can prevent cancer from progressing. And this research shows it can also help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
But that’s not all. It also has been used to prevent premature birth. And treat chronic bronchitis as well as Ulcerative Colitis. Its therapeutic benefits even include treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
NAC Supplement Dosage
According to LEF you can safely take 600-1,800 mg of NAC daily.
You can most likely take even more, according to LEF. Research that LEF references says that doses of up to 2,000 mg/day are safe and effective.
But if you have a chronic disease, you maybe be able to take more. In fact, the lung disease, COPD, was improved with a NAC supplement dose of 2,800 mg/day for 3 months.
But if you don’t like taking a large dose of a supplement at one time, you can split the dose into two or three servings. And if you’re going to take a NAC, it’s probably best to not take it with food.
In fact, it’s probably best to take it at least an hour either before or after a meal. That way, the amino acids from the food you eat won’t interact with NAC.
Best NAC Supplement Brands
Whether or not the best NAC supplements can prevent a global avian outbreak remains to be seen. And hopefully, it will stay that way.
But in the meantime, if you want to take NAC, there are plenty of options. A couple include Designs for Health N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine. Each capsule contains 900 mg of NAC. There’s also 120 capsules per order of it.
Also, to get the biggest bang for your buck, try ordering NAC in bulk. Bulk Supplements N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine is a powder. And just one-quarter tsp provides that minimum suggested dosage of 600 mg.
If you get sick a lot, taking a high-quality NAC supplement might boost your immune system.
In fact, one study shows that only 25% of older adults taking NAC at a dose of 600 mg twice daily for 6 months, experienced flu-like symptoms. Compare this to almost 80% of the adults in the study who did not take NAC. That’s quite a difference.
Moreover, the adults who did take NAC and experienced flu-like symptoms had less severe symptoms. Also, they were sick for less amount of time.
As a result, if you have elderly parents or grandparents, perhaps buy a NAC supplement for them at the beginning of fall. That way, when winter strikes, their defenses will be high by winter.