"Some have suggested that cysteine deficiency as we age is responsible for loss of youth and loss of health and quality of life...especially since cysteine consumption is considered suboptimal." NAC supplements cysteine!
"What a relief to sleep soundly through the night again! My energy and focus have greatly improved, and I feel a lot clearer."
"My migraines significantly decreased in both intensity and frequency once I started dosing 1200 mg of NAC daily."
"My mental health feels way better and more stable. I used to deal with depression and panic attacks a few times a month, but I have not had an episode this whole year since starting NAC as a New Year's resolution."
NAC is the key to your body's
glutathione production!
Glutathione is one of the three most important, primary antioxidants that the body uses on a cellular level - so this is kinda a big deal! (FYI, the other main antioxidants are vitamins E and C.) Some of glutathione's superpowers include the abilities to fight oxidative stress, aid detoxification, boost immune function, support joint health, improve sleep quality as well as mental acuity, and slow the aging process.
Most of the body's glutathione is produced in the liver. Glutathione is a peptide composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. Cysteine is the most important of these for glutathione production, because it is the rate limiting factor. Without enough cysteine readily available, glutathione production process cannot proceed even when the other amino acids are present in abundance.
Why not just take glutathione directly? Research shows that NAC may be more bioavailable and more easily moved into cells and across the blood-brain barrier, as glutathione supplements may be broken down and inactivated in digestion.
This is a partial list of some of the great benefits NAC offers:
- Antioxidant
- Precursor to glutathione production
- Cell protection
- Counteracts oxidative stress
- Reduces inflammation
- Dissolves blood clots
- Fertility support
- Alleviates PCOS
- Supports cardiovascular health
- Neurotransmitter support
- Neuroprotective
- Antiviral
- Encourages tissue repair
- Can calm overactive brain
- Brain and liver health support
- Respiratory support
- Facilitates immune response
- Balances hormones
- Breaks down bacterial biofilm
- Supports detox pathways and liver health
- Breaks up mucus
- Used in cases of acetaminophen poisoning
- Pro-neurogenerative properties
- Involved in protein synthesis
- Addiction support
- Migraine relief, reducing frequency and intensity over time
- Supports formation of integument (hair, skin, nails, connective tissue)
- Can soothe neuro-inflammation and conditions associated with it like Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and brain injuries
- Research shows reduction of symptoms for a range of mental health disorders including but not limited to OCD, depression, agitation, bipolar mania, autism, schizophrenia, addiction, and anxiety
NAC is a fascinating and valuable substance!
N-acetyl L-cysteine (or NAC, for short), is a compound with a range of health and wellness benefits.
The long name indicates that a NAC molecule is made of 2 significant parts: the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine, and an acetyl group bonded to it.
Let's take a closer look at its chemical structure and the characteristics that arise from it!
Cysteine
is one of 20 amino acids the human body needs to build long chains called polypeptides. These chains fold onto themselves to make functional, structural units called proteins.
Proteins perform the majority of physiological functions in cells! Metabolism, gene expression, hormone production, tissue repair, enzyme activity, immune function, digestion, and so many more processes throughout the body depend extensively on proteins, which require appropriate forms and ample quantities of the correct amino acids to form and function properly.
Cysteine is one such amino acid, and is thus foundational to almost all expressions of life and health.
Cysteine structure.
Molecular formula = C₃H₇NO₂S
All twenty amino acids take the same basic structure with an amino group and a carboxylic acid group attached to a central carbon atom.
It is the side chain (the R-group) that determines the unique characteristics of each amino acid.
In chemistry, "R" stands in much like an X or Y does in an algebraic equation - it is a placeholder for some unique, unspecified variable.
A cysteine molecule has a sulphur-containing group as its side chain.
This gives cysteine the ability to form disulfide bonds between two peptide chains, as well as to form loops within a singular chain.
Cysteine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning the body produces it. However, given most modern lifestyles and environments, a vast number of people could greatly improve their health with proper supplementation to ensure the body has enough of this necessary ingredient to thrive.
Fun fact: disulfide bonds are the same reason curly hair coils in a helical nature, unlike straight hair!
Hair is made primarily of protein, and curly hair is comprised of a higher concentration of cysteine amino acids than straight hair.
So as you can imagine, NAC is great for hair (and skin, nails, and connective tissue) health, in addition to a myriad of other incredible benefits!
Some supplement companies label their NAC as N-acetyl L-cysteine, while others leave out the "L" on cysteine.
So what does the "L" mean?
The short answer is that it might not really matter to some, because the human body dominantly chooses the "L" variant of the amino acid cysteine for most biological processes anyway. NAC is commonly (but not officially) accepted to be a derivative of L-cysteine, so some may find the extra "L" label superfluous and unnecessary.
The long answer though (because knowledge is power!) is that many molecules naturally occur in non-superimposable, mirror-image variants. These different forms are called enantiomers of the molecule, and are labeled as either L- or D- versions.
They have the same connectivity and molecular weights, but because they are structurally nonidentical, they may not be able to engage in the same way with the same chemicals and same receptors in the body - much like how the right and left hands are a perfect fit only for their corresponding right or left glove.
D-cysteine, for example, does not participate in glutathione biosynthesis as L-cysteine does.
Why a supplement company chooses to address or not address this technicality is a question for them. There is little to no regulation in the supplement industry, so their choice might be intentional, oversight, and/or mere ignorance.
Acetyl structure, where the squiggle stands in for another molecule to which it is attached.
Acetyl group
is made of two carbon, three hydrogen, and one oxygen atoms (–COCH₃).
An acetyl group can bond to or be removed from another molecule, altering properties such as polarity, solubility, and binding ability.
"N", as in the case of N-acetyl cysteine, indicates that the acetyl group is bound to the nitrogen atom (N) of the amino group in cysteine.
Putting those components together yields
the NAC molecule!
We intentionally offer NAC in powder form for several reasons:
- Pills and capsules may contain toxic binder ingredients, while our NAC powder is pure NAC - no poisonous additives!
- With our pure NAC powder, you do not pay extra for fillers that provide no benefit nor extra packaging, making it far more cost effective than other options.
- Less packaging means less waste for our planet!
- Our NAC powder is absorbed quickly by the body without wasting energy in breaking down capsule or pill constituents, rendering it more bioavailable.
- While our NAC powder does have a distinct taste, it is actually beneficial to take NAC along with a little vitamin C as well. The powder flavor can be masked and the supplement made a bit more potent by adding it to juice or lemon water!
You can take our NAC powder in a cup of water, or add it to a cup of juice to mask the pungent sour flavor.
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Note:
Remember that cysteine contains sulphur, so supplementing with NAC might make your sweat, breath, and/or urine smell a bit sulfuric. While it does not happen to everyone, it is totally normal!
NAC is presently completely legal. Be aware however of the contention surrounding it, as regulation on it could change:
NAC is so widely known and respected for its ability to support numerous biological processes, that it was sold as a pharmaceutical drug in 1963 before it was used as a supplement. It is still delivered intravenously in hospital settings to counteract acetaminophen poisoning.
While it has been scrutinized for its classification as an unregulated supplement, NAC is currently in an FDA "safe harbor". However, its history of pharmaceutical use position it in a class of chemicals whose status could change. We suggest stocking up on and supplementing with high quality NAC while you can!
Dosage Info
Many studies show that most adults get the highest benefit by taking 1000-3000 mg of NAC per day.
If you take 500-1000 mg you can take the dose all at once. If you do more than 1000 mg, we recommend to divide the dose throughout the day.
Some users report getting a bit nauseous if taken on a completely empty stomach. For this reason, we recommend taking about 30 minutes before food.
Daily Requirement
We recommend to take anywhere from 500 mg to 3000 mg each day. Our preferred daily dose of NAC is 1800 mg, which is equivalent to a level 1/2 teaspoon of our NAC powder.
Loosen mucus & respiratory support
Take 500-1000 mg 3-4 times a day.
Migraine relief
Take at least 1200 mg per day. Best used daily as a preventative.
Children
Children can take 200-800 mg daily. *Note that some studies have shown no negative effects with child doses up to 2500 mg per day!
REFERENCES
- Deepmala et al., 2018 - N-acetylcysteine for oxidative stress in neuropsychiatric disorders, Psychiatry Research, 269, 682-687.
- Zheng et al., 2018 - N-acetylcysteine for major mental disorders, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 137(5), 391-400.
- Afshar et al., 2021 - N-acetylcysteine for treatment-resistant OCD, Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 41(2), 169-175.
- McClure et al., 2018 - N-acetylcysteine in substance use disorders, CNS Drugs, 32(4), 301-313.
- Yolland et al., 2019 - N-acetylcysteine for schizophrenia symptoms, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 80(4), 18r12474.
- Berk et al., 2019 - N-acetylcysteine for bipolar depression, Journal of Affective Disorders, 249, 205-213.
- Dean et al., 2018 - N-acetylcysteine for treatment-resistant anxiety, Journal of Affective Disorders, 240, 157-164.
- Hardan et al., 2020 - N-acetylcysteine in children with autism, Biological Psychiatry, 71(11), 956-961.
- Zhang et al., 2019 - N-acetylcysteine for cognitive enhancement, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 11, 176.
- Samuni et al., 2021 - N-acetylcysteine safety and tolerability in psychiatric disorders, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 82(1), 20r13688.
- Schwalfenberg GK. N-Acetylcysteine: A Review of Clinical Usefulness (an Old Drug with New Tricks). J Nutr Metab. 2021 Jun 9;2021:9949453. doi: 10.1155/2021/9949453. PMID: 34221501; PMCID: PMC8211525.
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