NAC
If I was stuck on a desert island with access to only one supplement for the rest of my life, it would be . . .
NAC
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the supplement form of the semi-essential amino acid, cysteine, which is found in many protein rich foods.
Because the human body can create some NAC from other amino acids (methionine and serine, it is considered to be a “semi-essential amino acid”).
NAC has broad health benefits:
thins mucus so is great for chronic allergies and sinus infections, chronic coughs, asthma and bronchitis, even COPD
acts as a potent antioxidant
reduces inflammation
improves liver function
protects kidney function
can treat drug toxicity — commonly used as an IV treatment for acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) related liver failure
treats insulin resistance
improves ovarian function
shown to improve fertility rates
has been shown to improve depression and anxiety, bipolar, OCD, addiction, worry/rumination, and eating disorders
has also been shown to have anti-cancer qualities
has been shown to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and thus may help in dementia cases
possible support in Parkinson’s disease
Dosing:
Between 600 –1,800 milligrams of a NAC daily seems to be effective against many conditions; 600-milligram capsules taken two to three times a day is a common recommended dosage to start with.
Research tells us that 2,000 milligrams is safe for most adults.
Higher doses may be needed to treat certain chronic and degenerative diseases, including COPD, impaired glucose control and cancer.
*As with any herb or supplement, consult your health care practitioner before beginning. To ensure safety, it’s important to choose a supplement from a reliable source (i.e. not from Amazon). All my patients have access to my Fullscript online dispensary which provides professional line supplement brands and are third party tested.
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Dr. Laura Neville