| N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a supplement I started taking myself and began more seriously recommending for patients in 2020 when we learned about its many benefits as a supplement to help reduce severity and duration of symptoms with COVID illness. NAC has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and potent antioxidant benefits because it helps replenish glutathione, the most potent antioxidant in our body.
NAC is a supplement form of cysteine, a crucial amino acid found in high protein foods such as eggs, chicken, turkey, yogurt, cheese, raw sunflower seeds and legumes. NAC is described as a conditionally essential amino acid because it can be made in the body if our diet is adequate in two other amino acids: methionine and serine. If our diet is deficient in serine and/or methionine, then we cannot make cysteine, making it essential to take as a supplement. A deficiency of cysteine leads to many adverse effects on health.
NAC has been a mainstay of my combination therapies used to treat COVID, Long COVID, and COVID vaccine injury. Research has since noted that the pharmacological activities of NAC and its effects on the mechanisms of disease progression make it a potential therapeutic agent for COVID-19.
Studies show that NAC is also helpful to reduce risk of Avian Flu by inhibiting replication of H5N1 virus and H5N1-induced production of pro-inflammatory molecules. NAC has also been shown to inhibit replication of seasonal human influenza A viruses. Based on these findings, NAC has been considered an additional therapeutic option for new threats of viral outbreaks.
But there are MANY BENEFITS OF NAC BEYOND COVID! NAC helps prevent and reduce the severity of both bacterial and viral respiratory illnesses, it helps in diseases that cause cognitive decline, and NAC also shows benefit in improving fertility in men and women.
NAC also plays a major role in our body’s detoxification pathways to help prevent or diminish liver and kidney damage. Administered intravenously, NAC has long been a standard treatment in Emergency Medicine to combat Tylenol (acetaminophen)-induced liver damage to glutathione pathways.
Our bodies need continuous glutathione production to reduce the daily burden of oxidative stress and detoxification of toxins. Glutathione also supports our stem cells by protecting them from DNA damage and preserves mitochondrial health – both functions are critical in prevention of chronic disease, including CANCER.
As we age, however, glutathione production declines, so the benefits of supplements that increase glutathione effectively, like NAC, become even more important as we get older. That’s why NAC is a supplement I take myself every day as a critical ingredient of my Health and Resilience formula I have described on our website.
In addition to supplemental NAC, it is important to have adequate folate, B6, and B12 for the body to be able to use serine and methionine to make the amino acid cysteine in the body. These important co-factors can be found in our TruMultiV™ and TruMultiV™ with Iron (also included in our TruResilience™ Formula).
The many benefits of NAC are quite exciting, especially in today’s environment of hyperinflammatory assaults from our environment, foods, lifestyles and even medical “treatments” that cause inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Chemically, N-acetal cysteine is a sulfur containing derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine that neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body, especially the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, while also enhancing the production of tripeptide glutathione – a powerful antioxidant and detoxifying enzyme.
- The unique properties of NAC provide the additional support needed to elevate the body’s resilience to fight illness and lessen severity of infections. Specifically, NAC is known for its mucolytic (mucus thinning) effect, direct and indirect antioxidant activity as a precursor of reduced glutathione, modulation of the immune and inflammatory response, counteracting of the thrombotic state, and an antiviral effect.
- NAC used in a combined treatment with the α2A-adrenoceptor agonist, guanfacine, also gives hope to those suffering with “brain fog” from long-COVID 19. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) was found by a clinical neuroscientist to reduce the cognitive deficits associated with long-COVID19. These results were further enhanced with the addition of guanfacine, a prescription medication, in a small trial showing benefits in eight out of twelve patients.
NAC has many other benefits on multiple body systems:
- Reducing risk of organ damage in chronic inflammatory conditions.
- Stabilizing blood sugar by decreasing inflammation in fat cells, which can damage or destroy insulin receptors and increase risk of Type 2 Diabetes and thereby improving insulin resistance.
- Decreasing heart disease risk by preventing oxidative damage to the heart, as well as protecting heart function and heart health in people with diabetes and those recovering from heart surgeries.
- Detoxification as an agent to prevent or diminish liver and kidney damage.
- Improving cognition, mood regulation and diminishing substance abuse cravings.
- Relieving symptoms of respiratory conditions by reducing inflammation in lung tissue and bronchial tubes, and thinning mucus that blocks airways.
- Positively effecting on other respiratory conditions: chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, asthma, allergy symptoms, and pulmonary fibrosis.
- Improving brain health by regulating glutamate and replenishing glutathione with potential to slow the decline in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
- Improving fertility in men and in women with PCOS by decreasing the free radical formation that damages or kills reproductive cells.
- Improving immune function by boosting glutathione levels
In today’s environment with constant fear-mongering about the “next pandemic,” the additives in our foods, and the environmental toxins of EMF and 5G plus geoengineering chemicals being sprayed into the air we breathe, I think that most of us may be deficient in cysteine and glutathione – simply based on the symptoms my patients are experiencing. I am excited to have TruNAC™ in my medical tool kit to improve health and resilience. So check our Truth For Health store for all where you can order TruNAC™ as part of our TruResilience™ Formula. As I mentioned earlier, NAC is a supplement I personally take every day.
One note of caution: NAC may affect normal blood clotting, so if you are taking a blood thinning (anti-coagulant) medication or have a bleeding disorder, you should check with your health professional to be sure it is safe for you to add.
And to insure optimal health, I encourage you to turn to our natural medicines with our top quality, cGMP-compliant professional formulas for TruImmune™Boost, TruImmunoglobulin,™ TruC with BioFlav™ (Vitamin C with complete Bioflavonoids), Tru BioD3™, TruZinc™, TruMitochondrial ™Boost and TruProBiotic™ Daily to replenish critical bifidobacteria depleted by COVID shots, viral illnesses, and antibiotic therapy.
To Your good health and improving resilience!
Dr. Vliet |
