You may not have heard much about NAC.
N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or NAC for short, is a powerful amino acid.
It may just be what you need to boost overall health and wellbeing.
It’s fascinating because NAC has been used to treat a wide range of ailments.
Even in clinical settings. From Schizophrenia to respiratory conditions.
As always, our whole body is connected. It seems straight forward, but we often forget this simple fact.
This means that a molecule like NAC can impact a wide range of areas of the human body.
In this article we’ll explore the science behind NAC, and how it can treat a wide range of health issues.
What is NAC and how does it work?
N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or NAC for short, is a powerful antioxidant. While more research is needed on the topic, there's some evidence that supplementing with NAC can improve your health in a number of different ways. NAC can be taken as a supplement to boost glutathione levels . NAC can also reduce inflammation. Most of the chronic illnesses that plague humanity at present are due to inflammation. Hence NAC's widespread use as a therapy for many diseases.
Learn more: Why You Should Take NAC Daily
5 Ways that NAC Boosts Health Naturally
1. Helps With Body Detoxification
NAC is not only the precursor for the body's master antioxidant "glutathione." It's also a potent oxidant scavenger in and of itself. NAC has also been used for over 30 years to treat acetaminophen (Paracetamol) overdose. Another method of detoxification provided by NAC is the reduction of inflammation. Additionally, studies have been carried out in pregnant rats who were infected with E.coli LPS. This sort of infection can result in an increased incidence in mental illness both in rats and humans. NAC was administered to the rat dams in their drinking water after they were infected. The result was that the brain health in the foetus was preserved.
Learn more: What is N-acetyl-L-Cysteine and How can it Prevent Liver Damage?
2. NAC Can Improve Mood
Both dopamine and glutamate are neuro-transmitters involved in mood. NAC can alter these neurotransmitters, which can in turn boost mood. NAC has been extensively studied in patients with mental illnesses. Interestingly, many of the registered mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia can be measured by changes in antioxidant levels. Studies show that patients with mental health issues that take NAC can benefit from both the antioxidant properties and also the balancing of dopamine and serotonin. This in turn, alters mood, which can help people suffering from other illnesses like depression.
Learn more: A Guide to Vitamins and Minerals That Impact Your Mood
3. Fights Addiction
Several studies have been carried out using NAC to treat a wide range of addictions. Including, marijuana dependence, nicotine addiction, cocaine addiction and even pathological gambling. It seems bizarre that pathological gambling or OCD might be healed with NAC. Yet one study of 29 pathological gamblers found that 16 of the participants who took 1800mg of NAC daily reported a significant reduction in their gambling behaviour. Other addictions such as nicotine addiction can seriously damage overall health. The good news is that smokers taking 1200 mg of NAC for six months resulted in reduced DNA damage.
Related: Turning Things Around: From Addiction to Peak Health
4. Improves Respiratory Health
NAC has been found to both relieve symptoms of respiratory conditions as well as reduce lung decline. Which is especially helpful for people with serious respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Other respiratory conditions like bronchitis can also be treated with NAC. That's because, like many health concerns, it's inflammation that's fueling the illness. With bronchitis this inflammation can be fatal if the swelling closes down the airways. NAC can help by reducing inflammation and boosting glutathione levels in the lungs. There is also evidence of NAC being helpful in the treatment of other respiratory illnesses , including asthma and allergies.
Related: The Importance of Body pH Balance for Optimum Blood Flow & Oxygen Transfer
5. Can Boost Exercise Performance
Any gym goer will know all about DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). That's when the muscles ache after going to the gym. As the name suggests, it's normally delayed and felt the day after exercising. In all fairness, this can put people off exercising, as it feels like you’re being punished. NAC can help with this by reducing the soreness felt after high intensity exercise. Additionally, exercise intensifies detoxification, which can impact performance if the athlete has low levels of glutathione. Taking NAC daily can help reduce oxidative stress and enhance detoxification pathways. Resulting in better athletic performance.
Related: Can Eating Fruit and Vegetables Boost Mental Health and Mood?
The Bottom Line
Now that you’re all up to date with the science behind NAC you’ll understand why we rave about its health benefits. NAC is a powerful detoxification agent that can help your body thrive. In many cases inflammation or toxicity fuels disease. NAC can cleanse out free radicals and toxins as well as reduce inflammation. This can result in a multitude of natural health benefits that could just enhance your life.
Written by Rowanna Watson, who has a passion for natural health. Rowanna is an expert in all areas of holistic health, plant-based nutrition, detoxification Written by best-selling author and integrative nutrition health coach and personal development.
Water for Health Ltd began trading in 2007 with the goal of positively affecting the lives of many. We still retain that mission because we believe that proper hydration and nutrition can make a massive difference to people’s health and quality of life. Click here to find out more.
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