NAC (N-acetylcysteine)

Disclaimer:

How I discovered NAC (N-acetylcysteine)

About a year ago I came down with tinnitus. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s a noticeable and annoying ringing in the ears. Initially it was much worse but after figuring out that it was possibly due to a virus or congestion in my ears, and taking some decongestants, the majority of it subsided, but it never completely left.

I started talking with my family and found that my brother and father also reported having bouts of ringing in the ears and like mine it sometimes gets worse and then subsides again.

I started looking around for information on what really causes tinnitus. What I found is that tinnitus isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom. Something else is wrong which causes a person to hear ringing that isn’t really there. It turns out that the way sound is transmitted to the brain is through the neurotransmitter, Glutamate and it is believed that an excess of glutamate is what causes the brain to perceive sound when none is present.

This is how I came to find out about NAC which some doctors were prescribing to their patients who were experiencing tinnitus after exposure to extremely loud noises, and while people with damage from loud noises must have it administered quickly to repair the damage, I thought it wouldn’t hurt – especially since I believe that any damage I might have would have been caused by a virus. I found that NAC has many uses which I’ll talk about more in this article.

What is NAC (N-acetylcysteine)?

N-acetylecysteine is an a-amino acid that is found naturally in the body. It is used by our bodies to produce one of the most powerful antioxidants substances known to man, Glutathione. Glutathione is a simple molecule renowned for it’s ability to scavenge damaging free radicals which can lead to disease and premature aging. What’s more, our diets are rich in the other chemicals necessary for our bodies to make Glutathione – Glycine and Glutamic Acid, but our diets typically aren’t rich in sulfur containing foods – which contain cysteine.

Uses for NAC:

There have been a ton of studies on NAC and if you have some time I recommend you google it or check out Medline. Traditionally NAC has been used as an expectorant which helps break up mucus in the lungs so it’s easier to cough up to protect patients who are undergoing kidney tests as some of the dyes can be quite dangerous to our bodies, and most commonly to treat alcohol and acetaminophen (Tylenol) poisoning (see a more complete list at WebMD).

It’s been researched for it’s ability to help boost male fertility when used with selenium, to speed up recovery after physical exercise (see Medline article linked in the disclaimer section) and has been used to treat patients with hearing damage. It’s also been used to treat patients with Ataxia (a disorder that effects body movement), has been indicated to help treat psychological disorders like OCD, Schizophrenia and cocaine addiction. It’s been used to treat people with Cystic Fibrosis, to prevent certain types of cancer, to rid the body of heavy metals and other environmental toxins and has few serious side effects.

Side Effects of NAC (N-aceytlcysteine):

First the bad news! Keep in mind that NAC is a drug, and just as you wouldn’t take Tylenol or Vicodin every day you probably should be careful with NAC. Some research indicates that (at least in mice) NAC in high doses may cause pulmonary hypertension because it fools the body into thinking that it has a shortage of oxygen, while another study indicates that NAC is effective in preventing Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension… so I take it all with a grain of salt and err on the side of caution by taking it less than daily and in low doses.

What people don’t know is if this effect is cumulative over time, meaning that if low dose NAC may have the same effect if taken over many years. Something worth mentioning is that many people report taking 600-1200mg daily without issue and it has been used in many different countries for a long time. NAC is generally considered to be quite safe, however there is limited research out there to show without a doubt that it is. There also isn’t a lot of research on whether increasing glutathione is healthy in the longterm or if stopping NAC can cause problems as well. Since NAC cannot be patented, and cannot benefit drug companies, most studies conducted on it have been quite small – leaving many things unanswered.

Minor Side Effects of NAC (N-acetylcysteine)

Just like any other medication some people report runny noses, swelling of the mouth, drowsiness, clamminess, and chest tightness. WebMD also cautions people not to take it if they have an allergy to N-acetylcysteine.

My experience with NAC:

So far I’ve taken a little over 30 capsules of NAC over the last two months. I’ve noticed a significant improvement when I started to come down with the flu, and when I had to sit in a recently painted office for 3 days. I also have noticed a reduction in my tinnitus and feeling less sluggish the morning following having more than 1 alcoholic beverage. As far as side effects, I can’t really say that I’ve had any at all. I have had a few headaches, but it is not unusual for me because I tend to clench my teeth at night.

Alternative to NAC:

If you want to raise glutathione levels for the possible anti-aging or liver protective benefits but don’t want to mess around with NAC, many recommend Undenatured Whey Protein which is also rich in Cysteine. There are many brands but one in particular stood out, Immunocal. I haven’t done much research on it and being such, I can’t endorse it. If you google indentured whey protein the brand will pop up on a number of different blogs. Andrew Weil commented in one of his blog posts (Getting More Glutathione) that Immunocal has little research indicating effectiveness but that it was most likely safe to take. He also mentioned a bias because it was sold through a Multi-level Marketing company which he is personally opposed to.

Body Hacks:

The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss talks about finding ways to hack your body through diet, exercise, and supplementation. After reading 4HB, I started doing my own research about increasing longevity and performance. I was already familiar with tools like nutritiondata.com, drweil.com, mayoclinic.com, and webmd.com, which have valuable information on medications, supplements, health conditions, and diseases. I had already purchased a glucometer and was taking regular blood pressure readings before reading 4HB as well.

The idea of monitoring different aspects of your health with modern tools and responding to the information you uncover to create optimal health is exciting. The internet makes it super easy to order lab tests, purchase and learn how to use modern medical equipment, and learn about nutrition, diet and exercise tweaks, tips and tricks.

Moreover the body tells you how it’s responding to certain things and if you listen to your body you can learn a great deal just from that alone.

Originally I had done a lot of digging around on the role nutrients like vitamins and minerals play in our bodies. Really the information out there on alternative treatments isn’t really that great – as there isn’t a whole lot of money for doing clinical trials of herbs, vitamins and mineral supplements. We’re left much to our own devices to test these things on our own and it’s an inexact science because our bodies are diverse and manufacturing processes differ.

As you’ll see in this post, I have found that hacking your body or your health is very experimental. It can be dangerous, deadly, and may result in worse health overall. The point is to push the limits for your particular goals – perhaps building muscle is your goal, or ramping up your testosterone. My goals are to live as long and as healthy as possible. I track certain things like my blood pressure and blood sugar from time to time and I plan to have a schedule of doing blood work at least once per year.

This post covers my experience with supplementation in the pursuits of my goals. Leave your feedback or stories in the comment.

Experimentation with Mineral Supplements

I began with experimenting with high doses of minerals and vitamins, mostly Vitamin A (In the form of carrot juice) Vitamin B Complex (Nutritional Yeast / Brewers Yeast, Vitamin B Complex Supplements), Vitamin C ( Carrots, Broccoli, Supplements) Vitamin D ( 1,000IU – 10,000 IU Supplements), Magnesium, Chelated Molybdenum, Calcium, Zinc, etc. The results were amazing at first. I felt better, more energetic, and healthier. These feelings evaporated over time and as my doses increased. I started to have strange symptoms, shooting sensations in my fingers and wrists (peripheral neuropathy according to my doctor), aches and pains, and a raging case of tinnitus.

I found that there is no need to take vitamin and mineral supplements. Not only are they not as good as simply having a healthy diet, but they can also be dangerous.

Side Effects of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Minerals are minerals, they’re found naturally in the environment and in our diets. However they can build up in the body, as our elimination systems aren’t that good at getting rid of some minerals. A good example of this is Iron, which we know can be toxic. Other minerals may not cause the same lethal outcomes as an overdose of iron, but they do exist and our bodies aren’t that good at getting rid of minerals, which I believe to be due to the fact that most minerals are somewhat rare in our diet. Our bodies don’t need a lot of minerals, so it hangs onto what it gets. Of course there are exceptions, like calcium and potassium…but things like boron, molybdenum, and magnesium don’t need to be supplemented. The second problem area is that  mineral’s also help our bodies absorb other minerals and can prevent us from absorbing others. When we eat them in our foods they’re balanced, but when we try to eat them in the form of pills, they’re unbalanced and as I’ve proven to myself at least, they can have some serious consequences.

When it comes to Vitamins I found that most are synthesized in a lab and are chemically identical. However what I found is that most vitamins occur in our food as a complex or family of related compounds and not just individually. For example, Vitamin E supplements provide Alpha Tocopherol, but the vitamin E family contains 6 members of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Also many of the vitamin supplements aren’t regulated very well and their manufacturing process varies. Many supplements are actually synthesized from petroleum products!

The tinnitus I had was literally life altering. I lost weeks of sleep and months of being able to focus on anything else but the incredibly loud ringing. I believe that the dosage of b12 I was taking, which far exceeded the recommended dosage, with the addition of all of the minerals effected my nerves and my liver (due to a liver test that was slightly off) and made me feel physically ill and to have those symptoms. Tinnitus actually can lead to suicide, and after experiencing it first hand, I’ve taken extra precautions to protect my hearing from loud noises like concerts.

Fortunately the effects of the tinnitus and of the neuropathy did clear up, but as you can imagine I was very frightened that it was permanent, and likely it could have been if I had continued taking those large doses. The real problem I believe was that the vitamins I was taking along with the minerals, helped my body to absorb nutrients better, which would explain why my liver reading for b12 exceeded the top end of normal. My doctor also told me that I had a slightly fatty liver which could have been due to the damage I was doing to it with the vitamins.

My New Theory on Health Improvement: Slow Hacking

I see many flaws in the way western medicine and health works. We focus on treating disease rather than preventing it, and we treat our health and longevity as if it can be bought through the use of miracle cures and wonder drugs. We high stress, sleep deprived lives in polluted environments, eat high fat, low nutrition food filled with chemical by products and then blast ourselves with powerful drugs and radiation when our bodies start to fall apart. Our vegetables are being genetically modified, treated with harmful pesticides, and even our water is treated with chlorine – a powerful oxidizer and source of free radicals, which causes aging and cellular damage, and fluoride – which has been proven to have negative side effects for our health.

Good health and longevity take a lifetime of careful maintenance. It can’t be improved dramatically overnight by taking drugs or even herbal supplements. Obviously we know that longevity and wellness can be enhanced through diet, exercise, nutrition, and other things – but these things should be subtle and not overwhelming to our bodies.

While health can be improved, the best strategy is to maintain good health rather than trying to get it back after years of abuse. For this reason, I avoid excessive drinking – and am considering avoiding alcohol completely. I also avoid smoking and fried foods as much as possible and have taken steps to remove common sources of toxins from use. Making sure we drink filtered water, avoiding plastics and teflon for cooking and heating food, and drinking fresh cream instead of artificial creamers, fake butter / margarine spreads, and staying away from antiperspirants and personal care products that contain harmful chemicals and preservatives.

Alternatives to Vitamin Supplements:

Nutritional Yeast: Vitamin B Complex, Minerals and Trace Minerals

Otherwise known as Brewers Yeast, Nutritional Yeast has many purported benefits – chiefly that it’s rich in natural B vitamins and tons of minerals. The quality of the yeast can vary, so it’s best to go with a reputable brand. It’s grown in an environment that ensures the yeast has the maximum nutritional content and then the yeast are killed so that they aren’t harmful. The stuff comes in powders and tablets – even though the tabs are easier, I recommend the powders as it’s easier to get enough. You’d have to take a fistful of tablets to get the recommended dosage.

I have to admit that it tastes disgusting, it’s salty and kind of nutty tasting but with a terrible after taste. I mix one scoop in a cup of tomato juice and chug it. You do get used to the taste and sometimes even begin to crave it. One rumor is that it keeps fleas off of dogs. I did sprinkle some into my dog’s food and at first he refused to eat it. I left him alone with it and after a day and a half he decided to give it a go. I continued to feed it to him and he continued to eat it – and I noticed that after he was treated for fleas he stayed flea free for the time that he was eating it. I stopped feeding it to him – and strangely he refused to eat his food without it! The vitamins and minerals contained in Brewers Yeast / Nutritional Yeast are natural and balanced by the Yeast. You can meet your RDI for many of the B vitamins with it, but you won’t exceed it by 8000% like some of the supplements offer. After my bad experience, I think this is natural.

Wheat Germ Oil: Vitamin E Complex

Wheat Germ is hands down the best source of getting all of your Vitamin E. While there isn’t a recommended intake for all members of the family and measurements are hard to find, Wheat Germ Oil is natural and simply cold pressed from the germ of the wheat. It tastes slightly nutty and is delicious. One big spoon can provide 100% of your daily recommended intake. Aside from the oil the dried wheat germ can also be purchased at grocery stores and can be sprinkled onto salads, sandwiches, or into soups and shakes. Alternatively, rice bran oil can also be taken, it can be harder to find and is generally with the cooking oils. Make sure to refrigerate these oils as they can go rancid – and buy the oil from the refrigerated section of your health food store if at all possible. It does have a long shelf life but the fresher the better.

Chia Seeds: Omega 3s, Fiber, Antioxidants, Trace Minerals

Chia Seeds have gotten a little press lately. Typically found growing on animal shaped mexican pottery, the Chia seed was a staple in Mexican Indian’s diets. A drink made of fruit juice and Chia Seeds can be found in parts of Mexico and South America and is known as Chia Fresca.

Just one oz of Chia Seeds contains 4900 mg of omega 3 oil. The recommended fish oil dosage is 2 1200 mg pills – so you’re beating that without any of the fishy burps and belches.  That same oz of seeds also contains 42% of your daily recommended intake of dietary fiber – 10.3 grams to be exact. It also has a substantial amount of phosphorus, calcium, and manganese in it.

Chia Seeds have so many antioxidants in fact that they never go bad. They also don’t need to be ground to get the nutrition out of them, and that is 2 things that makes them far better than flax seeds.

Carrot Juice: Vitamin A Complex, Vitamin C, Antioxidants

Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant, however research indicates that taking Beta Carotene supplements can increase one’s risk for certain diseases. So what gives? Those vitamins aren’t providing the Vitamin A complex, aren’t balanced and are chemical synthetics. The Vitamin A contained in Carrot Juice is far more powerful, is bio-available, and just one 80z serving of juice offers over 900% of your vitamin A RDI in it’s natural form. It also offers 46% of your vitamin K and 33% of your vitamin C. It is rich in sugar, so you may want to drink 4oz instead.

Obviously drinking the juice from 1LB of carrots isn’t really natural, but your mileage may vary. I wouldn’t drink 8oz of it every day, but incorporating carrots into your daily diet is a good idea and supplementing your diet with Carrot Juice a few times a week will do much more good than harm.

Broccoli: Vitamin C, Antioxidants

A cup of broccoli will totally destroy your goal of getting 100% of your Vitamin C. Vitamin C is great for skin, and for destroying age causing free radicals. It’s also used to boost sperm quality – oddly enough. Aside from the Vitamin C it’s packed with lutein,  3,3′-Diindolylmethane, glucoraphanin, and indole-3-carbinol - which boost the immune system and fight cancer and aging.