CRN: ‘This is not the final word on NAC’
By Stephen Daniells contact
11-May-2021 - Last updated on 11-May-2021 at 16:19 GMT
Related tags: NAC, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, Dietary ingredient, Amazon
NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine) is a derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine and is a precursor of the cellular antioxidant glutathione. The ingredient was first approved as an inhaled mucolytic drug in 1963. At present it is used in emergency rooms as a treatment in cases of acetaminophen poisoning to prevent severe liver damage.
Despite its early use as a respiratory medication, the ingredient has been widely used for many years in finished dietary supplements, frequently as a standalone product. A search of the Dietary Supplement Label Database from the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements yields 1,468 products containing NAC (database accessed May 7, 2021), including some of the biggest brands in the industry.
