NAC Banned From Amazon, FDA Says It’s Medication
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has made the news, not because scientists discovered a new health benefit, but because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided after 57 years of over-the-counter sales the compound is now a medication that requires a physician’s prescription.
Like ibuprofen (Advil)1 and acetaminophen (Tylenol),2 NAC has been available both over the counter and in prescription form.3 Doctors prescribe ibuprofen, acetaminophen and NAC in the hospital for specific uses. Historically, people could purchase all three over the counter.
Recently, the FDA decided that, unlike ibuprofen and acetaminophen, NAC should be removed from public sale. NAC is an antioxidant compound made up of three amino acids — glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine.4
However, N-acetylcysteine is available only in supplement form and cannot be found as such in foods. But the precursors to NAC can be found in foods high in cysteine, including pork, beef, chicken, eggs, swiss cheese and sunflower seeds.5 NAC is valued as a precursor to glutathione, also called the “master antioxidant.”6
