N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) is a more stable form of the conditionally essential amino acid L-Cysteine. This useful form of L-Cysteine has numerous studies testifying to is support of:

1. GSH and GSH-related antioxidant levels, the enzyme the body produces to fight free radicals.
2. Greatly Reduces Cholesterol Oxidation in the blood stream and at the cellar level.
3. The Synergistic Enhancement of the ability of Vitamin C to support the immune system.

Research shows that the body needs L-Cysteine to produce Glutathione (GSH) a very powerful antioxidant. In fact, L-Cysteine is the rate limiting (found in the lowest concentrations) of the three amino acids required in synthesizing Glutathione. GSH is a very important enzyme produced by the body to fight free radicals and is considered to be one of, if not the most, important endogenous antioxidant. NAC helps the body produce more Glutathione by providing L-Cysteine.

Glutathione levels in the blood and tissues decrease with age as demonstrated by a study reported in the Journal of Laboratory Clinical Medicine (1992; 720-5). This study examined males and females between the ages of 20 and 94 and found an increase incidence of low blood Glutathione levels in the elderly subjects. In addition, a study in the British Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (1994; 47:1021-6) found, in a community-based study of the elderly, that higher Glutathione levels were related to higher levels of physical health in the subjects.

NAC supplementation has shown to increase Glutathione levels. As the body ages, its ability to digest and absorb protein becomes less and less over the years and the system becomes compromised. This directly results in shortages, which in turn leads to any number of age related diseases common place with the elderly. Consequently, NAC has provided important benefits as an "elderly" or age related disease antioxidant. It also works to maintain Glutathione and related antioxidant levels that normally decrease with stress, injury, exercise or age. Possessing antioxidant effects itself, NAC, also synergistically enhances vitamin C’s ability to support the immune system.