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Among the best-researched amino acids is a form of cysteine, called n-acetylcysteine, referred to as NAC. NAC is a more stable and bioavailable form of cysteine.
NAC was first developed as a therapeutic for its ability to break up mucus in the lungs in conditions like bronchitis. However, research into NAC's other amazing benefits soon gained momentum. This was largely due to NAC's ability to raise glutathione levels in the body, which is significant because glutathione is one of our body's most important antioxidants. In recent years it has become apparent that NAC has great potential not only for raising our bodies antioxidant levels, but also for preventing heart disease, memory loss, cancer, and even aging itself. [1]
The Top 10 Reasons you must supplement with NAC:
10) NAC has shown the ability to improve immune function and retard aging; prevents & treats Alzheimer's disease, due to its ability to lower the toxicity and production of beta-Amyloid protein (a suspected cause)
9) Body uses NAC to produce the conditionally essential amino acid Taurine
8) Has been shown to increase nitric oxide production and lower homocysteine levels in humans; provides protection against heart disease
7) Promotes hair growth & prevents hair loss
6) Detoxification benefits - it breaks down mucus & helps rid of harmful substances like mercury from body; proven to improve impaired blood flow in smokers
5) Converts to cysteine within the cell, becoming a precursor to antioxidant enzyme Glutathione
4) It is one of the few amino acids contining sulphur, which allows maintenance of protein structure within body
3) Liver's best friend: guards against liver damage from advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the effects of a high-fat diet; great cycle support supplement :thumbup:
2) Promotes production of muscle tissue
Below I'll detail the #1 benefit of NAC and shed light on a misconception contaminating our fitness world.
Remember dear readers, you heard it here first: off the record, on the QT, and very Hush-Hush...
Your comprehension of a TRUE body fat % and LBM is likely flawed. I am sorry to break it to you, but you are worse off than you think. Recently I had my body fat level measured using the BodPod. Two certified trainers calipered me around 16%, but the darn BodPod indicated 23%
When it comes to the efficiency of accurately assessing body composition, the BodPod is far superior. The fitness industry has done a very poor job educating us as to what body fat % truly means. Thanks to all the advertising campaigns, slogans, ignorance, trainers, whatever, the term body fat % has become a misnomer. The true concept of body fat has been disguised to the point that it is buried deep, like that fat buried deep within you :crying:
Calipers measure subcutaneous fat (fat between muscles and skin), while BodPod measures visceral fat (fat between organs and underneath muscles), the fat that is more evil than Satan, and this is where NAC comes in!
Lean body mass is made up of structural and functional elements in cells, body water, muscle, bones, and other body organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. That does not include the visceral fat, which the caliper is unable to determine.
Here is why NAC is an excellent supp when trying to lose visceral fat...and if you can't read it..trust me, it just freaking works.
TNF-alpha is a key molecule in obesity-related metabolic disturbances. A study was designed to determine whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, prevents the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by exogenously administered TNF-alpha in adipocytes, and whether such change affects the production of adipocytokines. The treatment of well-differentiated 3T3-L1 cells with 20 mM of NAC significantly increased the reduced glutathione concentration up to 150% of control. The treatment with 10 ng/ml of TNF-alpha decreased antioxidant enzyme levels such as CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), MnSOD and catalase, and activated NF-kappaB in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The activation of NF-kappaB was significantly prevented by the pretreatment with 20 mM of NAC. TNF-alpha (1-10 ng/ml) dose-dependently increased interleukin (IL)-6 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) secretion from 3T3-L1 adipocytes, while decreased adiponectin secretion. NAC (5-20 mM) attenuated the TNF-alpha-induced changes in these adipocytokine secretions in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of TNF-alpha and NAC on the adipocytokine productions was exerted at the m-RNA level, judging from results of the real time RT-PCR analysis. The present study revealed that NAC inhibited the TNF-alpha-mediated activation of NF-kappaB and improved the adverse changes in the levels of IL-6, PAI-1 and adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. NAC may have the potential to improve the obesity-related abnormal adipocytokine metabolism by attenuating the TNF-alpha-induced oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in adipocytes. [2]
It should now be obvious to all of you that supplementing with NAC will significantly benefit your fitness endeavors in more ways than one. Additionally, the great majority of us have some or more visceral fat to lose, which the NAC will help melt away
So how should you dose it? 600 mg 2x a day on an empty stomach would be optimal. It should also be taken with 1-2g Vitamin C to prevent cysteine from being oxidized, becoming insoluble, and leading to the formation of kidney or bladder stones.
References:
[1] Acetylcysteine: the Amino Acid Protector
[2] Life Sci. 2006 Nov 17;79(25):2405-12. Epub 2006 Aug 16.
N-acetylcysteine attenuates TNF-alpha induced changes in secretion of interleukin-6, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and adiponectin from 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Araki S, Dobashi K, Kubo K, Yamamoto Y, Asayama K, Shirahata A.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, 807-8555, Japan.
Liver Protection: Laying the Foundation for Optimal Hepatic Health
NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) For Mercury Detoxification
NAC was first developed as a therapeutic for its ability to break up mucus in the lungs in conditions like bronchitis. However, research into NAC's other amazing benefits soon gained momentum. This was largely due to NAC's ability to raise glutathione levels in the body, which is significant because glutathione is one of our body's most important antioxidants. In recent years it has become apparent that NAC has great potential not only for raising our bodies antioxidant levels, but also for preventing heart disease, memory loss, cancer, and even aging itself. [1]
The Top 10 Reasons you must supplement with NAC:
10) NAC has shown the ability to improve immune function and retard aging; prevents & treats Alzheimer's disease, due to its ability to lower the toxicity and production of beta-Amyloid protein (a suspected cause)
9) Body uses NAC to produce the conditionally essential amino acid Taurine
8) Has been shown to increase nitric oxide production and lower homocysteine levels in humans; provides protection against heart disease
7) Promotes hair growth & prevents hair loss
6) Detoxification benefits - it breaks down mucus & helps rid of harmful substances like mercury from body; proven to improve impaired blood flow in smokers
5) Converts to cysteine within the cell, becoming a precursor to antioxidant enzyme Glutathione
4) It is one of the few amino acids contining sulphur, which allows maintenance of protein structure within body
3) Liver's best friend: guards against liver damage from advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the effects of a high-fat diet; great cycle support supplement :thumbup:
2) Promotes production of muscle tissue
Below I'll detail the #1 benefit of NAC and shed light on a misconception contaminating our fitness world.
Remember dear readers, you heard it here first: off the record, on the QT, and very Hush-Hush...
Your comprehension of a TRUE body fat % and LBM is likely flawed. I am sorry to break it to you, but you are worse off than you think. Recently I had my body fat level measured using the BodPod. Two certified trainers calipered me around 16%, but the darn BodPod indicated 23%
When it comes to the efficiency of accurately assessing body composition, the BodPod is far superior. The fitness industry has done a very poor job educating us as to what body fat % truly means. Thanks to all the advertising campaigns, slogans, ignorance, trainers, whatever, the term body fat % has become a misnomer. The true concept of body fat has been disguised to the point that it is buried deep, like that fat buried deep within you :crying:
Calipers measure subcutaneous fat (fat between muscles and skin), while BodPod measures visceral fat (fat between organs and underneath muscles), the fat that is more evil than Satan, and this is where NAC comes in!
Lean body mass is made up of structural and functional elements in cells, body water, muscle, bones, and other body organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. That does not include the visceral fat, which the caliper is unable to determine.
Here is why NAC is an excellent supp when trying to lose visceral fat...and if you can't read it..trust me, it just freaking works.
TNF-alpha is a key molecule in obesity-related metabolic disturbances. A study was designed to determine whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, prevents the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by exogenously administered TNF-alpha in adipocytes, and whether such change affects the production of adipocytokines. The treatment of well-differentiated 3T3-L1 cells with 20 mM of NAC significantly increased the reduced glutathione concentration up to 150% of control. The treatment with 10 ng/ml of TNF-alpha decreased antioxidant enzyme levels such as CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), MnSOD and catalase, and activated NF-kappaB in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The activation of NF-kappaB was significantly prevented by the pretreatment with 20 mM of NAC. TNF-alpha (1-10 ng/ml) dose-dependently increased interleukin (IL)-6 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) secretion from 3T3-L1 adipocytes, while decreased adiponectin secretion. NAC (5-20 mM) attenuated the TNF-alpha-induced changes in these adipocytokine secretions in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of TNF-alpha and NAC on the adipocytokine productions was exerted at the m-RNA level, judging from results of the real time RT-PCR analysis. The present study revealed that NAC inhibited the TNF-alpha-mediated activation of NF-kappaB and improved the adverse changes in the levels of IL-6, PAI-1 and adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. NAC may have the potential to improve the obesity-related abnormal adipocytokine metabolism by attenuating the TNF-alpha-induced oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in adipocytes. [2]
It should now be obvious to all of you that supplementing with NAC will significantly benefit your fitness endeavors in more ways than one. Additionally, the great majority of us have some or more visceral fat to lose, which the NAC will help melt away
So how should you dose it? 600 mg 2x a day on an empty stomach would be optimal. It should also be taken with 1-2g Vitamin C to prevent cysteine from being oxidized, becoming insoluble, and leading to the formation of kidney or bladder stones.
References:
[1] Acetylcysteine: the Amino Acid Protector
[2] Life Sci. 2006 Nov 17;79(25):2405-12. Epub 2006 Aug 16.
N-acetylcysteine attenuates TNF-alpha induced changes in secretion of interleukin-6, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and adiponectin from 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Araki S, Dobashi K, Kubo K, Yamamoto Y, Asayama K, Shirahata A.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, 807-8555, Japan.
Liver Protection: Laying the Foundation for Optimal Hepatic Health
NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) For Mercury Detoxification