N-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC for short, is the stable supplement form of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine is the most important building block to arguably the most important antioxidant in the body Glutathione.
Can NAC help with COVID-19? The short answer is LIKELY YES. NAC use probably (and there is some preliminary research to back this up) can help reduce the severity and duration of symptoms in many individuals infected with COVID-19. It’s also relatively inexpensive and safe.
Glutathione is depleted with all colds, flu, and infection. NAC supplementation can help restore those levels.
NAC is used and has been used for decades as mucolytic. This means it helps to break up stubborn phlegm in the respiratory tract in cases of pneumonia, bronchitis, COPD, etc. This is an obvious benefit in cases of COVID-19 infection.
In the infection process of COVID-19, an enormous amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS – free radicals) are generated. This causes huge amounts of oxidative stress locally (in the lungs) and systemically (throughout the body). Glutathione from NAC supplementation can likely counteract some degree of this oxidative stress.
The oxidative stress associated COVID-19 may lead to an increase in clotting factors in the blood. Clots/clotting are now suspected to play a major role in serious and deadly cases of COVID-19. NAC supplementation has been shown to help thin blood and reduce clotting in a variety of diseases and conditions.
NAC supplementation probably has very little to NO EFFECT on preventing COVID-19 infection.
If you want to further understand the suspected mechanisms behind these effects and references to the research, then check out this video by MedCram.com: Coronavirus Pandemic Update 69: “NAC” Supplementation and COVID-19 (N-Acetylcysteine). This is where I distilled the above information.
Dosage
I’m going to start with 500-600mg one or two times a week as long as I show no signs of cold or flu. With the onset of any symptoms, I’ll increase that to everyday. If symptoms get more severe or there is a positive test for COVID, I’ll bump it up to 1000-1200mg per day.
NAC is likely safe for most people, but you can check out side effects and drug interactions at WebMD: N-ACETYL CYSTEINE (NAC).
Where to buy NAC
NAC is widely available at most health food stores and supplement sections of grocery stores throughout the US and Canada.
US (affiliate link): Nutricost N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) 600mg
Canada: N-Acetyl-L Cysteine by Natural Factors
Mexico: Pharmacies (including Farmacia Rubio in Barra) sell NAC in a 600mg effervescent tablet called Lysomusil. If you can get some from the States or Canada it is far more cost effective. But if you can’t, it’s still probably worth having a box on hand.
To learn more about NAC beyond COVID-19, check out this article on Mark’s Daily Apple: All About NAC: Supplement Benefits, Side Effects, Dosages.
Sugar causes inflammation in my body. That said, it’s been hard to find vitamin c for instance, without it. Does the effervescent NAC you speak of contain sugar? And, I’ll google it, but what are good food sources in lieu of supplements? Thanks!!!
It looks like the Lysomucil (the effervescent tablet available in Mexico) contains some aspartame. It doesn’t say how much. I’m not a big fan of it either, but in the context of using the tablet if I had COVID, I personally would use it. Your best bet (if you are in Mexico) is have somebody bring some down for you. There are plenty of brands available in the US and Canada that don’t have sugar or other questionable ingredients. I did order a bottle from iherb.com. It’s supposed to arrive this month (1-2 month delivery time). We’ll see.