NAC 600mg | N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine | Glutathione Precursor | Antioxidant and Detox Support | 60 Vegan Capsules

Each capsule contains 600mg of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC), the acetylated, stable form of the amino acid L-Cysteine and the most effective dietary precursor to intracellular glutathione, the body's primary endogenous antioxidant. NAC replenishes glutathione by providing cysteine, the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione synthesis. Provides a strong antioxidant. Protects the liver by boosting glutathione levels. Supports detoxification. Promotes respiratory health and helps clear excess mucus. Health Canada approved (NPN 80078286). 100% vegan, non GMO, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free. Made in Canada in a quality controlled facility. 60 vegan capsules (60 day supply at 1 capsule per day).

Important: Do not use if you are taking antibiotics or nitroglycerin. Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney stones, or are taking prescription medications.

Key Features

• Provides a strong antioxidant
• Protects the liver by boosting glutathione levels
• Supports detoxification
• Promotes respiratory health and helps clear excess mucus
• 600mg N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine per capsule
• The most effective dietary precursor to intracellular glutathione
• Cysteine: the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione synthesis
• Mucolytic: free thiol group cleaves disulfide bonds in mucin glycoproteins
• Supports Phase II liver detoxification via glutathione S-transferase
• 1 capsule daily with meals: simple daily routine
• 60 vegan capsules (60 day supply)
• Health Canada approved (NPN 80078286)
• Made in Canada in a quality controlled facility
• 100% vegan and non GMO
• Gluten free, soy free, dairy free

What Is NAC?

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) is the acetylated derivative of the amino acid L-Cysteine. The addition of an acetyl group to the amino group of L-Cysteine produces NAC, which is significantly more stable and more bioavailable than L-Cysteine itself. L-Cysteine is unstable in solution and is rapidly oxidized to cystine, limiting its usefulness as a supplement. NAC is resistant to this oxidation, making it the preferred supplemental form for delivering cysteine to cells.

Conditionally Essential Amino Acid: L-Cysteine is classified as a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning the body can synthesize it from methionine (via the transsulfuration pathway) under normal conditions, but synthesis may be insufficient under conditions of high oxidative stress, illness, or inadequate methionine intake. NAC supplementation provides a direct, reliable source of cysteine that bypasses the transsulfuration pathway.

The Acetyl Group: After absorption, NAC is deacetylated in the body to release free L-Cysteine, which is then available for glutathione synthesis and other metabolic functions. The acetyl group serves primarily as a protective modification that improves stability and absorption; it is removed intracellularly to release the active cysteine.

NAC and Glutathione: The Rate-Limiting Precursor

The primary reason NAC is one of the most widely used supplements in both clinical medicine and nutritional supplementation is its role as the most effective dietary precursor to intracellular glutathione.

What Glutathione Is: Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine, linked in the sequence gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine. It is the most abundant intracellular antioxidant in the body, present in virtually every cell, with the highest concentrations in the liver. Glutathione exists in two forms: reduced glutathione (GSH), the active antioxidant form, and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), the form produced after GSH has donated its electrons to neutralize a free radical. The ratio of GSH to GSSG is a key indicator of cellular oxidative stress: a high GSH:GSSG ratio indicates low oxidative stress; a low ratio indicates high oxidative stress.

Why Cysteine Is Rate-Limiting: Glutathione is synthesized in two enzymatic steps. First, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (also called glutamate-cysteine ligase, GCL) combines glutamate and cysteine to form gamma-glutamylcysteine. Second, glutathione synthetase adds glycine to produce glutathione. Of the three amino acid substrates (glutamate, cysteine, and glycine), cysteine is the least abundant intracellularly and is therefore the rate-limiting substrate. When cysteine availability is low, glutathione synthesis slows regardless of the availability of glutamate and glycine. NAC supplementation increases intracellular cysteine availability, directly supporting glutathione synthesis.

Why NAC Is More Effective Than Oral Glutathione: Glutathione supplements are available, but oral glutathione is poorly absorbed intact from the gastrointestinal tract. Glutathione is a tripeptide that is broken down by intestinal peptidases (including gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) before it can be absorbed. The resulting amino acids are absorbed individually but do not efficiently reconstitute intracellular glutathione. NAC, by contrast, is a small, stable molecule that is absorbed intact from the GI tract and then converted to cysteine intracellularly, where glutathione is synthesized. This makes NAC the most effective oral strategy for raising intracellular glutathione levels.

Glutathione's Functions: Glutathione performs multiple critical functions in cellular protection and detoxification:

• Direct antioxidant: GSH donates electrons to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, becoming oxidized to GSSG in the process. GSSG is then reduced back to GSH by glutathione reductase using NADPH
• Cofactor for glutathione peroxidase (GPx): GPx enzymes use GSH to reduce hydrogen peroxide and lipid hydroperoxides to water and lipid alcohols, preventing oxidative damage to cell membranes
• Cofactor for glutathione S-transferase (GST): GST enzymes conjugate GSH to electrophilic toxins, drug metabolites, and reactive compounds, making them water-soluble for excretion via bile or urine
• Regeneration of vitamins C and E: GSH regenerates oxidized vitamin C (dehydroascorbate) back to ascorbate, and indirectly supports the regeneration of vitamin E
• Protein protection: GSH protects protein thiol groups from oxidation through glutathionylation, a reversible modification that protects cysteine residues in proteins from irreversible oxidation

Liver Protection and Detoxification

The liver is the primary site of metabolic detoxification in the body and has the highest glutathione concentration of any organ. Hepatic glutathione is essential for Phase II detoxification, the process by which the liver conjugates reactive metabolites and xenobiotics (foreign compounds including drugs, environmental toxins, and metabolic byproducts) to make them water-soluble for excretion.

Phase II Detoxification: Phase I liver detoxification (primarily cytochrome P450 enzymes) converts lipophilic toxins into reactive intermediates. These reactive intermediates are often more toxic than the original compounds and must be rapidly conjugated in Phase II. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are the primary Phase II enzymes that conjugate glutathione to these reactive intermediates, forming glutathione conjugates that are then processed to mercapturic acids and excreted in urine. When hepatic glutathione is depleted, reactive Phase I metabolites accumulate and cause hepatocyte damage. NAC replenishes hepatic glutathione, supporting the liver's capacity for Phase II detoxification.

Clinical Context: NAC is used in clinical medicine as the standard treatment for acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose, where it works by replenishing hepatic glutathione depleted by the toxic acetaminophen metabolite NAPQI (N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine). This clinical application demonstrates the established mechanism by which NAC protects the liver through glutathione replenishment.

Respiratory Health: The Mucolytic Mechanism

NAC promotes respiratory health and helps clear excess mucus through a direct chemical mechanism involving its free thiol (SH) group.

How Mucus Becomes Viscous: Mucus is composed primarily of mucin glycoproteins, large molecules with protein cores and extensive carbohydrate side chains. Mucin molecules are cross-linked to each other through disulfide bonds (S-S bonds) between cysteine residues in their protein cores. These disulfide cross-links create a gel-like network that gives mucus its viscosity and elasticity. When mucus becomes excessively thick or viscous (as in respiratory conditions), the density of these disulfide cross-links increases.

NAC's Mucolytic Action: NAC's free thiol group (SH) is a reducing agent that cleaves disulfide bonds through a thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. When NAC contacts mucin glycoproteins, its SH group breaks the S-S cross-links between mucin molecules, reducing the degree of cross-linking and lowering mucus viscosity. This makes the mucus less thick and easier to clear from the airways. This mucolytic mechanism is the basis for NAC's use as a pharmaceutical mucolytic agent in clinical respiratory medicine.

Understanding the Dosage

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC): 600mg per capsule
Suggested Use: Adults: 1 capsule daily. Take with meals
Total Capsules: 60 (60 day supply)
Non Medicinal Ingredients: Magnesium stearate, Hypromellose (vegetable capsule shell)

Consult your healthcare provider to determine the appropriate dosage and duration of use for your individual needs.

Who May Consider This Product

• Adults seeking a strong antioxidant through glutathione precursor supplementation
• Those wanting liver protection and support for detoxification pathways
• Individuals seeking respiratory health support and help clearing excess mucus
• Those wanting the most effective oral strategy for raising intracellular glutathione levels
• Vegans and vegetarians
• Those seeking a Health Canada approved, Canadian made NAC supplement

Quality and Purity

• Health Canada approved (NPN 80078286)
• 600mg N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine per capsule
• Vegan hypromellose capsule
• 60 capsules (60 day supply)
• Made in Canada in a quality controlled facility
• 100% vegan and non GMO
• Gluten free, soy free, dairy free

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Keep bottle tightly sealed after each use. NAC is sensitive to moisture and oxidation; always use a dry hand or scoop and reseal promptly.

Safety Information and Contraindications

Do not use if you are taking antibiotics. NAC can interact with certain antibiotics, reducing their efficacy.
Do not use if you are taking nitroglycerin. NAC potentiates the vasodilatory effects of nitroglycerin and may cause severe hypotension (dangerously low blood pressure). This is a clinically significant interaction.

Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have kidney stones, as cysteine can contribute to cystine stone formation in susceptible individuals. If you are taking prescription medications, consult a health care practitioner prior to use. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Keep out of reach of children.

This product is approved by Health Canada (NPN 80078286).

About NAC 600mg | N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine | Glutathione Precursor | Antioxidant and Detox Support

NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine) is the acetylated, stable form of L-Cysteine and the most effective oral precursor to intracellular glutathione, the body's primary endogenous antioxidant. By providing cysteine, the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione synthesis, NAC replenishes intracellular glutathione more effectively than oral glutathione supplements, which are broken down before absorption. At 600mg per capsule, this formula provides a meaningful daily dose of NAC to support antioxidant protection, liver detoxification through glutathione S-transferase activity, and respiratory health through NAC's mucolytic action on mucin disulfide bonds. Health Canada approved (NPN 80078286) for providing a strong antioxidant, protecting the liver by boosting glutathione levels, supporting detoxification, and promoting respiratory health by helping clear excess mucus. Do not use if taking antibiotics or nitroglycerin. 100% vegan and made in Canada in a quality controlled facility. 60 capsules.