Medicinal Ingredients (per 1 capsule):
NAC(N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine)… 600mg

Non-Medicinal Ingredients
Magnesium stearate, Hypromellose (Vegetable Capsule Shell)

Recommended Dose:
Adults: 1 Capsule daily. Take with meals.

Cautions and Warnings:
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have kidney stones.
If you are taking prescription medications, consult a health care practitioner prior to use.

Contraindications:
Do not use if you are taking antibiotics or nitroglycerin.

Q: What are the Health Canada approved uses for this product?
A: This product is approved by Health Canada (NPN 80078286) for the following uses: provides a strong antioxidant; protects the liver by boosting glutathione levels; supports detoxification; and promotes respiratory health and helps clear excess mucus. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Q: Are there any contraindications I must know before using this product?
A: Yes. Do not use this product if you are taking antibiotics. NAC can interact with certain antibiotics and reduce their efficacy. Do not use this product 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. These are hard contraindications, not soft cautions. If you are taking either of these medications, do not use this product without first speaking to your healthcare provider.

Q: What is NAC and how is it different from L-Cysteine?
A: 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. 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 as a protective modification that improves stability and absorption; it is removed intracellularly to release the active cysteine.

Q: Why is NAC called a glutathione precursor and why is cysteine rate-limiting?
A: Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. It is synthesized in two enzymatic steps. First, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (glutamate-cysteine ligase) combines glutamate and cysteine to form gamma-glutamylcysteine. Second, glutathione synthetase adds glycine to produce glutathione. Of the three amino acid substrates, 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 by providing a stable, absorbable form of cysteine, directly supporting glutathione synthesis. This is why NAC is called a glutathione precursor: it provides the rate-limiting building block for the body's own glutathione production.

Q: Why is NAC more effective than taking oral glutathione supplements?
A: Oral 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. The body synthesizes glutathione inside cells where it is needed; NAC delivers the rate-limiting substrate directly to where synthesis occurs.

Q: What does glutathione actually do in the body?
A: Glutathione performs multiple critical functions in cellular protection and detoxification. As a direct antioxidant, reduced glutathione (GSH) donates electrons to neutralize reactive oxygen species and free radicals, becoming oxidized to GSSG in the process; GSSG is then reduced back to GSH by glutathione reductase. As a cofactor for glutathione peroxidase (GPx), GSH is used to reduce hydrogen peroxide and lipid hydroperoxides to water and lipid alcohols, preventing oxidative damage to cell membranes. As a cofactor for glutathione S-transferase (GST), GSH is conjugated to electrophilic toxins, drug metabolites, and reactive compounds, making them water-soluble for excretion via bile or urine. GSH also regenerates oxidized vitamin C (dehydroascorbate) back to ascorbate and indirectly supports the regeneration of vitamin E. Finally, GSH protects protein thiol groups from irreversible oxidation through a reversible modification called glutathionylation. The ratio of GSH to GSSG is a key indicator of cellular oxidative stress.

Q: How does NAC support liver health and detoxification?
A: 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 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) conjugate glutathione to these reactive intermediates, forming glutathione conjugates that are 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. This mechanism is so well established that NAC is used in clinical medicine as the standard treatment for acetaminophen overdose, where it replenishes hepatic glutathione depleted by the toxic acetaminophen metabolite NAPQI.

Q: How does NAC help clear excess mucus?
A: NAC promotes respiratory health and helps clear excess mucus through a direct chemical mechanism involving its free thiol (SH) group. Mucus is composed primarily of mucin glycoproteins, large molecules whose protein cores are cross-linked to each other through disulfide bonds (S-S bonds) between cysteine residues. These disulfide cross-links create a gel-like network that gives mucus its viscosity. When mucus becomes excessively thick, the density of these disulfide cross-links increases. NAC's free thiol group 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.

Q: How do I take this product and when should I take it?
A: The suggested use is 1 capsule daily for adults. Take with meals. Taking NAC with food helps minimize the possibility of gastrointestinal discomfort and supports absorption. The 60 capsule bottle provides a 60 day supply at 1 capsule per day. Consult your healthcare provider to determine the appropriate dosage and duration of use for your individual needs.

Q: Are there any safety considerations beyond the contraindications?
A: Yes. 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 individuals with cystinuria (a condition affecting cysteine transport in the kidneys). If you are taking prescription medications, consult a health care practitioner prior to use, as NAC may interact with medications beyond the specific contraindications listed. NAC has a characteristic sulfur odour that is normal and does not indicate product degradation.

Q: Is this product suitable for vegans and vegetarians?
A: Yes. NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine) is a synthetic amino acid derivative produced through chemical synthesis, not derived from animal sources. The capsule shell is made from hypromellose (vegetable cellulose), not gelatin. The only non medicinal ingredients are magnesium stearate and hypromellose, both of which are suitable for vegans. The product is also non GMO and free from gluten, soy, and dairy.