The benefits of N-acetylcysteine

This week in the HSI Forum

In an HSI Forum thread titled “Supplements to Reduce Homocysteine Levels” a member named P.J. listed the usual vitamins that are known to lower homocysteine (folate, B-6, B-12), but wanted more information about a recommendation to take N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and trimethylglycine (TMG), and wondered if taking all of these supplements was “overdoing it.” Hoggman tells P.J. that TMG has been shown to lower homocysteine in those who may be genetically inclined to not respond to the folate, B-6 and B-12 trio.

As far as “overdoing it,” a member named Jeff says, “If you go to Docs, in no time at all, you will have to clean out the kitchen cabinets in order to hold all your pills! And all of them are toxic. You will have no problems taking NAC, TMG and the Homocysteine formula. In fact as was pointed out, you may experience several other benefits.”

Jeff is right. In several e-Alerts I’ve told you about NAC, an invaluable amino acid that, in addition to lowering homocysteine levels, enhances the production of glutathione, one of the body’s most powerful antioxidant enzymes. TMG is another very useful compound that addresses homocysteine while helping the liver process fats (lipids) and protecting the liver against chemical damage.

And of course I agree with Jeff’s assessment of natural supplements over pharmaceuticals. But as I’ve said before, just because a vitamin, an herb or some other type of supplement is natural, that doesn’t mean that it’s guaranteed 100 percent safe for everyone. So it’s always a good idea to keep your doctor informed about what supplements you’re taking, especially if you’re undergoing treatments for a specific health problem.

In addition to 5 threads about SARS, other topics under discussion on the Forum this week include: the health benefits of cooking with coconut oil (an unusually popular topic with 4 threads!), the immune support of olive leaf extract, potassium supplements and best dietary sources of potassium, the merits of cabbage juice (with a warning about drinking too much), and helpful advice about natural allergy remedies. Log on to our web site at www.hsionline.com to add your comments to any of these threads, or to start a thread of your own.