What if I told you there is one single nutrient that can prevent heart attacks and reverse Alzheimers? What if I also told you this nutrient can rid your body — and your brain — of disease-causing toxins? And it can do all of this for pennies a day.
This nutrient is so powerful that it has become one of my favorites for treating disease. The nutrient is NAC (N-acetyl cysteine). And its legend as a disease fighter is growing rapidly.
I love NACs ability to detoxify the body. Actually, it regenerates your glutathione levels. And glutathione is your premier antioxidant and toxin eliminator. But NAC works so well as a detoxifier that I’ve used it for two decades to remove heavy metals in the brain.
We know metals such as mercury and aluminum can contribute to Alzheimers disease. Once in the brain, metals are very difficult to remove. NAC is one nutrient we have found that does a fabulous job of assisting these metals to exit your brain.
But heavy metals are not the only toxins that accumulate in your brain and cause dementia. New evidence published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that high levels of homocysteine in the blood also cause your brain to degenerate.
For years, we have known that homocysteine is a major contributor to heart disease and even causes many heart attacks. But to find out the chemical also poisons other organs gives us greater reason to keep its levels under control.
Few doctors know that NAC is extremely effective at lowering homocysteine levels. It does so by offering its sulfur to the sulfur on homocysteine. The two molecules get hooked together and become one. This new molecule is very easy and safe for the kidney to eliminate.
The effects of NAC on homocysteine and of homocysteine on dementia were demonstrated in a recent Welsh study. In the study, researchers evaluated seven patients with high homocysteine levels and memory loss and/or confusion. They gave each participant NAC (600 mg daily), along with vitamin B12 and folic acid. (The latter two nutrients are standard treatments for high homocysteine.)
The researchers in this study were amazed when all seven participants saw their memory improve. While this is not a large study, the fact that all of the participants saw their memory improve is very impressive. This group was limited to those with high homocysteine.
The researchers believe homocysteine induces oxidative stress to neurons. Because NAC is a powerful antioxidant, it makes sense that it would reduce homocysteines toxic effects on the brain. And it also explains how the nutrient works to reduce oxidative stress to the heart, preventing heart attacks.
NAC can be valuable to almost everyone. Its completely safe and relatively inexpensive. You can find it in 500 mg capsules at most health food stores. Take one or two per day.
Ref: Nutrition Journal online; Atherosclerosis, 1996 January 5;119(1):99-106; New England Journal of Medicine, February 9, 2006.