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N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

Amino Acidoral · inferred

Precursor to glutathione, the body's master antioxidant. Supports liver health, respiratory function, and detoxification.

Projected serum levels — 600 mg, once daily

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) modeled serum levels, 600 mg once daily over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 1 days. 0 25 50 75 100 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 1

Maintenance schedule: 600 mg once daily (oral).

Modeled steady state after ~1 days: peak ≈ 57.5 mg, trough ≈ 4.7 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 600 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Amino Acid
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
6.3 h
Common dose
600 mg
Suggested maximum
2.4k mg/day
Reference dose range
300–2.4k mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
once daily
Validated against
600 mg oral — Cmax 4 mg/L at 1 h

Documented interactions

  • caution
    Sulforaphane (Broccoli Seed Extract) + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Potentiation

    NAC is a potent antioxidant that may blunt the hormetic (mild oxidative stress) signal that sulforaphane uses to activate Nrf2 antioxidant pathways. This could reduce sulforaphane effectiveness.

  • caution
    Zinc (Picolinate) + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Depletion

    NAC chelates zinc and copper, potentially reducing their bioavailability over time.

  • watch
    Glutathione (Injectable) + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Stacked effects

    Glutathione (Injectable) and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) both push the endogenous glutathione pool in the same direction.

  • watch
    Milk Thistle (Silymarin / Silybin) + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Stacked effects

    Milk Thistle (Silymarin / Silybin) and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) both push the endogenous glutathione pool in the same direction.

  • watch
    MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Stacked effects

    MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) both push the endogenous sulfur pool in the same direction.

  • watch
    PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Stacked effects

    N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) both push the endogenous glutathione pool in the same direction.

Serum checks 7 modeled interaction pairings for n-acetyl cysteine (nac) across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.

Research behind this entry

  1. Acetylcysteine for prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy after intravascular angiography: a systematic review and meta-analysis Kelly AM et al. · BMC Medicine, 2008 DOI

    Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs found NAC reduced the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy by approximately 40% when given before contrast procedures.

  2. N-acetylcysteine in psychiatry: current therapeutic evidence and potential mechanisms of action Berk M et al. · Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 2011 DOI

    Review of NAC in psychiatric conditions found evidence supporting its use as adjunctive therapy for depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder through glutathione and glutamate modulation.

  3. Acetylcysteine for acetaminophen poisoning Smilkstein MJ et al. · New England Journal of Medicine, 1988 DOI

    Landmark study establishing NAC as the standard treatment for acetaminophen overdose, preventing liver failure when administered within 8-10 hours of ingestion.

  4. Efficacy of oral N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of acetaminophen overdose. Analysis of the national multicenter study (1976 to 1985). Smilkstein MJ, Knapp GL, Kulig KW, Rumack BH · The New England journal of medicine, 1988 DOI

    This citation reports a human clinical study involving N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). It does not by itself establish a qualified dose, safety profile, efficacy claim, or pharmacokinetic route for this record.

4 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.