Does NAC Support Healthy Cognition
N acetyl cysteine or NAC is an increasingly popular nutritional supplement that may have influences on our cognition. Maintaining the optimal health of our brain is very important especially later on in life.
The number of people who are suffering from degenerative diseases of the brain is considered to be increasing globally. This figure is only expected to rise further in coming years too with an aging global population.
NAC or N acetyl cysteine is known to be an antioxidant supporting compound. NAC may support increases in glutathione production. This has been linked to reductions in inflammatory health outcomes and may be an important reason why NAC supplements could support healthy cognition. Glutathione is one of the most important antioxidants within the body.
The ways in which NAC could support healthy cognition will be considered here to show why this compound may be a supplement to add to your health routine.
NAC
NAC is not as well known as a healthy lifestyle supplement as vitamins or minerals are. However NAC is gaining in both popularity and researched benefits in terms of possible influences on our health. NAC supplements have also proved themselves to have a really positive safety profile in clinical studies.
NAC is interchangeable with the name N acetyl cysteine. These mean the same thing. NAC helps to provide our bodies with a source of this amino acid. Cysteine is an amino acid which the body requires to function correctly.
The body requires cysteine because of a particular sulphur group which forms an important part of some of the most important proteins within the body. This amino acid is rate limiting in the production of these proteins. NAC is thought to be able to effectively cross our blood brain barrier which is why this compound is of interest as a cognition supportive nutrient.
NAC And Cognitive Health
Research indicates that NAC could support certain neurological disorders through reducing the occurrence of linked processes that are influential on the progression of these disorders. Clinical studies show that NAC could possibly support depression and anxiety sufferers.
One of the main biological actions of NAC within the body is thought to be support of healthy antioxidant levels. Various studies indicate that NAC supplements could boost our antioxidant status. Particularly within the brain. The cysteine with NAC is used to produce glutathione in the body. This is one of our more powerful antioxidants.
Studies show that neuroinflammation and oxidative stress within the brain may have a large impact on cognitive health or cognition. Oxidative stress is the opposite of antioxidant action. Oxidative stress can become dangerous to handle within the body and may result in tissue damage. Such oxidative stress is a cause of cell dysfunction and blood brain barrier destruction. This is then thought to be a cause of some brain conditions and disorders. NAC very likely helps to reduce oxidative stresses within brain tissues through the powerful antioxidant glutathione.
Preclinical studies have indicated that NAC supplementation could prevent build ups of neuroinflammation so may then be supportive of improved cognition. Research indicates that maintaining a high antioxidant capacity could be effective in promoting healthy cognition. This is again suggestive that supporting the amounts of the powerful antioxidant glutathione could possibly be of benefit to our cognitive health.
The consensus of current research with NAC supports this and is showing that NAC supplementation as a treatment may possibly result in healthier cognition. NAC supplementation is thought to have pre clinical efficacy in being able to support our cognitive health. Some effects may include peak motor and coordinated running abilities.
NAC And Mitochondrial Dysfunction
One important influencing factor on some neurological conditions is mitochondrial inflammation. Our brains use an incredible amount of energy every day. Streamlining and safeguarding this process through mitochondrial support is an important means through which our bodies support healthy brain functioning.
The preclinical evidence supports the suggestion that NAC may reduce mitochondrial dysfunction within brain tissues. This is again through improvements in antioxidant status and reductions in localised inflammation which trigger mitochondrial dysfunction.
Glutathione is a very powerful antioxidant which may cleanse the mitochondrial of various oxidative molecules which trigger inflammation. Mitochondrial inflammation is linked with more severe psychomotor impairments that may limit healthy cognition.
NAC And Cognitive Aging
Excessive mitochondrial inflammation is also thought to be a cause of accelerated aging within tissues of the brain. Preclinical NAC supplementation was shown to possibly be able to support improvements in healthy brain aging.
Oxidative stresses and inflammation play important roles in the development or manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease. NAC has been shown to protect synaptic mitochondrial proteins from oxidative damage. This action could be preventative of age related memory losses and may also help to maintain neural structure.
NAC seems to have cellular level effects on inflammation signalling. This could suppress the release of inflammatory cytokines which are produced during neuroinflammation and support improved outcomes from neurodegenerative diseases. This includes Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinsons where neuroinflammation plays an important role.
Supplementation with NAC could then possibly support healthy cognition in sufferers of Alzheimer’s and alleviate cognitive decline.
NAC And Neurogenesis
Neurogenesis is the process by which new nerve cells are produced. There is evidence that suggests NAC could promote neurogenesis through support of glutathione production.
Supplementation with NAC could also be supportive of new nerve cell survival as a precursor to glutathione. One known action of glutathione within the body is heavy metal detoxification and this is an important process which may protect the development of new neurones.
Aluminium is a known neurotoxin and may result in increases in oxidative stress levels if accumulated within the body. Studies have also found that Aluminium is involved in the progression of cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. A preclinical study found that NAC may be able to support the brain against aluminium caused cognitive dysfunctions. This action is supportive of the development of new and maintenance of neural pathways. Other similar preclinical studies show that NAC may support the brain in the protection from cognitive dysfunction caused by bisphenol A. This is another toxin which is able to accumulate within our food chain and cause elevated oxidative stress in our bodies.
NAC is also considered to be a supportive factor in influencing longer term neuroadaptation. This is also called neuroplasticity. NAC may then also help our brains to evolve with our environmental conditions.
Overall the evidence is building that NAC supplements could support improved cognition while NAC has been shown to effectively cross our blood brain barrier. Specifically NAC may build glutathione levels up while cleansing oxidative stresses in brain tissues. As a result NAC could protect brain tissues and their functioning.
Summary
N acetyl cysteine or NAC is an increasingly popular nutritional supplement which is being recognised as a brain supportive nutraceutical.
Research in support of health benefits of NAC is growing. NAC also has been shown to have a positive safety profile. NAC provides our bodies with a source of the amino acid cysteine. This amino acid is needed by our bodies to produce various important and health supportive proteins. NAC is able to effectively cross the blood barrier. This is one reason why this amino acid has become so popular in cognitive research.
Studies so far support the use of NAC as possibly being able to help sufferers of depression and anxiety. Supplementation with NAC may support our overall antioxidant capacity through helping to maintain health levels of glutathione.
NAC is thought to be able to help with supporting our overall cognitive health as a limiting factor in the production of glutathione. This powerful antioxidant cleanses build ups in oxidative stress and inflammation. Research shows that both neuroinflammation and oxidative stress build ups are possible causes of degenerations of our cognitive health.
Oxidative stress can cause tissue damage or blood brain barrier destruction. This is thought to be a cause of various brain conditions and disorders. Our brain mitochondria are important in sustaining healthy energy levels to support important cognitive functions.
Healthy glutathione production from NAC supplementation may reduce mitochondrial inflammation which may then support cognition. Glutathione is also considered to be important in protecting nerve cell lifespan and also neurogenesis. NAC may also help our brain pathways to adapt to our changing environment.
Overall the evidence shows NAC supplements could support healthy cognition through protecting brain tissues and their functioning.
You can find more interesting articles below.
