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Best NAC Brands

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Acetaminophen overdosing is one of the most severe cases of poisoning to occur inside the human body. The toxicity can lead to rapid liver and kidney failure if not treated timely.

However, with N-acetyl-cysteine, you have got everything under control.

NAC is known for replenishing the body’s well-known antioxidant, Glutathione, to normal levels. That said, NAC is an approved drug by WHO and FDA for medicinal purposes.

However, research suggests a potential emerging role of NAC as a dietary supplement due to its numerous benefits and few risks associated with it.

Read the entire review to learn more about NAC, its benefits, and dosage, and also gain insight into the best NAC brands to get your supplement from.

Who is the Best NAC Company? After a thorough analysis of multiple brands and vendors selling NAC, I believe Thorne is definitely the one to go for. The brand provides one of the most authentic NAC supplements, with reasonable pricing and customer reviews.

Besides this, the brand also works on creating personalized supplements for customers via assessments and quizzes.

How We Chose the Best NAC Vendor? Our selection process is pretty simple yet comprehensive.

We researched and evaluated multiple companies/stores that provide the most optimum NAC supplements that are safe to be used by our readers. Once the list was ready, we cross-checked it and shortlisted a few of them.

In the next step, we look for customer reviews of the shortlisted companies. Customer reviews provide the most honest insight into the brand and its products.

At times, we even personally order the product online and try it out. That being said, we learn about the delivery and shipping methods alongside the mode of payment.

Read the review below of some of the top brands and trust our process!

NAC Capsules by ThorneThorne is more like a personalized brand, with multiple assessments and quizzes to aid customers towards the right product for them. This is especially suitable for users who are confused when it comes to supplements.

However, one of the best Thorne-based supplements one can keep their eyes on is NAC. The product has more reviews and ratings to prove its legitimacy. With 90 capsules of 500 mg, it only costs around $26. This can even further be reduced with 20% off on a subscription.

The brand specializes in products with natural flavors and colors and is gluten and dairy free.

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  • Completely transparent in their manufacturing process
  • Subscription option available
  • Personalized product
  • Limited products available in some countries
NAC Powder by Bulk SupplementsBulk supplements, a Nevada-based nutritional company, is known for selling more than 400 different products at low and affordable prices.

Bulk Supplements is the go-to store at a low price of $43.96, with varying ranges for NAC. The product aids in healthy brain function, skin health, and lung support and is also a potential source of amino acid cysteine.

Like every other company, Bulk supplements also prioritize customer satisfaction and thus have great customer service. This can be seen through their shipping and packaging services.

You can order an overnight shipment for next-day delivery through ‘express shipping’ in an urgent delivery. Their shipping charges are $6.95 per order, but there is free domestic shipping with orders greater than $49.

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  • Very cheap and affordable products
  • A wide range of products is available
  • FDA-approved facility
  • Certain products failed third-party testing
NAC Supplements by Life ExtensionLife Extension is one of the most popular brands on social media. It is known for being an organic brand that provides its customers with supplements based on scientific research. It is somewhat similar to Thorne in personalization. However, it doesn’t provide you with quizzes. Instead, you can find specialists and trainers to guide you.

NAC is one of the best products offered by Life Extension. 60 capsules of 600 mg range can cost up to $11.25; however, with discounts, the price can be cut off to $6.75 for a 20 to a 60-day supply.

The product is NON-GMO and gluten-free as well. These easy-to-absorb NAC supplements can be taken up from 2 to 3 times daily.

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  • Gluten-free and NON-GMO, and vegan
  • 12-month return policy
  • GMP-approved
  • It May be expensive for some products
NAC by Double Wood Supplements Double Wood Supplements is a US-based company working since 2014. The company is GMP certified, FDA approved, and has a third-party testing facility available.

Double wood is affordable, with 210 capsules (500 mg) costing around $29.95 for the NAC supplement. The product helps improve liver function and raises glutathione levels and lung health. It is manufactured in the United States itself. Therefore the raw materials are definitely of the greatest quality.

As far as its shipping and ordering methods are concerned, all you have to do is make a profile on their website. After this, you need to decide what products you would like and if you would like to purchase once-off or on a repeat basis.

They also offer subscription and save deals to get a decent discount if you’ve subscribed to the deal.

If you aren’t satisfied with your purchase from Doublewood, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. This is valid for 30 days after the product is delivered.

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  • It provides third-party tested products; thus, authenticity is guaranteed
  • It provides GMO-free products
  • All products might not be suitable for vegans
  • Look out for soy allergies
What is NAC? N-acetylcysteine, aka NAC, is a synthetic version of the amino acid cysteine (1). Cysteine, a semi-essential amino acid, means your body produces some of it, whereas you might also need it from outside sources.

According to research, NAC supplements are potential compounds for synthesizing antioxidants inside your body (2). Research indicates the role of NAC as a building block of glutathione, an antioxidant.

NAC has been used to treat medical conditions such as acetaminophen overdose and as a dietary supplement for decades (3). With FDA approval in certain cases, it is making its way through the market due to its numerous other benefits associated with human health.

How Does NAC work? Cells undergoing oxidative stress due to increased free radical/reactive oxygen species can lower levels of the body’s antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), or its precursor cysteine. Due to their reduced levels, cells are more vulnerable to damage from oxidation (4).

However, with NAC, you’ve got nothing to worry about. This is because N-acetyl-cysteine is considered a pro-drug of cysteine. After consuming NAC orally, it is sent to the liver via a portal route after going through the gastrointestinal tract.

NAC is converted to cysteine almost entirely inside the liver for its subsequent transition into GSH.

GSH is distributed to the body cells as soon as it gets released into the bloodstream. It is worth noting that free NAC levels inside plasma are very low due to its extensive first-pass metabolism in the liver.

Benefits of NAC NAC is medically used to treat acetaminophen overdose. Within 8 hours of overdose, NAC is seen to be 100% effective in saving lives. Thus, medically NAC is extremely relevant.

Besides this, NAC is seen to ameliorate symptoms of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

It is due to NAC’s ability to regulate and boost neurotransmitters in the nervous system (5).

One of the potential uses of NAC can be seen in cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchitis (6). In these conditions, NAC via inhalation aids in reducing excess mucus and helps breath. These chronic lung conditions ruin the quality of life of thousands of people around the globe.

Women with PCOS often suffer from insulin sensitivity and increased blood glucose. However, with NAC, you can control the latter condition (7). Nonetheless, the exact mechanism behind this is still unclear.

Importantly, NAC plays a wide role in phase II of the detoxification process occurring in the liver. The antioxidant attribute of NAC, via increased glutathione levels, can aid liver function and detoxification.

This is just not it! NAC may also be used to fight disorders like gambling addiction, excessive nicotine dependence, skin biting, and alcohol use disorder.

Is NAC Legal? This one is a complicated question to clear out. NAC supplements are FDA approved to be used as an intravenous treatment in conditions such as acetaminophen overdose or breaking up excess mucus via inhaled treatment.

Other than that, the FDA has not yet decided on NAC to be used as a dietary supplement. Due to this, many companies have stopped selling NAC altogether, while others market it as an OTC supplement.

Who Should Use NAC? NAC supplement can be used by almost anyone looking to help detoxify, improve liver function, fight psychiatric disorders, or minimize increased blood glucose levels. It is also used in hospitals to treat patients with acetaminophen overdose and chronic lung disease.

However, due to its potential side effects leading to skin rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, eye irritation, and fatigue, one should avoid supplementing it if they are susceptible. It may be a contraindication in people with skin allergies or sensitive bowels.

How to Use NAC? NAC supplements require an optimum temperature in a cool, dry room. It is important to note that NAC may contain an odor similar to that of sulfur, which is completely normal.

As for the appropriate dosage of NAC, remember it is not FDA approved; however, most NAC supplements can be sold in 500 mg to 1200 mg. Splitting your supplement into 1 to 4 doses per day is recommended for safety concerns.

Nonetheless, this is just a suggested dose by the companies offering NAC supplements. NAC doesn’t have any universal guidelines to be followed; thus, get in touch with your primary doctor for further consultation.

Forms of NAC As far as NAC formulations are concerned, it’s good news!

NAC supplements can be bought over the counter in multiple forms, such as capsules, soft gels, tablets, powders, and even effervescent tablets.

Is NAC Legit? NAC is definitely an authentic supplement with very few side effects. The drug is so effective that it is used as standard care in case of acetaminophen poisoning.

Although the drug is approved for medicinal purposes, there’s still no verdict by FDA on the dietary attributes of the drug. Thus, there’s no ideal dose to abide by. It is recommended to get in touch with your primary doctor for further consultation.

What is an NAC supplement good for? NAC is known to raise glutathione levels inside your body. It helps in antioxidation, brain health, detoxification, and acetaminophen overdose.

Can you take NAC daily? It is recommended to split your 20 mg to 1200 mg daily dose into 1 or 2 takes as suggested by the manufacturers.

Is NAC supplement banned? The FDA does not approve NAC except for medical uses such as acetaminophen overdose and chronic lung disease. It is prohibited to sell it as a dietary supplement

Does NAC help with anxiety? NAC supplementation reverses anxiety-like disorders and oxidative damage associated with stressed animals. However, human studies are required to say anything for sure.

When should I take NAC? NAC, an amino acid, should be taken 30 minutes before or two hours after consuming a meal. This is done so to avoid competing with protein absorption.

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