Glycine + N-Acetyl Cysteine Supplementation Increases Lifespan
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Is there a treshold effect when using NAC on compromised levels of glutathione and for inhibition of mTOR?
Since some persons (like Dr brad Stanfield) promote the view that the amount of NAC-Glycine our body need, to correct age-related falls of glutathione levels in tissues, are somewhat linear to our age. And that at an early age we should supplement with smaller amount of NAC-Glycine and then supplement with increasingly more the older we are. This thinking leads us to the strategy of starting with 1 gram of each of NAC and Glycine. Starting say at the age of 50 when glutathione levels start to fall and then we should take increasing larger doses of each molecule the older we are.
I find this study interesting:
study subjects had an average age of 44 years and low glutathione levels. In this study they find no effect on disease activity of 1,2 gram/day of NAC but they saw an effect using 2,4 gr and 4,8 gr. The This raises the question if there is a threshold in that must be reached to achieve restoration of glutathione levels when using NAC supplementation. An existing threshold independent of age?
But then there is the thought that persons with SLE might suffer from disease processes that consume more glutathione than the average 50 year old healthy person.
Handling SLE is of course a different context than trying to attenuate processes related to aging. But the study raises the question if the efficacy of NAC requires that we administer NAC at minimum dose above a certain threshold. The efficacy curve might more resemble the shape of the normal distribution than a more linear kind of curve.
Principles behind SLE treatment with N-acetylcysteine - PMC (nih.gov)
Since the safety profile is very good I see no reason in taking less than 2.5 gram daily of NAC. But I would really like to hear other opinions on the subject of threshold to overcome.
The papers also bring forward that glutathione deficiency in itself is causing an activation of mTOR! At least in some cells.
Of course the mere thought that NAC have an effect on mTOR (at least in some cells in humnas) is also brings forward questions. Can the inhibitory effect of NAC on mTOR explain some of the life extending effects of NAC and Glycine in mice and explain some of the rejuvenation seen in humans?
Blocking mTOR activation with NAC is an idea that has been is pursued as a treatment option in rheumatic diseases (See Table 1 in the paper below). But how strong is the actual effect on MTOR by NAC? I don’t know. Does anybody know about research of how much NAC inhibit mTOR in healthy subjects?
Activation of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) in rheumatic diseases - PMC (nih.gov)
So from now on I take at lest 2,5 gr daily of NAC and Glycine.
