N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) is a powerful free radical scavenger. Orally-ingested N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) rapidly undergoes deacetylation to form L-cysteine. L-cysteine is necessary for glutathione production.
The role of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) in glutathione production has powerful implications for improving immune function, increasing the body's free radical trapping capacity, and for the therapeutic use of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) in diseases such as AIDS and cancer.
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) also has been used with good results in treating respiratory illness and disease. N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) has well-known mucolytic properties and has been shown to increase mucociliary transport in smokers.