NAC for Facial Hair (Hirsutism) "normalizes insulin levels"
I just recently ran into this post. Could simply detoxifying the liver change everything? Get rid of facial hair etc? I'm seriously looking into this!!! And to believe she is using the Now brand!!! That is my favorite brand for Stevia........ WHOA! I'm so excited... of course I have a million natural things on my plate at the moment.... so much researching and info is making my head dizzy........
Just wanted to share something that really helped my facial hair problem. I have suffered with this problem for around 15 years -I've tried anti-androgen BCP's, laser treatment, etc, all with no lasting results. I stumbled on NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine) and took just one 600mg capsule a day and within a couple of days had astounding results - went from plucking dozens every day to one or two every other day. Where the hair grew on my chin, the skin was kind of thickened but after taking NAC, it softened back to normal. I was so excited I was crying. The brand I used was NOW Foods.
If you have unwanted facial hair, I would recommend trying it. NAC is a liver detoxifier and is considered extremely safe, it also has a very short half life in the body too. I don't have PCOS (as I don't have cysts on my ovaries) but have all the other symptoms of PCOS. People with PCOS and insulin related disorders have all done well with this cheap supplement because it normalizes insulin levels (but if insulin levels are normal, it does not lower them).
I intitally had some adverse reactions (about 20% of people will), like nausea and headache but they only lasted a 4-5 days. I plugged on as I saw that my hair problem was dramatically improving.
I had other health benefits too - all within two weeks of taking it:
Nail biting since 5 yrs of age stopped and had full set of beautiful nails.
Dry cracked heels - healed up and I was no longer embarrassed to wear sandals.
Nervousness around people I didn't know very well, dramatically abated.
Hair that had started to fall out after taking antibiotics, started to grow back again.
Menstrual cycle had been progressively shortening over last 9 months - same month I took NAC, cycle was back to a normal 28 days - even natural progesterone cream was not able to achieve this.
I was dispairing of this worsening condition before I found the NAC - I'm posting this so that maybe someone else will find relief too. If anyone tries it, please post how you go.
I agree n-Acytl cystein is a miracle! It is an amino acid used in the emergency room to detox the liver from Tylenol and mushroom poisoning. It also helps detoxify alcohol, especially protecting the body from damage if you take it as you start drinking. Finally, it detoxifies heavy metals. A miracle worker! The way NAC works is to supply a readily available precursor to glutathione, the master anti-oxidant. We can't absorb glutathione supplements because it is a large molecule, so by taking NAC, we give the body the elements it needs to make more glutathione. There are some cautions about NAC, however. It is metabolized by the body in a couple hours, so I take the time release formula, to get longer lasting protection. It needs to be balanced by 3x the quantity of other antioxidants. I take 600 mg time release NAC, with 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid, 600 mg of vitamin C and 600 mg of Vitamin E. Best would be 3x per day, but I only do it morning and evening. The other notable side-effect is that the waste products that are detoxed by NAC are eliminated through the kidneys and have a distinctive odor -- like you ate asparagus! Don't worry -- it means it is working. Drink lots of liquids to protect your kidneys from this powerful detoxification agent. For more info, check out: http://www.healingdaily.com/oral-chelation/N-acetyl-cysteine%20(NAC)-for-detoxification-what-it-is.htm
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Married 7-25-02
PCOS Diagnosed Nov 02'
Bi Polar Diagnosed Feb 08'
Current meds~ Lithium&Celexa
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I've taken it for years, didn't do a thing for me.....
Hi jun keater!
Interesting, what brand and how much? Why were you taking it? Why for years if it didn't do anything? Sorry for all the questions... eek! Just interested.
I plan to order it today and see if it helps.
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Poor lady who wrote that doesn't know she's got PCOS. "I don't have PCOS (as I don't have cysts on my ovaries) but have all the other symptoms of PCOS. "
This is pretty interesting!
__________________ Marie, senior at St. Mary's College of Maryland in sociology
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Mini goal: 155 lbs, back to a healthy BMI by 2006!
Poor lady who wrote that doesn't know she's got PCOS. "I don't have PCOS (as I don't have cysts on my ovaries) but have all the other symptoms of PCOS. "
This is pretty interesting!
Oh, I know! I was surprised she wrote that.... I really wish the medical community would rename PCOS to something else. I mean, so if someone doesn't necessarily have the actual cysts on their ovaries they won't think they don't have the syndrome.
hmm, did what I write make sense? sigh.... I hate the name so much some times.
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N-acetyl-cysteine treatment improves insulin sensitivity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) on insulin secretion and peripheral insulin resistance in subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective data analysis. SETTING: Volunteer women in an academic research environment. PATIENT(S): Six lean and 31 obese subjects, aged 19-33 years. INTERVENTION(S): Patients were treated for 5-6 weeks with NAC at a dose of 1.8 g/day orally. A dose of 3 g/day was arbitrarily chosen for massively obese subjects. Six of 31 obese patients with PCOS were treated with placebo and served as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Before and after the treatment period, the hormonal and lipid blood profile and insulin sensitivity, assessed by an hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, were evaluated and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. RESULT(S): Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and glucose area under curve (AUC) were unchanged after treatment. Insulin AUC after OGTT was significantly reduced, and the peripheral insulin sensitivity increased after NAC administration, whereas the hepatic insulin extraction was unaffected. The NAC treatment induced a significant fall in T levels and in free androgen index values (P<.05). In analyzing patients according to their insulinemic response to OGTT, normoinsulinemic subjects and placebo-treated patients did not show any modification of the above parameters, whereas a significant improvement was observed in hyperinsulinemic subjects. CONCLUSION(S): NAC may be a new treatment for the improvement of insulin circulating levels and insulin sensitivity in hyperinsulinemic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fulghesu AM, Ciampelli M, Muzj G, Belosi C, Selvaggi L, Ayala GF, Lanzone A. Fertil Steril 2002 Jun;77(6):1128-35.
Healthnotes Newswire (December 12, 2002)�Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and associated elevations of insulin levels may benefit from taking supplemental N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), according to a study in Fertility and Sterility (2002;77:1128�35).
PCOS is a common condition that affects up to 10% of all women of reproductive age. It is characterized by enlargement of the ovaries, irregular menstrual cycle, failure to ovulate, obesity, high levels of insulin in the blood and insulin resistance, excessive hair growth (due to increased testosterone), and infertility. More than 50% of all women with PCOS have high insulin levels, which may be a risk factor for diabetes, high blood pressure, blood clots, and heart disease.
There is no cure for PCOS, but doctors often recommend birth control pills, which help decrease the levels of testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, thereby reducing hair growth and shrinking the cysts in the ovaries. However, birth control pills have not been shown to improve insulin resistance. N-acetyl cysteine may be useful in picking up where birth control pills leave off, by increasing insulin sensitivity. While it is possible that birth control pills and NAC could work in conjunction with one another, the interaction between the two treatments is unknown.
In this preliminary study, 31 women with PCOS were given 1.8 to 3 grams per day of NAC for five to six weeks. Blood measurements for glucose and insulin were taken before and after a glucose tolerance test, both at the start of the study and at the end of the treatment period. No dietary modifications were made during the study.
Initial measurements showed that 14 of the 31 women had normal insulin levels, while the remaining 17 had abnormally high levels of insulin. Women with high initial insulin levels who took NAC had a significant reduction in insulin levels following the glucose tolerance test and also showed improved insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, those with initially normal insulin levels had no improvement in any measurement. This suggests the benefit of NAC in women with PCOS may be restricted to only those women who already have high insulin levels to begin with.
NAC is an amino acid that has commonly been used as a treatment to break up mucus in the lungs. It is also a precursor to glutathione, a powerful antioxidant in the body, which has been shown in other studies to improve insulin sensitivity. Although glutathione levels were not measured in this study, the improvement in insulin resistance seen in the group taking NAC may have been due to increased amounts of glutathione; however, future studies will need to clarify this issue.
Some physicians recommend taking NAC on an empty stomach, so it does not compete with other amino acids in food for absorption. People taking single amino acids should also make sure they eat adequate amounts of protein, to prevent upsetting the balance of amino acids in the body. In addition, some doctors recommend that long-term supplementation of NAC (more than a few weeks) be accompanied by 15 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper per day, because preliminary evidence suggests that NAC might deplete these minerals.
Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP), received his bachelor�s degree from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Ingels is the author of The Natural Pharmacist: Lowering Cholesterol (Prima, 1999) and Natural Treatments for High Cholesterol (Prima, 2000). He currently is in private practice at New England Family Health Associates located in Southport, CT, where he specializes in environmental medicine and allergies. Dr. Ingels is a regular contributor to Healthnotes and Healthnotes Newswire.
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Interesting, what brand and how much? Why were you taking it? Why for years if it didn't do anything? Sorry for all the questions... eek! Just interested.
I plan to order it today and see if it helps.
I took 600 mg - different brands. I take it for cholesterol levels. I never noticed a difference in anything including all the PCOS symptoms, I'm not even sure it did anything for my cholesterol either.
I took 600 mg - different brands. I take it for cholesterol levels. I never noticed a difference in anything including all the PCOS symptoms, I'm not even sure it did anything for my cholesterol either.
I wonder if you had/have normal insulin levels?
"Women with high initial insulin levels who took NAC had a significant reduction in insulin levels following the glucose tolerance test and also showed improved insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, those with initially normal insulin levels had no improvement in any measurement."
Or needed more? In any case thanks for replying!! I appreciate it.
I think I might start with the 600mg to begin with (maybe the first week or two). I noticed the PCOS women in the study took 1.8 g and over...so that would be 600 mg three times a day...I plan to read up on any and all info out there... Also taking into consideration how the "long-term supplementation of NAC (more than a few weeks) be accompanied by 15 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper per day..." Then again I probably already get this in my multi-vitamin...
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Please please please let us know how you get on with it!
I hope to! I just got the bottle (Now Brand) in the mail less than 15 minutes ago. It has 250 caps at 600mg each. I swear allstarhealth.com always amazes me. They are freaking quick!!! I think I ordered it two days ago...
Anyway, I found yet another study! This time concerned with women who were trying to conceive (TTC) and using clomiphene citrate (Clomid). They took a different dosage! 1.3 g....
I'm so glad they wrote this:
"The researchers concluded that NAC is safe and well tolerated."
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N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) May Offer Adjunct Support to Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Breaking News 4/19/05
VRP Staff
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant with insulin-sensitizing properties, may boost the effectiveness of other pharmaceutical treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a new placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial.
Researchers studied 150 women who suffered from PCOS that was resistant to clomiphene citrate, one of the drugs used to treat this condition. The subjects, ages 18-39 years, were all undergoing therapy for infertility.
The researchers randomly assigned the patients to receive either 1.2 grams of NAC per day or a placebo. Each of the two groups also consumed 100 mg per day of clomiphene citrate for 5 days starting at day 3 of the cycle.
The combination of clomiphene citrate and NAC significantly increased both ovulation rate and the pregnancy rate in women with clomiphene citrate-resistant PCOS. The NAC-treated subjects experienced a 49.3% increase in ovulation compared to only a 1.3% increase in placebo-treated subjects. The NAC treated subjects also experienced a 21.3% pregnancy rate whereas none of the placebo-treated subjects were able to conceive. Two of the NAC-treated patients who were able to conceive, however, did eventually miscarry.
Although agents that stimulate the ovaries sometimes cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a serious condition that causes pain and potentially life-threatening consequences, no cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome were reported in the NAC group.
The researchers concluded that NAC is safe and well tolerated.
Reference:
Rizk AY, Bedaiwy MA, Al-Inany HG. N-acetyl-cysteine is a novel adjuvant to clomiphene citrate in clomiphene citrate-resistant patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertil Steril. 2005 Feb;83(2):367-70.
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I am buying my first bottle today at Whole Foods! I am not only buying it for its benefits for the PCOS symptoms, but for the detoxifying properties as well. I can't wait and hopefully I will experience similar results!
NAC for Facial Hair (Hirsutism) "normalizes insulin levels" 
