Synergistic composition of N-Acetyl L-Cysteine and Prunella spica to efficiently support detoxification and anti-oxidation on a cellular level.*
$28.00
A formula supporting synergistic biotransformation, detoxification and anti-oxidation in the body on a cellular level.*
Our Glutathione Booster™ formula consists of:
Like our other nutraceuticals, our Glutathione Booster™ formula is free from allergens such as gluten, soy, fish, lactose, milk, meat and wheat.
We recommend 1 capsule per day or as advised by your healthcare professional. It can be consumed with meals.
N-Acetyl L-Cysteine
Shortened NAC, it is the most important amino acid necessary for the formation of glutathione, the body’s strongest antioxidant.
Oral glutathione, when taken as a supplement, usually has poor bioavailability. Taking NAC instead can bypass the problem – it was shown to increase Glutathione (and other antioxidants’) levels better than glutathione supplements when taken orally in a study of 20 people [6].
The level of cysteine is the bottleneck in the production of glutathione, so its availability determines how much and how fast glutathione is made. NAC is therefore essential in replenishing levels of this antioxidant. On a molecular level, cysteine contains sulfur, which is essential for the binding and removal of toxins. Cysteine is also the most vital part of glutathione (which is usually built from amino acids glycine and glutamate as well).
Glutathione plays a key role in our organisms as it helps maintaining the proper function of human cells and prevents oxidative stress within them. It is therefore known as the “master antioxidant” [1,8].
The highest amount of glutathione is found in the liver, which explains why NAC has a very strong effect on protecting the liver from inflammation, drug poisoning, and serious liver diseases by reducing inflammation and increasing liver’s antioxidant reserves [8].
According to a large review, NAC reduced liver damage in 85% of all cases and could also protect the liver from factors such as excessive alcohol, environmental pollutants and mercury toxicity [8]. It also reduced lead levels and increased antioxidant enzymes in red and white blood cells in 171 workers exposed to lead after 3 months [7].
In a clinical study on rats, the combination of NAC and zinc also showed a protective effect from mercury toxicity, preventing the accumulation of mercury in the liver and blood [7].
Studies also suggest that NAC could help with pesticide poisoning by enhancing detoxification. Given to 30 patients suffering from pesticide poisoning, NAC increased glutathione and reduced the need for additional treatments [8]. NAC was also observed to protect airways from toxic effects from diesel fumes [9].
NAC has also been observed to fight viral and chlamydial infections. In the virally infected cells, NAC reduced replication of the flu virus (making it easier for the immune system to fight off) [10].
In conclusion: By providing NAC as a dietary supplement, the cell has a vital building block to produce its own glutathione and help its own detoxification. The other necessary amino acids, glycine & glutamine, are more abundant in normal diets and usually don’t require extra supplementation. As mentioned above, cysteine is harder to get from a regular diet.
Prunella spica
Prunella spica (also known as Prunella vulgaris) figures in Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as in Western herbal medicine. In the West, the plant has been primarily used as a remedy to alleviate throat pain, to treat fevers and to accelerate wound healing. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed a wide array of biological effects, such as potent antioxidant activity and the ability to up regulate phase II detoxifying enzymes. Clinical studies demonstrated Prunella’s ability to increase levels of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione s-transferase (the enzyme catalysing conjugation of the reduced form of glutathione to xenobiotic substrates) for the purpose of detoxification [3].
Prunella also exhibits strong effects on blood vessels’ endothelium: through its action on up regulation eNOS levels (by increasing eNOS promoter activity, eNOSmRNA and protein expression) and nitric oxide production in human endothelial cells, Prunella can improve microcirculation. This facilitates the delivery of nutrients – including NAC – to peripheral detoxification organs (the liver, the kidneys & the lungs) [5].
A study on rats with induced hepatic fibrosis also indicated a hepatoprotective effect of an aqueous extract from Prunella vulgaris when the liver was subjected to toxicants such as carbon tetrachloride. Physiologically, it reduced the elevated serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, type III precollagen and hyaluronic acid. The extract reduced the incidence of liver lesions and the formation of fibrous septa while remarkably decreasing the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines. It also appeared to decrease the process of fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells [2].
In addition to above, Prunella can also have anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects, immunomodulatory, anti-allergy and anti-cancer potential It has also been commonly used as a component in combination therapy for hypertension.
In conclusion: Prunella has been shown to increase levels of Glutathione [3] and can support the delivery of nutrients such as NAC into detoxification organs by improving microcirculation [5].
[1] Mokhtari V, Afsharian P, Shahhoseini M, Kalantar SM, Moini A. A Review on Various Uses of N-Acetyl Cysteine. Cell J. 2017;19(1):11-17.
[2] Hu YX, Yu CH, Wu F, et al. Antihepatofibrotic Effects of Aqueous Extract of Prunella vulgaris on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis in Rats. Planta Med. 2016;82(1-2):97-105.
[3] Jin P, Tan XB, Liu WB, Jia XB. [Regulation mechanism of triterpenoid components from Prunella asiatica on phase II detoxifying enzymes in vitro and in vivo]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2012;37(23):3637-40.
[4] Xu Y, Xu G, Liu L, Xu D, Liu J. Anti-invasion effect of rosmarinic acid via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and oxidation-reduction pathway in Ls174-T cells. J Cell Biochem. 2010;111(2):370-9.
[5] Xia N, Bollinger L, Steinkamp-fenske K, Förstermann U, Li H. Prunella vulgaris L. Upregulates eNOS expression in human endothelial cells. Am J Chin Med. 2010;38(3):599-611.
[6] Schmitt B, Vicenzi M, Garrel C, Denis FM. Effects of N-acetylcysteine, oral glutathione (GSH) and a novel sublingual form of GSH on oxidative stress markers: A comparative crossover study. Redox Biol. 2015;6:198-205.
[7] Kasperczyk S, Dobrakowski M, Kasperczyk A, Ostałowska A, Birkner E. The administration of N-acetylcysteine reduces oxidative stress and regulates glutathione metabolism in the blood cells of workers exposed to lead. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2013;51(6):480-6.
[8] Elbini dhouib I, Jallouli M, Annabi A, Gharbi N, Elfazaa S, Lasram MM. A minireview on N-acetylcysteine: An old drug with new approaches. Life Sci. 2016;151:359-363.
[9] Carlsten C, Macnutt MJ, Zhang Z, Sava F, Pui MM. Anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine diminishes diesel exhaust-induced increased airway responsiveness in person with airway hyper-reactivity. Toxicol Sci. 2014;139(2):479-87.
[10] De flora S, Grassi C, Carati L. Attenuation of influenza-like symptomatology and improvement of cell-mediated immunity with long-term N-acetylcysteine treatment. Eur Respir J. 1997;10(7):1535-41.
