use of NAC

[Guest guest]

Andy,

previously I had posted about my daughter's low cysteine level and

other results from the Great Smokies comp. detox. profile. Here they

are again:

plasma cysteine: 2.38 (low, off the chart, ref. 3.10-3.90)

plasma sulfate: 5.19 (the only one in the green/normal range, ref. 4.80-5.30)

red. glutathione: 29 (low, red range, ref. >32)

glutathione peroxidase: 15.5 (low, red range, ref. 20.3-38.1)

superox. dismutase: 2,201 (hi, red range, ref 1,610-2,162)

Now, based on what I thought you were saying, I have started to

supplement our daughter with NAC.

Last night, I reread the DAN protocol, more carefully than before, I

guess, and saw this about NAC:

N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC): NAC should not be used initially or by

itself with anyone suspected of having a significant body burden of

mercury. Like alpha-lipoic acid, cysteine and cystine, NAC can bind

with mercury and carry it across cell membranes. NAC is also a good

culture medium for yeast, like its parent molecule, cysteine. Since

many autistic children also have high cysteine levels, giving them

NAC will only exacerbate this problem.

NAC is often recommended because it can rapidly increase

intracellular glutathione levels 41, 42 . For that reason, it can be

tremendously useful in treating the antioxidant deficiencies seen in

so many autistic children. NAC should be used either in conjunction

with DMSA or after mercury detoxification is well under way. In

addition, NAC should be used with extreme caution in children with

elevated cysteine levels.

Your comments please?