Thread by @Outdoctrination

A new study has shown that a simple, cheap over the counter supplement can have regenerative & life saving benefits for the brain in one week.

(🧵1/8)

This study gave people with physical damage to the brain (traumatic brain injury or TBI):

➜ A single dose of 4 g of N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
➜ Then 2 g every 12 hours for 4 days
➜ Then 1.5 g every 12 h for 3 days

on top of standard TBI treatment.

(2/8)

Though the NAC group was similar overall to the placebo group (who only received standard TBI treatment),

more people in the NAC group (75%) had severe brain injury in comparison to the control (55%) at the beginning of the study.

(3/8)

NAC improved metrics of inflammation and damage across the board:

☆ Reduced IL-6 (inflammatory cytokine)
☆ Improved MDA (marker of oxidative damage)
☆ Lower NSE + S100B (intracellular proteins that get released when brain cells die)

again, all within one week. (4/8)

NAC didn't just improve blood markers - it improved real outcomes too.

People on NAC improved by over 53% on the GCS - a measure of cognitive function following brain injury.

Those on standard therapy alone? Just under 13%.

(5/8)

People taking NAC also spent significantly less time in the hospital,

on average getting out of the ICU about a week in advance.

Another sign that the NAC is working quickly to help repair the brain.

(6/8)

NAC improved survival from brain injury.

10% of people died after 28 days who used just one week of NAC.

30% of people without NAC died over that same time period.

Remember, more people had severe TBI in the NAC group as well - making these results even more impressive.

(7/8)

Traumatic brain injury causes the release of damaged cell parts, which triggers inflammation, which then increases oxidative stress.

These processes further worsen brain damage, mitochondrial function and cognition.

NAC works in multiple different ways to protect the brain from this type of injury.

1. Prevents excessive oxidative stress from damaging cell components (by being a glutathione precursor)
2. Prevents oxidative stress from disrupting mitochondrial function - which supplies neurons with necessary energy to survive and thrive
3. Inhibits the activation of microglia - inflammatory cells of the brain
4. Prevents excessive glutamate release - which can trigger excitotoxicity in neurons

All of this prevents cell damage, death and energetic deficiency, which allows cells to stay alive and continue the healing process.

(8/8)

Read the full study here:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12…

Even if you don't have TBI, NAC has multiple protective effects for the brain, including mental health:

https://x.com/Outdoctrination/status/1876669590064738805

If you're interested in getting personalized help on targeted supplementation, nutrition and lifestyle to suit your health goals, schedule a free call with us here: go.prism.miami/consultation