Antioxidant Which Makes Difference Between Life and Death

Apr 24, 2017

What is L-cysteine

L-cysteine is a sulphur-containing amino acid and an important structural and functional component of proteins and enzymes found in our body. L-cysteine plays significant role in helping us to maintain normal body weight by promoting metabolism of fats. It promotes strong muscle tissue and immune system. It acts as an antioxidant; thus preventing oxidative damage and protecting internal organs including brain, liver and lungs. Cysteine also plays important role in the metabolism of essential biochemicals such as coenzyme A, heparin, and biotin.

Availability Of L-cysteine

Since L-cysteine can be produced in the liver, it is classified as a nonessential amino acid. However, at the same time it is also regarded as a conditionally essential because although it can be made in sufficient quantities under normal circumstances, modern stressful lifestyle, exposure to free radicals or toxins, sicknesses, and other factors greatly increase the demand for this vital amino acid. Also the concentration of cysteine in commonly consumed foods is too low to meet the demand.

Although L-cysteine can be produced in our body from an essential amino acid methionine, which we must get from food, yet the amount of dietary methionine is insufficient for the significant cysteine production. Moreover, taking methionine in the form of a supplement to increase cysteine is not recommended due to the fact that apart from being used in the body to make cysteine methionine is also converted to homocysteine,which significantly increases the risk factor for atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. For this reason methionine supplementation is disqualified as the main source of cysteine.

Therefore, since we can’t get enough cysteine from our diet and because increasing methionine is not a healthy option; the only way of solving the common problem of cysteine deficiency is its direct supplementation.

Another reason our body experiences problems with manufacturing sufficient levels of L-cysteine can bedeficiency of amino acid serine and some vitamins including folate, vitamin B6 and B12, as they are also required for the synthesis of L-cysteine.

L-cysteine & Glutathione

The most important antioxidant to overall health and longevity in our body is glutathione as it detoxifies harmful chemicals into less damaging compounds, reduces oxidative damage caused by free radicals and even regenerates other antioxidants such as vitamin C or E. Glutathione is also critical for our immune system function and nerve signal efficiency.

Glutathione supplementation, however, has not been proven to be an effective way due to poor absorption and because it has low ability to accumulate in our brain.

Fortunately, L-cysteine has been shown an excellent ability to increase glutathione levels. The antioxidant activity of Glutathione (GSH) is attributed specifically to the presence and availability of this amino acid. Apart from cysteine our body requires two other amino acids – glutamate and glycine – in order to manufacture glutathione. Cysteine, however, is the most important among the three for proper synthesis of glutathione as it is a sulphur-containing amino acid that contributes to the sulfhydryl group in the glutathione molecule. This makes cysteine the most critical of the three building blocks for glutathione. It means that the concentration of cysteine in our body is the key factor determining the rate and amount of glutathione synthesis.

It is also important to know that vitamin B12, B6 and folate (folic acid) are critical for converting L-cysteine to glutathione. Unfortunately, since deficiency of the three vitamins (especially B12) is rampant today not only among vegans or elderly people, but even among those who consume animal products on a regular basis, it is very important to take vitamin B complex and 1000 mcg of sublingual vitamin B12 in the form of methylcobalamin every day after breakfast to make sure L-cysteine is properly converted to glutathione.

L-cysteine & L-taurine

Cysteine is used to manufacture L-taurine which plays a key role in maintaining proper function of our central nervous system. Taurine also helps to regulate blood pressure, promote thermogenesis (fat burning), muscle building and eye health.

In high concentrations taurine is present in the heart to help regulate the heartbeat. Therefore, those who are low in taurine have higher risk of developing various heart problems including arrhythmia, palpitations or congestive heart failure. Taurine is also required for the conversion of glutamic acid into GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) which makes taurine very beneficial in improving mood and reducing risk of seizures caused by excess Glutamic acid building up in the brain.

L-cysteine & Lipoic Acid

Another reason to emphasise the importance of supplementing L-cysteine is the fact that apart from being the most vital factor required for the synthesis of glutathione in our body it is also used to make lipoic acid, regarded as the next most important antioxidant which is constantly praised by medical research for its remarkable health benefits.

Blood Glucose Levels

Being a component of the hormone insulin L-cysteine is helpful in regulating blood glucose levels. A 2009 study showed that apart from lowering blood sugar L-cysteine supplementation was able to reduce the markers of vascular inflammation in patients with diabetes.

It is interesting that L-cysteine can be even converted in our body into glucose when blood glucose levels are too low. In this way L-cysteine helps prevent the unpleasant symptoms of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose levels). At the same time this conversion may also enhance athletic endurance performance and prevent muscle catabolism.

Hair & Skin Health

Supplementing L-cysteine is also frequently recommended for those who want to maintain strong and healthy hair, nails and skin as L-cysteine is rich in sulphur and it is found in beta-keratin, the main protein present inabundance in hair, nails and skin. It is therefore believed that L-cysteine deficiency can lead to various hair problems including hair loss and contribute to dandruff. Studies have shown L-cysteine can increase hair health and hair diameter. A large study conducted in Germany in 2000 has demonstrated that a combination of L-Cysteine with Millet Extract and

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) was able to bring hair growth back to normal.

Cysteine is important in collagen production, as well as skin elasticity and texture. It therefore plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin.

In addition, since L-cysteine is used in our body for the synthesis of glutathione and alpha lipoic acid, it indirectly helps maintain healthy skin by increasing these two antioxidants, regarded as most effective in slowing the aging process.

Alcohol-Abuse Antidote

L-cysteine has been suggested as an antidote for the negative effects of excessive alcohol intake, such as liver damage or hangover. This effect of L-cysteine is the result of its ability to counteract the poisonous effects ofacetaldehyde, which is a dangerous neurotoxin and by-product of alcohol metabolism in our body. L-cysteine helps convert acetaldehyde to the relatively harmless acetic acid. In one study, rats that were exposed to a lethal dose of acetaldehyde had very high survival rates after receiving L-cysteine.

Sulphur & Detoxification

With regards to L-cysteine it is important to stress the fact that it is a sulphur-containing amino acid as sulphur is a very important element that is vital for healthy growth and metabolism. Sulphur is also one of the most effectivedetoxifying agents as it can bind to and expel from our body various harmful substances and chemicals including mercury, pesticides and other dangerous compounds and carcinogens.

Due to the fact that L-cysteine plays a critical role in the detoxification mechanisms in our body it can be used to help prevent liver damage and other harmful effects associated with toxic chemicals and drug reactions on its own and by increasing glutathione levels.

Mental Health

L-cysteine has been studied as a potential treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in children. The biochemical justification for using L-cysteine in OCD is based on the assumption according to which abnormal concentration of glutamate (regarded as excitatory neurotransmitter) in the brain may contribute to the disorder. And since L-cysteine has been found to effectively metabolise glutamate and lower its levels in the brain it is often recommended as a useful addition in the treatment of this condition.

Due to the same effect (improving glutamate metabolism), L-cysteine can be beneficial for people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, as excessive glutamate concentrations in the brain are suspected to have damaging effect on human brain, thus contributing also to schizophrenia and other mental disorders.

Other Health Benefits

It has been demonstrated that the gastrointestinal tract may be benefited by L-cysteine supplementation. It can be very beneficial especially for individuals who regularly use aspirin and other drugs which impose a damaging effect on the lining of the stomach and GI tract. It has been reported that L-cysteine helps prevent the damage by strengthening the lining of stomach and the entire GI tract.

Medical research has shown that L-cysteine supplementation combined with anti-inflammatory drug Mesalazine can help reduce the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease).

L-cysteine is synthesized in our body to NAC which has been commonly used in the treatment of various respiratory conditions including bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, emphysema, cystic fibrosis as well as other conditions that result in the production of thick mucus. L-cysteine has the ability to break up mucus, thus making it easier to cough up phlegm that accumulates as a result of respiratory conditions. In addition, L-cysteine is recommended in respiratory diseases because it is also involved in strengthening the immune system.

L-cysteine is also commonly used in the paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose treatment.

L-cysteine is essential for the immune system activation and T-cell production. According to one study by replenishing glutathione levels, L-cysteine appears to have beneficial impact on the immune function in individuals infected with HIV.

It has been discovered that by alleviating glutathione L-cysteine supplements may be effective in treating male infertility, if it is caused by oxidative stress which leads to DNA damage and poor semen quality. A 2016 study published in the International Journal of Fertility and Sterility found that the percentage of men able to induce pregnancy by supplementing with L-cysteine group was over 30 percent higher.

Preliminary studies also show that L-cysteine may be useful for people suffering from colon and lung cancer, acneand angina (restricted blood flow to the heart). In some cases, oral cysteine therapy has proved excellent forasthmatics, who are on medications such as theophylline. It has clinical uses ranging from psoriasis to baldness. It has been used to prevent smoker's hack. Cysteine was found to enhance the effect of topically applied silver or zinc salts in preventing dental cavities. It is believed that cysteine may also play an important role in the treatment of cobalt toxicity, psychosis, seizures or various types of cancer.

Supplementts

When taken as a supplement, Cysteine is offered in the form either L-cysteine or its modified form called N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Both of them, however, have basically the same health benefits and effect on our body.

L-cysteine vs N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

There are reasons to believe L-cysteine is a better and safer choice than NAC. First of all, NAC has been tested and approved for a very short-term use, and therefore it is impossible to guarantee its long-term use safety, as there is not enough data to consider taking it on a long-term, everyday basis. On the other hand, L-cysteine has been examined far more extensively, and there is a lot of research data on L-cysteine available.

According to Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, independent experts in anti-aging research and brain biochemistry, another very important reason L-cysteine should be regarded as superior to NAC is that “NAC can indiscriminately acetylate many compounds in our body, which is not desirable.”

Finally, the same above mentioned authors suggest that unlike NAC, L-cysteine is considered as a naturalcompound and therefore unlike NAC it is found in food. On the other hand, since NAC is an acetylated (in the lab) compound, which doesn't exist in nature, or only in almost undetectable traces, it is considered asxenobiotic (not naturally found in the body). NAC occurs in our body only as a metabolite, derived from L-cysteine. Therefore, unlike L-cysteine which is found in most high-protein foods, NAC itself is not present in foods. That is also the reason why many people who know about this fact prefer to take L-cysteine instead of NAC.

On the other hand, the proponents of NAC claim that it is superior because L-cysteine can also be oxidised in our body to cysteine, thus contributing to the formation of kidney stones as a result of a long-term use. This problem, however, can be easily solved by taking L-cysteine with at least twice as much vitamin C which prevents oxidation of cysteine to cystine.

Dietary Restrictions

Supplements containing L-cysteine are often questioned by individuals following dietary restrictions such as Vegans, Vegetarians, and communities who are looking for halal, or kosher supplements, as the majority of L-cysteine products are obtained industrially by hydrolysis of animal materials, such as hog hair or poultry feathers.

The HealthAid® L-cysteine, however, is based entirely on plant sources and it is therefore suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well as other groups concerned about animal sources of this supplement.

Other Recomendations

L-cysteine supplementation can be even more effective when used with vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid, sublingual methylcobalamin (form of B12) and selenium. Taking a good quality multivitamin-mineral formula such as HealthAid® Healthy Mega will also improve the bioavailability of L-cysteine and help the liver to convert L-cysteine to glutathione.

Dosage And Safety

Medical research shows that daily dosage of 500 to 1000mg of L-cysteine is perfectly safe and shouldn’t cause any side effects even if used for a long period of time. Only very high doses of more than 7 grams per day may be toxic and dangerous to human cells.

It is also suggested that individuals with cystinuria, a kidney condition in which too much cysteine is lost in the urine, should avoid cysteine supplements as it may lead to cysteine gallstones formation.

Possible Interactions

Individuals who are on the following medications are advised to consult a qualified practitioner before starting L-cysteine or NAC supplementation: Immuno-suppressants, Oxiconazole, Nitroglycerin and Isosorbide.

Activated charcoal shouldn’t be taken with L-cysteine or NAC as it may make them less effective.

Each HealthAid® L-Cysteine tablet contains 550mg of this most vital antioxidant combined with 10mg of Vitamin B6 which enhances metabolism and helps speed up absorption and assimilation of L-cysteine in our body. The optimal strength of L-cysteine and addition of Vitamin B6 makes this formula one of the most effective ways of using this powerful antioxidant.

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