Cysteine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is crucial for making protein, while also playing a role in helping to rid the body of toxins. Conditionally essential amino acids are usually not essential except when the body is overwhelmed by severe stress, illness, or injury. That’s when it has trouble creating sufficient levels of certain nonessential amino acids.
You can find cysteine in high-protein foods such as beef, chicken, eggs, and whole grains. What makes cysteine conditionally essential is that your body can make cysteine from two other amino acids. They are serine and methionine. If your body is low on these two amino acids during illness, injury, or severe stress, and you’re not getting adequate amounts through food, it may be necessary to supplement with cysteine, which is a vital element in our body’s detoxification abilities. How does a cysteine supplement differ from the cysteine you get from food?
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True Vitality: The Ultimate Detoxification Solution You’ve Been Longing For is an original (OptimalPerformanceLiving) article.
Cysteine for detoxification
The supplement form of cysteine is N-acetyl cysteine or NAC. But our bodies do not make NAC. It’s also not found in foods. However, NAC plays a critical role in helping us to maintain our health. Like cysteine, NAC bonds with glutamine and glycine to form glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. Cysteine in the form of NAC plays a crucial role in helping our bodies to detoxify.
In our modern society, we are bombarded almost daily with toxic heavy metals, drugs, waste products, or environmental pollution. The summer of 2023 saw large areas of North America blanketed with noxious wildfire smoke. NAC helps to remove and neutralize harmful substances that we may be consuming or breathing in through the air.
Cysteine has a great affinity for binding with heavy metals, which allows the amino acid to act as a chelating agent. It forms stable complexes with toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Once bound, these metals are rendered less harmful and can be excreted more easily, reducing their ability to accumulate in tissues and organs. Cysteine is involved in several detoxification pathways, making it a crucial component in maintaining overall health and well-being. If you’re not getting adequate amounts of cysteine in your diet, NAC supplements can help fill the gaps, allowing you to experience the health benefits.
Glutathione for detoxification
Glutathione is often called The Master Antioxidant. Glutathione is a tripeptide that includes cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. Cysteine is the critical component responsible for glutathione’s potent antioxidant properties. Glutathione plays a vital role in neutralizing and eliminating harmful free radicals. It does this by attaching to various toxins and drugs, making them more water-soluble and therefore more easily excreted by the body.
One of the most important jobs of the supplement form of cysteine is to help your body replenish its glutathione stores. NAC helps replenish glutathione, which is considered your body’s most powerful antioxidant. This potent antioxidant can help rid your body of free radicals that can damage cells and tissues by supporting the toxin-elimination process and the body’s immune system.
Kidney and liver detoxification
Our liver plays a huge role in detoxifying our body. It’s constantly being exposed to various toxic substances. Cysteine and glutathione help protect liver cells from oxidative stress and damage caused by toxins. By helping in the detoxification process, it supports the liver.
Doctors routinely give intravenous cysteine to people suffering from acetaminophen poisoning. The liquid cysteine works rapidly to prevent or reduce kidney and liver damage. When the supplement form of cysteine is used as an intervention it has been shown to reduce the chances of dying from an acetaminophen overdose. NAC also has applications for other health issues that may compromise the effective functioning of the liver.
NAC has shown some interesting results in studies done on hangovers as well. They found that cysteine reduces symptoms of a hangover including nausea, headache, and anxiety. Some studies also suggest that NAC can improve liver function in patients who abuse alcohol.
The detoxification benefits of cysteine in collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It’s the main component of connective tissues that comprise several body parts, including tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles. Most collagen supplements come in the form of powder and capsules. It’s no wonder that the bottled version of this protein, either made from animal or marine collagen, is in high demand. When people think of collagen, what often comes to mind is how it helps reduce wrinkles. But this popular protein supplement can also help boost digestion, reduce inflammation, and heal the lining of the gut, which can improve nutrient absorption and detoxification.
To make it more bioavailable, most collagen supplements are hydrolyzed, which means the collagen is broken down into small peptides to make it easier to absorb. However, collagen does not contain cysteine. A good collagen supplement will be fortified with cysteine. Because it is such an effective detoxification ingredient, cysteine is often promoted as a vital supplement in detoxification diets and cleansing regimens. Although you might want to consult your healthcare professional before starting any detoxification program.
NAC doses for detoxification
Given that your body can produce cysteine, there are no dietary recommendations regarding how much cysteine to consume. NAC supplements help to increase cysteine levels when you’re under severe stress from illness or injury. The typical recommendation for NAC is between 600 and 1800 milligrams. If you take blood-thinning medications or have a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia, you should avoid NAC supplements. NAC or cysteine supplements are generally safe for adults. Let’s take a closer look at one of the best cysteine-fortified collagen products on the market.
ProT GOLD for detoxification
Collagen supplements have verified benefits for health and wellness. If you’re considering a collagen supplement that also supports detoxification, you might want to consider ProT GOLD products. ProT GOLD is fortified with seven amino acids, including cysteine. Fortification makes it a complete protein, unlike most hydrolyzed collagen proteins on the market.
ProT GOLD goes a step further. It’s a liquid nano-hydrolyzed collagen protein that is broken down to a unit about half the size of a pore in the stomach for 100% rapid absorption in under 15 minutes. The collagen molecules that have gone through nano-hydrolysis ensure that the collagen supplement and the amino acids it contains are more bioavailable.
ProT GOLD is medical-grade collagen that offers all the benefits of collagen, with none of the potential side effects found in poorer-quality supplements. Most supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA and could contain excess sugars and harmful additives. Medical-grade collagen, on the other hand, is FDA-regulated and manufactured under the strictest conditions. These products are trusted for use at medical facilities under the supervision of physicians and will be a safe bet for your daily supplement.
Cysteine for detoxification – What’s next?
Cysteine supplements play several key roles in human health. They’re renowned for their ability to replenish levels of the antioxidant glutathione which helps to boost your body’s detoxification system. By supporting the body’s ability to eliminate harmful toxins, cysteine helps to maintain the health and functionality of the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tracts. Cysteine is vital to maintaining overall health and protecting against the harmful effects of toxins and other substances. Efficient detoxification is necessary to reduce the toxic burden on the body.
Cysteine’s role in antioxidant protection, detoxification, and other health benefits may contribute to overall vitality and well-being. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest is essential for your well-being. However, if your diet is inadequate you might want to consider cysteine supplements to fill the gaps and increase your cysteine levels. Since supplements containing cysteine typically have low levels of bioavailability, a medical-grade supplement is likely your best option for maximum benefits.
For Further Reading:
Mount Sinai: Cysteine
Forbes: What is NAC supplement?
Shape Magazine: The best hangover foods to help you feel like a human again
Women’s Health Magazine: 10 Glutathione benefits and how this master antioxidant makes you glow inside and out
Good Housekeeping: What does glutathione do for the body?
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not be evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
