NAC MD has N-Acetylcysteine, Melatonin and Selenium which are all critical for lung support and for the major antioxidant system of the body specifically the 5 member glutathione pathways.*

NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) is a critical component of Glutathione. In fact, oral NAC increases glutathione better than actual oral glutathione, which instead gets broken down in the intestines quickly. NAC is proven to support all antioxidant pathways and respiratory processes.*

This novel formula exclusive to MDP is comprised of the key nutrients critical to optimizing the all-important glutathione stores within the body.*

The tripeptide, γ-l-glutamyl-l-cysteinyl-glycine is known as glutathione.¹ Roles:

• Glutathione (GSH) is heavily involved in hormone metabolism, especially in regulating the pro-inflammatory hormones such as estrogen, leukotrienes and prostaglandins. GSH is an all-important antioxidant and redox regulator, manages immune homeostasis, metabolic detoxification, detoxification of xenobiotic electrophiles.²
• More specifically, GSH (i) regenerates vitamins C and E, (ii) is a co-factor in 1 out of 7 liver Phase II conjugation reactions, (iii) regulates cellular proliferation and apoptosis, and (iv) protects, facilitates and supports essential mitochondrial functions and structures.³ Its deficiency or abundance is closely associated with healthy longevity.⁴

GSH is the essential building block to three groups of enzymes, specifically glutathione oxidase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase.⁵ Inclusively, there are multiple members found within these three groups, of which the main ones include: glutathione reductase (GR – which recycles/recharges GSHPx), glutathione-S transferase (GST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), heme oxygenase (HO-1), and the all-important glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx, also abbreviated as GPx).^6,7,8

Among all antioxidant enzymes, GPx is considered the most powerful biological antioxidative reductant,^9,10 and is one of the major antioxidants of the body.¹¹ Surprisingly, it occurs at very high levels within most cells, around 5 millimolar concentration!¹²

GPx is found in two major places within the body: (1) The blood stream from GPx secreted by the kidneys, and (2) intracellular GPx which is manufactured within cells. The critical production of intracellular GPx is primarily dependent upon the presence of intracellular melatonin, and secondarily upon the substrate building materials (a) cysteine, cystine or N-acetyl-cysteine plus (b) selenium.

Essential roles of GSH antioxidant enzymes include: cell cycle regulation,¹³ healthy immune cell oxidant production (e.g., H2O2, O2-, HOCl, HOBr, OH-) and stopping the chain reaction of lipid peroxide (LOOH) generation, and modulating (downregulating) severe systemic immune stress.^14,15

Similar to GR, persistent and adequate CoQ10 (>100mg/day) supplementation appears to “recharge” and significantly improve both function and levels of glutathione peroxidase in the body.^16,17,18

Besides the five-member glutathione member family of antioxidants, thioredoxin (Trx) is also a pre-eminent antioxidant family enzyme group as well. Key Trx members include glutaredoxins (Grx1-5), protein disulfide isomerases and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). Main roles for Trx include working side-by-side with GSH, or managing essential iron homeostasis indispensable to mitochondrial energy production.^19,20

Glutaredoxins all utilize glutathione as a co-factor to function, similar to the essential role glutathione plays with all Glutathione antioxidant enzymes. Trx and the glutathione-based antioxidant enzymes are strongly related and connected by way of the thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR) enzyme.²¹ As a result, an essential substrate material emerges between the multi-family members of both the Glutathione group as well as the thioredoxin group of antioxidant enzymes, namely NAC.²²

N-ACETYLCYSTEIN: By quantity, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) forms the core building block material found within NAC MD™. NAC is an essential substrate to glutathione. NAC is an excellent antioxidant. For example, NAC supplementation is an excellent means to raise body stores of both GSH and GPx when adequately supplemented (≥ 1,000mg/day).^{23,24,25,26,27} NAC also supports healthy levels of body stores of metals, including iron.^28*

Interestingly, NAC promotes powerful antioxidant functions.^31,32,33 When paired with melatonin and selenium supplementation, NAC promotes the resuscitation and optimization of essential intracellular GSH, GPx and Trx levels.^34,35,36*

MELATONIN: By quantity, the levels of melatonin found within NAC MD are consistent with dietary amount levels suitable for ingestion during daytime hours.^37,38* Melatonin is a hormone found in bioactive amounts in many foods, including many edible plants and herbs.³⁹ In humans, its primary site of production is the pineal gland, but all mitochondria and many white blood cells, bone marrow cells, retina and astrocytes are known to produce significant amounts of this vital hormone.^40,41,42,43 Melatonin supplementation has proven to be one of the most comprehensive contributors to health known to integrative medicine.^44*

Melatonin serves an extremely important role serving as a primary determinant for GPx production.^45,46 Some of the other essential roles for melatonin supplementation include promotion of regenerative healing (e.g., DNA repair⁴⁷ and osteogenesis), optimizes ATP production, supports fertility and healthy levels of hormones.^48,49,50*

Melatonin additionally is integral to, and supports healthy cardiovascular and mental functions, bone formation and regeneration, periodontal health, blood sugar and body fat regulation and protect neurological and gastrointestinal tissues.^51,52,53,54 For one example related to cardiovascular health, melatonin supplementation has been shown to possess exceptional ability to balance and help maintain healthy blood pressure.^55,56 It is wise to supplement with melatonin because its internal production significantly declines with advancing age.^57*

Receptor cites on cell membranes are widespread. Both central and peripheral tissues use melatonin, including adrenal glands, heart and arteries, kidneys, liver, lungs, prostate, skin, bone and immune cells such as neutrophils, B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes.^58,59*

As far as the immune system is concerned, melatonin has crucial pleiotropic influences.^60,61 First, melatonin shows significant protective effects against excessive oxidized GSH that may place significant stresses on multiple organs and tissues.^{62,63,64,65,66,67} Oxidized GSH is also known as glutathione disulfide (GSSH).^68,69,70,71*

In addition to protecting ally, melatonin promotes immune strength and homeostasis to healthy cytokine interplay.^72*

Furthermore, melatonin serves as a powerful buffer to the complex needs of the immune system during stress.^73*

Melatonin also promotes key “inhibition checks and balances” to our metabolism. For example, deficiency of melatonin “disinhibits” immune cell attraction, which may result in overbalanced immune cell aggregation. On a related theme, there is evidence that melatonin supplementation disinhibits suppression of the vital pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) energy production pathway. PDC is the primary enzyme system which shunts glucose and opens up optimal ATP generation via mitochondrial respiration (TCA and Electron Transport Chain).⁷⁴ The significance of this should not be underestimated. If energy production during daytime hours is reduced due to inhibition of mitochondrial ATP production, fatigue results. For perspective, melatonin “production” takes place in darkness, in the absence of blue light or invisible light.^75,76,77 But melatonin function primarily occurs during daylight hours, enabling optimal ATP production. Without melatonin’s upregulation of PDC, cells trend toward aerobic glycolysis, which only produce 2 molecules of ATP per glucose molecule, as opposed to mitochondrial respiration which produces 36 molecules of ATP per glucose molecule.*

Melatonin is a superior detoxifier to a plethora of xenobiotics.^78*

When compared to glutathione, melatonin appears to be the superior free-radical quencher.⁷⁹ And most importantly, unlike many other antioxidant supplements, melatonin has no difficulty diffusing into cells and organs, even penetrating easily through the blood brain barrier.^80*

SELENIUM: The elemental selenium found in NAC MD™ is bioavailable and is quickly converted by the body into selenium-proteins containing cysteine.⁸¹ Selenium has important roles in supporting fertility, promoting healthy aging, support cardiovascular and endocrine health, as well as in aiding immune functions.⁸² As an overview, selenium is an essential mineral that promotes redox stabilization to cell membranes, including red blood cells and brain cells.^83,84,85,86 In this regard, selenium complements and serves as a mimetic to Vitamin C, rosehips, CoQ10, melatonin and NAC actions.^{87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98*} 

Recall that NAC is a widely used dietary supplement source of cysteine. Selenium is integral to 25 selenium-proteins containing cysteine. Key examples of such selenium-containing proteins include GPx, TrxR and iodothyronine deiodinase (IDD). Selenium supplementation offers important support to keep arteries supple, and support healthy blood fat and blood sugar levels.^99*

When taken as suggested, the selenium amount formulated into NAC MD™ may be safely combined with its synergistic MDP product Daily Two DR™ (~400mcg/day).^100,101*

IN CONCLUSION: The ingredients comprising NAC MD™ offers superior support to optimize (1) both GSH and Trx enzymatic antioxidant performance and well as (2) help balance system immune stresses, all in a single formula.

MD Prescriptives synergists to NAC MD™ include: CoQ-CF™, Rose C MD™, enteric coated Omega MD™, and Daily Two DR™.