N-acetyl-cysteine ​​can help treat dry eye

Dry eye symptoms arise when the cornea is not well lubricated. The disorder occurs due to insufficient tear volume or poor tear quality, leading to too rapid evaporation or rapid destruction of the tear film.

The tear film normally has three constituents: an outer layer of lipids secreted by the Meibomian glands; an aqueous (water) middle layer produced by the lacrimal glands; and a mucous inner layer. A malfunction in any of these layers can lead to dry eye syndrome.

You may also experience dry eye symptoms if you unknowingly suffer from conditions such as inflammation of the eyelids (called blepharitis), Sjögren’s syndrome, which causes dry eyes and mouth, and others.

N-acetyl-cysteine ​​(NAC)

The usefulness of N-acetyl-cysteine ​​lies mainly in the fact that it is a sulfur-containing amino acid. The sulfur component in cysteine ​​gives it unique and highly versatile structural and binding capabilities in the body. For example, your body needs cysteine ​​to make taurine, a valuable amino acid and the powerful antioxidant glutathione.

Glutathione is made from the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine ​​and two other amino acids. Various bodily functions benefit from the presence of glutathione. This powerful antioxidant helps the body’s cells recover after a stroke, protects against cancer, prevents wild blood sugar fluctuations, and protects artery walls from damage.

Because it is the most easily absorbed form of cysteine, NAC has become the most common source of cysteine ​​for therapeutic purposes. NAC can be found in animal proteins (fish, eggs, dairy products, meat, and poultry) and some plant proteins (eg, soybeans).

You are more vulnerable to disease and other ailments when blood glutathione levels are depleted. To allow for more glutathione production by the liver, you need to increase your NAC intake. NAC is a necessary ingredient to produce reduced glutathione (GSH), the most useful unoxidized form of glutathione.

Because it leads to increased glutathione production, NAC helps prevent eye damage caused by oxidation and its associated toxic materials. Your eye uses glutathione as its main antioxidant, and while its highest concentration (aside from the liver, where it’s made) is in your eyes. Many research studies have directly linked low glutathione levels to all kinds of eye diseases, so it’s important to maintain normal glutathione levels to promote eye health.

As a drug, NAC is used to remove accumulations of mucus in the body, such as in the lungs of patients with chronic emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and pneumonia. As an antioxidant, NAC prevents the oxidation of lipids, which helps to dissolve the coagulation of mucous membranes.

Its mucous-dissolving properties make NAC a powerful agent for treating problems associated with lipid oxidation in the eyes. Several studies have shown that NAC treatment is capable of producing better results than artificial tears in relieving symptoms experienced by people with blepharitis. Test doses of 100 mg NAC three times daily improved tear film constitution and reduced symptoms of blepharitis.

Numerous research monographs have pointed to the beneficial effects of NAC on Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that also affects the eyes. NAC’s fast-acting ability to thin mucous secretions unblocks cellular channels, allowing moisture to flow more freely. In several trials in people diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, researchers found that associated dry eye symptoms improved with doses of 200 mg of NAC three times a day.

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