Who should you invite to your cellular cleanup party?

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There are many debates in the world of wellness and nutritional supplementation. Go to any fitness-based Reddit board and you’ll find vegans arguing with carnivores about optimal protein intake, followed by a heated round of “are cold plunges actually good for you?” (Disclaimer – I love cold plunges). 

Today we’re diving into a somewhat more esoteric contender in the nutritional supplement debate: should I take N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) or Glutathione? To most people these two names sound like D-list Marvel characters. But in reality, the two compounds can be considered your body’s real-life superheroes.

Let’s break it down, cell by cell.

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🧪 What Are We Even Talking About?

Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant. It's like the janitor, security guard, and IT guy of your cells all rolled into one. Glutathione is great at detoxing, neutralizing oxidative stress, and keeping your mitochondria (the power-generators of your cells) in peak form.

N-Acetyl Cysteine, or NAC if you're short on syllables, is the trusted sidekick. NAC doesn’t do the cleaning directly, it shows up with the cleaning supplies. Specifically, it gives your body cysteine, the crucial building block needed to make glutathione. No NAC? It's like trying to bake cookies without flour. Sad, dry, disappointing cookies.

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🔍 The Science-y Bit (But Not Too Science-y, Promise)

Glutathione:

What it does: Fights free radicals, supports immunity and the body's natural detoxification process, and protects cells from damage.

How it's taken: Either in reduced form (GSH) or liposomal form to improve absorption.

Downside: Oral glutathione has historically been a bad supplement choice because it’s hard to directly absorb. In other words, your digestive system usually doesn’t process glutathione very well, so directly consuming it doesn’t increase glutathione levels in the blood (which is really what counts). But recent innovations have resulted in brands of the supplement, like Setria, that are well-absorbed as a result of their delivery mechanism. Taking these forms can result in meaningful increases to blood glutathione levels.  

Fun fact: Your body naturally makes it, so it’s not considered an essential nutrient. But factors like age, stress, alcohol, and bad diet can deplete your reserves and even hinder the rate of production. 

NAC:

What it does: Acts as one of the building blocks to glutathione, and has some antioxidant properties of its own. Particularly, NAC breaks down mucus (weird flex, but useful), and is even used in hospitals for acetaminophen overdoses.

How it's taken: Orally, with pretty solid absorption and bioavailability.

Downside: Not as “instant” as glutathione. And since it’s only one of the building blocks, generating glutathione from NAC is not as guaranteed because you also need the other building blocks in supply. Also, the FDA tried to pull a fast one and restrict it for a while, making NAC the rebellious rockstar of supplements.

Fun fact: It smells like rotten eggs.

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🎭 The Showdown: NAC vs. Glutathione

 

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💡 So Which One Should You Take?

To be fair, we at Vitris Supplements are not unbiased. I seriously debated whether NAC or direct glutathione was the best ingredient to include in our Boost product. I ultimately decided that the more direct absorption of Setria glutathione, resulting in quicker and relatively more guaranteed increases in blood glutathione, was the better choice. 

With that said, NAC can be a great, and oftentimes less expensive choice. Some people even take both, but I’ve personally always thought that was unnecessary. 

I personally think that the combination of direct Setria glutathione combined with other antioxidants (like AstaReal Astaxanthin) is hard to beat. Whether you’ve used NAC before or you’re looking into antioxidant support for the first time, give our Vitris Vitality Pack a try for an effective combination of premium antioxidant ingredients.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for entertainment and general information. Consult a healthcare pro before beginning any nutritional supplementation regiment.