N-Acetyl Cysteine Treats Acute Liver Failure

http://www.liversupport.com/wordpress/2010/10/n-acetyl-cysteine-treats-acute-liver-failure/


A supplement good enough for reversing liver failure, learn why NAC is a worthy contender for protecting the liver.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Due to fears of instigating unknown interactions or confusing the results of any given treatment, alternative therapies are rarely permitted within the confines of Western medicine. Exceptions to this norm are most likely to be made for conditions where it has been irreversibly proven to be effective or if there are no other known medical treatments. Some people in acute liver failure who are unable to receive a liver transplant are among those for whom Western medicine has few options. Such individuals are ideal candidates for research on supplements with a track record for preserving liver health – such as N-acetyl cysteine.

N-acetyl cysteine is the stable form of the amino acid cysteine – a potent antioxidant that is commonly found in food and synthesized by the body. By helping the body synthesize glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine is believed to protect the liver from adverse effects of toxins. For individuals with chronic liver disease, protecting the liver from toxins is crucial to stop their illness from progressing to advanced disease.

About Acute Liver Failure
Also known as fulminant hepatic failure, acute liver failure occurs when the liver rapidly loses its ability to function. Although liver failure usually develops slowly over the course of many years, acute liver failure develops in a matter of days. Several facts about this health crisis include:

· Acute liver failure can cause many complications, including excessive bleeding, increasing pressure in the brain and death.

· Requiring hospitalization, acute liver failure is a medical emergency.

· While some causes of acute liver failure can be reversed with treatment, many cases can only be cured with a liver transplant.

A consequence of liver cells that have been damaged significantly and are no longer able to function, acute liver failure has many potential causes. A few of the more common causes include:

· Acetaminophen (Tylenol) – An overdose of this over-the-counter drug is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Those with chronic liver disease are particularly susceptible.

· Viruses – Hepatitis A, B and E, as well as Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus, are all known to cause acute liver failure.

· Autoimmune hepatitis – A disease in which the immune system attacks liver cells, autoimmune hepatitis can also cause acute liver failure.

Although several types of acute liver failure can be reversed with swift pharmaceutical intervention, many people with fulminant hepatic failure can only be saved with a liver transplant. Unfortunately, not everyone who needs a new liver can get one.

N-Acetyl Cysteine for Acetaminophen Overdose and More
For the most common cause of acute liver failure, acetaminophen poisoning, an antidote must be administered as soon as possible to prevent liver injury. The antidote used in hospitals is N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). This readily available antioxidant works by indirectly replenishing glutathione – which detoxifies the toxic metabolite of acetaminophen.

According to Anne M. Larson, M.D., of the University of Washington, and colleagues, N-acetyl-cysteine administered within 12 hours of ingestion of acetaminophen can prevent liver injury; however, many people may be unaware that they could benefit from N-acetyl-cysteine. With a similar thought in mind, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center and their colleagues at 21 other institutions investigated if NAC could treat acute liver failure due to causes other than acetaminophen poisoning.

As published in the September 2009 issue of the journal Gastroenterology, the UT researchers found that acute liver failure patients in the early stages of hepatic comas who were administered NAC were nearly 2.5 times more likely to survive than those treated only with a placebo. According to Dr. William M. Lee, professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and lead author of this study, “NAC is safe, easy to administer, doesn’t require intensive care and can be given in community hospitals. NAC is an excellent treatment for non-acetaminophen acute liver failure if the disease is caught early.” Until this study, liver transplantation was the only treatment if the failure was from non-acetaminophen causes.

By combining Lee’s NAC results with Larson’s sentiments about its potential benefits, those with chronic liver disease could profit in a big way. If this commonly available antioxidant is good enough for preventing liver failure, shouldn’t it then be considered for this severe condition’s predecessor, liver damage? Already aware of NAC’s ability to protect the liver from damage, many healthcare practitioners advise their patients with chronic liver problems to supplement with NAC. Before waiting for liver disease to advance to liver failure, those with hepatic concerns are encouraged to investigate how N-acetyl-cysteine could help their liver detoxify poisons – thus preventing the need for a future liver transplant.

References:

http://www.discount-vitamins-herbs.net/n-837-liver-failure-NAC.htm, N-Acetyl Cysteine Effective for Acute Liver Failure, Retrieved September 3, 2010, Discount Herbs & Vitamins, Inc, 2010.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/liver-failure/DS00961, Acute Liver Failure, Retrieved September 3, 2010, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2010.

http://www.medicinenet.com/tylenol_liver_damage/page6.htm#tocl, Tylenol Liver Damage, Retrieved September 3, 2010, MedicineNet, Inc., 2010.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Depression/2233, Acetaminophen Is Leading Cause of Acute Liver Failure, Neil Osterweil, Retrieved September 3, 2010, MedPage Today, LLC, 2010.

http://www.sciencecodex.com/medication_effective_for_acute_liver_failure_in_early_stages_of_disease, NAC effective treatment for acute liver failure, Retrieved September 3, 2010, Science Codex, 2010.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008073316.htm, Medication Effective For Acute Liver Failure In Early Stages Of Disease, Study Suggests, Retrieved September 3, 2010, ScienceDaily LLC, 2010.

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept16498/files/553817.html, Medication effective for acute liver failure in early stages of disease, Retrieved September 3, 2010, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2010.


N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC):

Stable, acetyl derivative of L-cysteine
Plays important metabolic roles as a key antioxidant, a glutathione precursor, and a natural source of sulfur for metabolism

Benefits

Essential for detoxification.

Stable, acetyl derivative of L-cysteine
Plays important metabolic roles as a key antioxidant, a glutathione precursor, and a natural source of sulfur for metabolism
NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine) is an antioxidant that helps increase glutathione synthesis, and potentially has benefit during oxidative stress.*

NAC is the acetyl derivative of L-cysteine. While L-cysteine plays important metabolic roles as a key antioxidant, a glutathione precursor, and a natural source of sulfur for metabolism, it is unstable and can become degraded during absorption. NAC on the other hand, is more stable than L-cysteine. Taken orally, NAC converts into L-cysteine after being absorbed, and raises blood and tissue cysteine levels. As a dietary supplement, NAC is a highly attractive alternative to L-cysteine. Free form amino acid, high purity, well tolerated.

HAAM BENEFIT DAY 2009 & GOOD EGGS & HAAM FIRST ANNUAL BENEFIT

"This is one fine organization & a Godsend to yours truly & many other needy Austin musicians. I'd probably be dead or soon-dead if they hadn't offered me a helping hand. Please be generous with your support." -- T. Tex Edwards

HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS SUPPORTER NEWS
SPECIAL HAAM BENEFIT DAY EDITION
(a newsletter from HAAM)

www.healthallianceforaustinmusicians.org
www.myhaam.org
www.myspace.com/myhaam
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/Health-Alliance-for-Austin-Musicians/48911101474
http://twitter.com/myhaam


EAT, SHOP, DONATE, AND ENJOY ON THE FOURTH ANNUAL HAAM BENEFIT DAY!


On Tuesday, September 22, join the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) in keeping music in Austin alive and well.

Here’s how you can help:

EAT & SHOP at 170 local participating businesses and restaurants, with 5% of your purchase going to HAAM. Download the list of participating businesses and music schedule.
DONATE your spare change to the HAAM Benefit Day donation boxes at each of the music performances. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by Topfer Family Foundation.
ENJOY live performances from over 90 local musical acts throughout the day. Download the list of participating businesses and music schedule.
Also,

Forward this message to your friends to let them know how they can help!
Are you on Twitter? Find us at @myhaam and make sure you tweet on September 22 to keep your followers up to date on the HAAM Benefit Day happenings.
On Facebook? Become a fan of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.
Play Your Part! Come out on Tuesday, September 22nd to support local musicians’ health!

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians was founded in April 2005 when Seton Family of Hospitals and St. David’s Foundation joined forces with The SIMS Foundation to provide medical, dental, and mental health care to the city’s hard-working, uninsured low-income musicians. More than 1,600 member-musicians, most 35 and younger, have been served.

To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.MyHaam.org.


GOOD EGGS & HAAM FIRST ANNUAL BENEFIT

Good Eggs & HAAM, the new outreach group of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians that spreads the word about HAAM and musicians’ health care, hosts a benefit concert in September with Austin-based pop-rock band nelo.

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music by nelo starts at 9 p.m. Thursday, September 17, at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, 801 Red River St., on the inside stage. Tickets are $25, on sale now through Frontgate Tickets and www.stubbsaustin.com.

Good Eggs & HAAM members — young professionals passionate about live music, who understand that musicians are a unique and important cultural and economic part of Austin, and who have a desire to give back and support musicians' health care — are inviting their friends and the public to the concert. Proceeds benefit Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.


The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) provides access to affordable health care to Austin’s low-income, uninsured working musicians with a focus on prevention and wellness. Tax-deductible donations can be made on-line at: https://www.austincommunityfoundation.org/?nd=donate_detail&donation_id=18 or by mail with a check payable to Austin Community Foundation/HAAM Fund to PO Box 301496, Austin, TX 78703-0025. HAAM is a special project fund of the Austin Community Foundation.

A Former Whole Foods Employee's View of Whole Foods by: Jill Richardson

"...I've been asked by several people to weigh in on Whole Foods (or WFM for short... the M stands for Market). I worked there for 5 months in 2007 & I wrote a chapter about it in my book, Recipe for America: Why Our Food System is Broken & What We Can Do To Fix It. So here's my take on it..."


http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/2300/a-former-whole-foods-employees-view-of-whole-foods

A Former Whole Foods Employee's View of Whole Foods
by: Jill Richardson
Sat Aug 15, 2009 at 11:57:30 AM PDT

DailyKos has been buzzing about a piece in the Wall Street Journal by the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey. Here's what I have to say about it. I've been asked by several people to weigh in on Whole Foods (or WFM for short... the M stands for Market). I worked there for 5 months in 2007 and I wrote a chapter about it in my book, Recipe for America: Why Our Food System is Broken and What We Can Do To Fix It. So here's my take on it...

First things first about Whole Foods: The CEO, John Mackey, is a nut. He's a Libertarian, he's anti-union, and he stupidly went on financial blogs - anonymously - to praise WFM (and he got caught doing it). When you visit Austin, where WFM is headquartered, you hear good and bad about Mackey. I don't know which of the many things I heard about him during my 2 trips to Austin are true, so I have repeated none of them.
So is it a shock he just came out with an idiotic and harmful statement about health care? No. Is it an outrage? Yeah. Does it necessitate a boycott of WFM? I don't know. For one thing, Mackey takes an annual salary of $1 from the store. On the other hand, he probably has a ton of the store's stock. WFM has had a tough year because of the economy, and no boycott is going to change that. Nor do I think a boycott will change Mackey's mind. It might just get him to keep his ideas out of the national press in the future. And maybe that's a worthy goal.

This latest outrage aside, WFM has both good and bad about it. It depends on what you compare it to. Compared to a regular grocery store or a Sam's Club, the food they sell is great. Compared to a natural foods co-op, a farmers' market, or your own garden, they suck.

My day to day experiences at WFM had very little to do with John Mackey and a whole lot to do with the staff of my store. And I like the staff. There are some lifelong career employees - several have been there for years - and many others are musicians and artists who are just there as a day job. They are creative, kind, and open-minded. Some are into sustainability and some are just there to earn a living and don't care about sustainability at all.

Despite our lack of a union, I think most of us felt we were treated pretty fairly by the store and by the company. The minimum wage the store paid anywhere (this was in 2007) was $10/hr, you get health care paid for after you're there for 6 mos, and employees can get bonuses called gainsharing (although I never saw a penny of it). When we had a problem with the store over a ban on facial piercings, the employees held a meeting with management and worked out a compromise. Would it have been better if we were unionized? I don't know. I've never had an opportunity to join a union, even though I absolutely support them and their ability to lobby in DC for more fair labor laws.

Another part of my day to day life there were the customers. They were a diverse group. I can't tell you how many freaking times somebody came up to me at the bakery and asked if the gelato or cakes were healthy. I told them no and suggested they get some berries as a healthy dessert instead. For some reason, an awful lot of people really want to believe that WFM sells healthy food. Junk is still junk, even if it's all natural junk. But the customers were always hopeful that maybe, for some reason, all natural gelato is good for them. And WFM doesn't do a lot to discourage them from thinking that.

How about the food? Is it sustainable? It depends. Packaged crap and junk is still packaged crap and junk even if it's organic. Maybe it's slightly better than the non-organic junk sold in regular grocery stores. I still wouldn't recommend eating it.

The meat in WFM was exposed by The Omnivore's Dilemma as being organic factory farmed. You're paying a high price for a product that is not the ideal of sustainable meat. But you are getting SOMETHING for the price premium you pay. The meat IS better than the standard stuff you get in grocery stores, it's just not as good as you'd want it to be. If it's the best you can get, maybe you think it's worth it.

The produce is sometimes local and often (but not always) organic. The prices are high. Lately WFM has been selling veggies from one of my favorite farmers and selling them at fair prices. If I'm in a pinch because I didn't buy enough at the farmers' market and I can't get to my natural foods co-op, I'll buy my farmer's veggies at WFM. (I live walking distance from WFM but several miles drive from the co-op.)

That said, WFM is not the pinnacle of sustainability. It will ALWAYS be better to grow your own or to buy from a farmer you know. If you can't do that, it will be better to buy from a natural foods co-op - that's a point I wish I made in my book but I forgot to include it. I'm 99% happy with the book but that's my #1 critique of it.

The most surprising thing to me about working in a grocery store was the amount of waste. This is not unique to WFM. I'm sure all grocery stores waste a lot of food. It's impossible to buy the exact amount of food that people will buy, particularly for perishable stuff. Customers get REALLY PISSED if they show up to buy something and the store is out of it. So the store tries to keep everything in stock, waiting around 24/7 in case somebody wants to buy it. If nobody buys it, it gets thrown out.

WFM deserves some praise for their composting program. Most grocery stores throw away their waste. WFM composts theirs (at least in my region - perhaps not everywhere) and sells the compost to gardeners. That is something that ALL grocery stores should do, in my opinion. However, it'd be better not to waste the food in the first place.

All in all, I realized while working there that WFM is part of the industrialized food supply chain, even if they are selling "sustainable" products. To be truly sustainable, we must obtain our food through channels other than grocery stores, and many of them will be a bit less convenient.

Gardening is hard work! Shopping at a farmers' market is fun and easy but it means you have to save your shopping for a specified time of the week when the market is happening and you can't just run out and grab something on a whim. I don't think we'll leave grocery stores entirely behind, but co-ops are still better than for-profit corporate chains because they give the member-owners some say in how the business is run.

What does all of this mean about John Mackey's latest health care BS? Not a whole lot. I probably won't end up boycotting Whole Foods, to be honest. I don't have a whole lot of money so it's not like I spend a lot there now anyway. I get most of my stuff from the farmers market and most of the rest of it from the co-op. If I was to pick a chain to boycott for political reasons, I'd probably start with Home Depot. In fact, I DO boycott Home Depot. Whole Foods image at least depends on some degree of sustainability, whereas Home Depot has a wingnutty CEO and nothing redeeming about it. And Home Depot spent $370k in lobbying just in the first quarter of this year alone. Whole Foods spent a tiny fraction of that, and - unlike Home Depot - all they really lobby on are their own mergers and acquisitions.