N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) and Mitochondrial Abnormalities By Professor Michael Berk
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Professor Michael Berk is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow and Alfred Deakin Chair of Psychiatry at Deakin University and Barwon Health, where he heads the IMPACT Strategic Research Centre. He holds an Honorary position at both Melbourne and Monash University and is a highly cited researcher with over 800 published papers predominantly in mood disorders. His major interests are in the discovery and implementation of novel therapies, and risk factors and prevention of psychiatric disorders.
Take-Home Points
• Study results show an effect of NAC only in people with severe depression.
• NAC has no effect on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis but does improve the quality of life for patients.
• Complex 1 of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain is dramatically down-regulated in bipolar disorder.
Full article: psychscenehub....
1Gram of B1 Thiamine (benfotiamine) and 500MG of NAC seems to be giving me an extra boost. I feel an increase in my dopamine levels, motivation, less impulsive behaviors (sugar cravings and alcohol consumption), less procrastination, focused on repetitive tasks more, and after day 4 the effects haven’t worn off yet. I’ll reply back after 30days to see how things are going but so far this is definitely a win for me. I take another 300MG of Benfotiamine before bed and it helps with deep sleep.
for how many days do you take those doses? how many days do you take a break? I also heard about NAC with Glycine, so many things to research. Thanks!
@@AlbionRising it’s turning into a lifestyle but I only take 2 days off. Outside of that I take this regime everyday until I reach the point that I feel my most optimal self. Honestly I feel like I’m getting closer to that point. My cortisol levels are perfect, my oxytocin levels have significantly improved, still working towards my dopamine levels which I know will take time and I’m in no rush with that.
I’m at the gym everyday at 5AM which definitely a sign that my dopamine levels are improving in certain areas just need to be more consistent with them.
Are you still taking it? Do you still get the benefits?
@@HumanAI-Connection Thanks for sharing. So you take (1 day on; 2 days off):
1 GM B1/Thiamine plus
500 mg NAC in the a.m. and
300 mg B1/Thiamine just before bed.
@@luv2travel2000 it’s seems my bodies B1 deficiency has improved so now I just take 1/2 gram of B1 and only take NAC only on my fasting days for detox purposes.
But!!! I found something that’s even a bigger game changer than B1.
R - Alpha Lipoic Acid
See as we get older our bodies struggle to metabolize carbs/sugar/alcohol properly. This leads to stubborn weight loss, water retention, and unfortunately insulin resistance. There’s tons of videos out there on insulin resistance and it’s symptoms. I’m convinced that I struggled with autism symptoms and insulin resistance symptoms most of my adult life.
B1, Vitamin D and probiotics helped significantly but R-ALA seems to stop things in their tracks.
It improves the bodies ability to break down carbs so I take close to 1Gram before a carb meal and maybe 2 supplements before bed. Daily!!!!!
Then on my fasting days I take just a 1/2 a gram as a form of detox.
First thing I noticed is my stubborn body fat is shrinking especially lower back area, my impulse and desire to get things done has improved significantly. My face is trimming down. Something I struggled with for years.
Did you know that dementia is deemed the brains version of diabetes? High insulin can cause brain related ailments so is it a coincidence that high doses of R -ALA seems to be improving my mental function?
Forgot to mention when I get colds I usually lose my sense of taste and smell. What if I told you R-ALA improves neuropathy and my senses come back quicker. It’s like an antioxidant but on steroids because it improves insulin sensitivity.
Excellent thank you for this information this is crucial. NAC is truly amazing. In my opinion SSRIs are inhumane and no person should disturb their serotonin balance with SSRIs.
@Bella Castillo What dosage did you take, did you take it with or without food and at what time of the day? This is important to know. But of course everyone will react differently.
@I adore G-d , do you ? Are you talking about SSRI or NAC being responsible for YOUR ER trip
@I adore G-d , do you ? That's the first time i am hearing anyone suffer an adverse reaction to NAC. Maybe your dosage was far too high or anything else...
@I adore G-d , do you ? no but based on current evidence has a much safer method of action
Did you know "chronic fatigue" and "chronic fatigue syndrome" (cfs) are different? People with chronic fatigue are exactly that.. chronically tired. People with the syndrome have bodies that basically poison them from the effort of physical activity. Mixing the two is why people think exercise therapy works.. because it works on the people who are chronically fatigued from stress and depression, and not people who are seriously ruined internally by cfs.
Sounds interesting. I get exhaustion, nausea and headaches when I do exercise other then walking in nature. For example I go to to gym 3 x for 30mins a week, and lately even with a weekly 1 hour yoga class.
I tried again and again but exercise makes me feel so unwell. Is that what you mean by ruined internally? What would be the reason for it, and remedy?
@@Bellaregina11 currently sounds like chronic fatigue or adrenal fatigue rather than CFS (the syndrome) but it could be a mild cfs. Do you have quite a stressful life? Constant anxiety? Working on your mental health and stress levels for a long period of time may bring your body back to a fully working state. It can get in a really really bad place from chronic stress and/or too busy lifestyle and that's not taken seriously enough in medicine..
@@kerryh3833 it's definitely adrenal fatigue and probs something else. I used to have an extremely stressful life as a single mum with 3 children in a country far far away from any family support. The children have grown up and turned out all fantastic. I have my own business that I really enjoy and I get plenty of rest. I learnt for most of the time to avoid stress, as it just sets me off. Also a super healthy diet with heaps of vegetables and little fruit , sugar and alcohol really helps. I just would like to do more exercise to stay strong :)
@@Bellaregina11 all I can think is work on your reaction to stress / stress response. Mindfulness? Meditation? And maybe give your body some rest from any strenuous exercise for a long period of time and go back to it when you feel you have the other stuff under control. Strenuous exercise actually causes stress response x
@@kerryh3833 that sounds like a simple and good idea. I will give it a shot. Thank you.
thank you ,,you answered my question ,,I was struggle with my x wife for 10 years ,,and lost my family 5 children are struggle NAC would help this long ago thank you doctor once again
7:20 NAC probably helps mops up all the leftover psychiatric drugs left in the person's system...
Thank you
This is a very interesting alternative theory and i'm glad to see it followed.
Thanks for the video.
Love what I’m hearing. I agree fatigue is definitely a considerable symptom to a lot of diseases. Just wish diet and fasting and probiotic intake was also included in the mitochondrial cocktail.
What's the longest you've fasted, n how were the results wit NAC?
@@aphysique 1Gram of B1 Thiamine (benfotiamine) with 500MG of NAC seems to be giving me an extra boost. I feel an increase in my dopamine levels, motivation, less impulsive behaviors (sugar cravings and alcohol consumption), less procrastination, more focused on repetitive tasks, and after 1 week the effects haven’t worn off yet. I’ll reply back after 30days to see how things are going but so far this is definitely a win for me. I take another 300MG of Benfotiamine before bed and it helps with deep sleep. I’ve tried so many stacks and mental health supplements over the years. I recommend watching several in depth videos by Elliot Overton on mega dosing vitamin B1. He definitely might be onto something due to alcohol abuse, generational carbohydrate intake, fasting and a few other factors can all lead to a depletion to B1 which can cause brain related issues.
The max duration i fast for is 72hours mainly for autophagy purposes and ketone increase in the brain. Never would have thought that I love fasting now. I do one meal a day 80% of the time and then I cycle between 24hr-72hr water on fasts.
Questions are for AFTER the presentation.. those people should know what a disruptive effect it has to be interrupted…
Another Great video ❤❤❤❤❤💪😆
Hey Doc, have you looked at magnesium levels in cerebral spino fluids as part of this or considered the impact of supplemental magnesium theronate and melatonin especially at night? The combo at night improves sleep and that can also impact health both physical and mental.
Eric Warmath magnesium, Zinc and B6 are cofactors in the production of serotonin which converts to melatonin. So the combination makes sense for sleep
Why give settle with the building blocks which would require energy to convert if energy is a problem as suggested with ATP? Seems skipping a step might be easier. I'm not against making sure one has all the building blocks but the blocks could get reprioritized to other deficient areas first whereas targeted forms would tend to go where intended first right? Mag, zinc and B6 do hundreds of things in the body. Whereas mag theronate and melatonin are more brain oriented out of the box.
Thoorate type magnesium best taken during day and mag glycinate at nights
B6 is second to none for every process in the body. Especially with n acetyle cysteine. B6 pyroxidine/ folate and B12. B6 is a cofactor slash transporter as I understand it's part in alot of things.
When is the best time to take NAC, before bed or after waking up?
Does not matter...
@beslemeto Thank you
Could this be useful for PSSD
“more recent toys”
i’m gonna like this guy
Something else to consider. Perhaps NAC and antidepressants in recent studies are negative because now a days, everyone is diagnosed with depression and anxiety and it drowns out the patient population. Antidepressants really shine in people with "true" or more severe depression and anxiety as a disorder and disease. Think about it, why does NAC seem so helpful for schizophrenia and bipolar depression in studies? Probably because people dont easily get those diagnosis. They are not overdiagnosed so the study populations reflect people who truly have a serious case of these disorders.
Yeah that's a point that is the reason severe cases are underestimated that badly needs any supplement or even ssri or any other antidepressants.
What were the NAC dosages?
James Madison not medical advice - for different conditions different doses have been used. OCD - up to 3000 mg /day. Higher doses have been used in other conditions. psychscenehub.com/video/application-of-n-acetylcysteine-nac-from-addiction-to-autism/
Recently published article on nutritional supplements in general which includes NAC : psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/nutritional-supplements-in-psychiatric-disorders-the-evidence-2/
What is CBT and SSRI, please? I am portuguese and i am still learning this terms.
Terapia cognitivo-Cognitive behavioural therapy / Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRI) inibidor selectivo da recaptação da serotonina, ISRS
@@PsychiatrySimplified thank you so much 🌺
Don't they just have more energy during manic because manic is fed by the adrenals going into overdrive? And adrenals make your energy more readily available
Medcram
Says Nac works for lung issues.
Where can we find the follow up to the mitochondria "cocktail" results?? I'm trying to treat my Akathisia....would really like to know. Right now I just take NAC.
NAC does wonders for mitochondria alone. So I wouldn't worry too much. Just look up individual supplements that restore or modulate mitochondrial function. I heard someone who does these studies hypothesis that taking d l phenylalanine with NAC would create a synergy that would hypothetically complete the puzzle of mental/ possibly even physical health.
These were the results of the mitochondrial cocktail study. The overall study was negative - In summary, this study produced unexpected data on the potential efficacy of NAC and CT for the treatment of bipolar depression. While negative on the primary 16-week outcome, as measured by the MADRS, there was statistical separation on a number of measures at the 20-week post-discontinuation visit, which was offset by a possible increase in manic symptoms, as measured by the YMRS. Though this study does not provide a clear pathway to treat bipolar depression by augmenting mitochondrial function, it does furnish us with proof of principle and points to a mechanistic role of increased biogenesis in the pathophysiology of mania. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6346513/
Take colloidal gold or monatomic white powder gold if you don’t want to be depressed
Anyone know if it's dangerous to take if you have generally quite low blood pressure?
Yes it does thin blood so if you take blood thinners def don't take or atleast not at the same time. But I take them in higher doses with other thinners such as fish oil, ginko biloba without any issues. So up to you they say talk to your doc but they don't particular know much if any info on supplements, amino acids, vitamins.
Honest!
:( He said NAC has no effects on Pulmonary Fibrosis......... 6:58
Maybe in supplement form
NAC has a very potent effect on it
But the doses must be high
Would NAC help with stiff breathing... Like, vascular damage
Clinically it is difficult to say as causes of breathing difficulties need to be ruled out first. NAC has anti inflammatory effects and mucolytic effects .
@@PsychiatrySimplified my lung function test and CHEST CT scan were normal. I havent yet done an angiogram though. But overall the other tests were normal. Thoughts?
@@anisatoru536 very difficult to say - your respiratory specialist is best placed to evaluate this. Here is a study of nac on vascular function www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109700010937
What amount ?when to take it?what take NAC with?
Depends on condition. Worth discussing with pharmacist or doctor
Condition?? Hope you can answer my other Question pls ❤
@@jimtempleton4312 have a read of this article - NAC doses for different conditions mentioned psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/nutritional-supplements-in-psychiatric-disorders-the-evidence-2/
@@PsychiatrySimplified Curious about dose for Akathisia (which I've had for the past 19 months now)
@@LatterDaisySaint please see this video for treatment options for akathisia. Please discuss with a medical professional. ua-cam.com/video/GBSTgSaLUsg/v-deo.html
Can I take NAC if i have mercury fillings
No issues
But get that crap out soon
I have mercury fillings, I thought it was more detrimental to have them removed?
Every time I take NAC I get an outbreak of cold sores. Why would that be, as it doesn’t make sense?
Regina D. Not sure about the mechanism but inflammatory oral side effects are listed
Perhaps you are using up your vit b’s. Try taking vit b complex along w nac. Pl let us know if it helps
@@caroline61804 thank you for your reply. I have been on B vitamin complex for years (150mg formula) So I would have taken it at the times I tried. The last two weeks I started to take 1g of Niacin daily, together with TMG of course. No flushing or side effects at all!! Do you think it may be worth trying again while taking 1g off bit B3?
@Taiwo Omotosho thank you very much for your reply. I just watched a couple of videos on it. That is exactly what is happening and explains quite a few other strange symptoms I am experiencing! Like getting headaches if I exercise or experiencing stress, high cholesterol, lots of sensitivity to food and fumes. All that even though I have a super good diet with 10 cups of vegetables a day.
After doing a lot of research, I started a few month ago to take 1g of niacin together with TMG. Now I can take NAC and also eat nuts again without getting cold sores. Very very happy. I hope a lot of my other symptoms will get better too. I certainly will do more research to further improve my health and well-being. Thank you again.🙏
I have gene mutations MTHFR + C677T and currently have Akathisia (medication induced brain injury). I take a methylated Bvit complex plus folate at the same time I take my NAC and have no issues (and I am usually prone to cold sores). Taking the two in concert seems to be a great combo!!
Take colloidal gold if you don’t wanna be depressed
13:08
Nac 600 then 1200 then 1800 maybe stop