Recently, a friend of mine named Beth called. She awoke with the sensation that something was caught under her eyelid. Rinsing the eye didn’t help much, and after a couple of hours it was clear that whatever it was, wasn’t going to work itself out. A visit to the doctor revealed the mystery: she had chronic posterior blepharitis, a fairly common inflammation of the inner eyelid, often simply called blepharitis.

A burning sensation in the eye is a typical symptom of blepharitis. And it’s often accompanied by itching, as well as excessive dryness, or sometimes just the opposite: excessive tearing. Beth’s doctor prescribed a standard therapy that included a round of antibiotics, eye drops, or ‘artificial tears,’ and warm compresses.

Her eye is doing much better now, but her vision problem might not have occurred at all if she had known about a 2002 study that showed how N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may be effective in relieving blepharitis symptoms, and possibly even preventing the condition.

Immune system multi-tasker

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an amino acid that enhances the production of glutathione, one of the body’s most powerful antioxidant enzymes. In fact supplements of NAC may be an important tool in combating Alzheimer’s disease, as well as a host of other health problems from the flu to heart disease.

Previous studies have shown that patients with ailments associated with a breakdown in the immune system are often deficient in their levels of glutathione. As a precursor of glutathione, NAC has been used for many years to treat chronic respiratory ailments with its apparent ability to help break up and dissolve the mucous that contributes to pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma and sinusitis.

The ability to stimulate strong antioxidant activity is also the key to other possible benefits of NAC. Studies have already shown that NAC may significantly lower homocysteine levels. Add to that the antioxidant effect in reducing plaque that can clog arteries, and it’s clear why NAC is regarded as a potentially useful tool in fighting heart disease and preventing strokes and heart attacks.

Beyond heart and respiratory health, researchers believe that further studies may show NAC to provide preventive benefits for vision health. Because both the macula and the lens of the eye have been shown to respond favourably to a boost in antioxidant activity, it’s theorised that NAC supplements may help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

The eyes of Istanbul

In a study conducted last year, scientists in the Ophthalmology department at Okmeydani Training Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, tested the theory that blepharitis may be caused by oxidation damage to the meibomian glands (that help create tears) by corrupting the molecules that manufacture the oily layer of tear film over the surface of the eye.

The Istanbul team studied a group of 40 subjects suffering from chronic posterior blepharitis. Half of the group received standard treatments (similar to those I described for Beth – but without NAC), while the other half received the same treatments, supplemented with 100mg of NAC orally, three times each day.

After 8 weeks of treatments, the researchers found that the members of the group receiving NAC supplements showed a significantly greater improvement in the structure of their tear film, as well as a greater reduction of blepharitis symptoms. These are very encouraging results, but because of the small size and brief duration of this study, more extensive research is called for. And I expect that there’s a good chance that it’s already underway, because, long before this test was conducted, NAC was already known to be a highly beneficial supplement.

The antioxidant express

Another study has shown that patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease showed marked improvements in cognitive functions after beginning a regimen of NAC supplements. Again, the antioxidant effect is the most likely explanation for this success. Currently, other studies are being conducted to explore the effects of NAC on other central nervous system diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

While the use of NAC on all of these chronic conditions is very promising, there’s no need to wait until you have a 4-alarm immune system emergency to start taking NAC supplements. Your body’s glutathione can sometimes become depleted by simple injuries or even just strenuous activity.

Fortunately, NAC is widely available in health food stores and from supplement suppliers. The NAC dosage in the blepharitis study was 300 mg per day – only half the amount typically used in the treatment of bronchitis. But it would be wise to consult with your doctor before taking a dosage that high. Some of the bronchitis studies report side effects of dizziness, headaches and digestive problems among about 20% of participants who took 600mg of NAC per day.

One other cautionary note: You should take vitamin C along with NAC, to prevent amino acids from oxidation.

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