amino acid supplement sold in health
food stores. This proved to be a winner.
"Fantastic," said one volunteer. "My head
didn't feel fuzzy at all," said another.
NAC is thought to work by boosting the
body's ability to mop up destructive
chemicals called free radicals which build
up in the liver as enzymes break down
ethanol. Free radicals are usually seen off
by glutathione, but after heavy drinking
reserves of this enzyme can run low. NAC
helps because it is rich in cysteine, a
sulphur-rich amino acid that forms the
core of glutathione. Fuelled by supplies of
cysteine, glutathione remains plentiful
and detoxification goes on for longer.
"NAC is like a 'pro-drug' that's converted
into glutathione," says Carl Waltenbaugh,
an alcohol researcher from Northwestern
University Medical School in Chicago.
NAC also gives a clue to the success of
some age-old hangover cures, such as
prairie oysters, omelettes and the English
fried breakfast. They all contain
eggs-which are also rich in cysteine.
http://www.newscientist.com/alcohol/alcohol.jsp?id=ns221458
BTW, they reckon drinking lots of water before snoozing doesn't work.
Damien Broderick