Supplementaceuticals 101 - NAC & C60

Supplementaceuticals

A Segment in an Ongoing Review of Nutritional Hacks, Stacks, and Complements

By Phil Kaplan

If I were to tell you I’m about to share truths related to the vast array of Supplementaceuticals, you’d likely follow with the well-justified outburst, “Supplementa-whaaaat?”

Don’t worry.  I haven’t exposed a flaw in your retention of vocabulary items.

I’ve simply made up a word. 

Sort of. 

Real or constructed, supplementaceuticals (not to be mistaken for supercalifragilisticexpialadocious) is a long word, and if you suffer from hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (ironically, a fear of long words), it might shake you up a bit, but I introduce the word with the best of intentions.

If you have a bit of patience and a desire to effectively navigate the nutritional maze, in this series I’m going to shed some light on how you can maximize health, energy, and well-being with the few nutritional supplements that can markedly serve your quest for betterment.

Vitamins and Minerals - The Supplements We Know

We all understand that vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal health and metabolism.  We can point to a few we recognize as vital such as Vitamin C and B-complex, or Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium, but there are near 30,000 nutritional supplements available to consumers with the great majority misunderstood, overhyped, or over-inflated as to their “benefits.”

I can’t possibly deliver an entire list of “the good ones” in a single article, but I can start here and over the course of a number of pieces, help you make wise and efficacious selections based on your own needs, your understanding of what these compounds may add or enhance, and  some self-imposed careful experimentation.

Let’s take a moment to understand the word I made up.

SUPP LE MEN TA CEU TI CALS

You know the word “supplement” and in 2023 “supplements” are often mistakenly thought of as “needs.” 

While it’s true that our soil is depleted, many foods are processed and diminished in their nutritional value, and we’re subjected to unprecedented levels of environmental toxins, it’s a stretch to call “supplements” requirements.  If, however, we’re defining “requirements” not as needs for survival, but rather as important staples for mainlining or restoring optimal health, an argument could be made stating that probiotics and antioxidants have crossed over the line from “supplement” to necessity or health requirement.”

The marketing of supplements is nothing short of a frenzied wild-West free-for-all, interweaving fiction, nonsense, and a hint of truth.  Too many blindly believe "the government will protect us," or "the  supplement police are watching," yet despite the common belief to the alternative, the FDA Does Not Approve Supplements or even examine products in this category before they hit the marketplace.

So in hopes of providing clarity, I want to talk about supplements, but not really focus on the generic multi-vitamin types.  Let’s zero in on the novel compounds that are revealing themselves in credible research circles to have indisputable benefits in the areas of (1) disease prevention, (2) disease reversal, (3) longevity, (4) biological restoration, (5) cellular protection, (6) exceptional performance (brain and body), and (7) metabolic optimization (including fat loss capacity).

The List of Potential Benefits of Supplementaceuticals

1. Disease Prevention
2. Disease Reversal
3. Longevity
4. Biological Restoration
5. Cellular Protection
6. Exceptional Performance (brain and body)
7. Metabolic Optimization (including fat loss capacity)

Some supplements are packaged to appear medical.  To establish a position of greater value and an elevation in credibility, they’re labeled and sold under the clever term categorized as "nutraceuticals."  They're sold in medical centers and doctors offices displayed in beautiful glass cases screaming legitimacy.

The “ceutical” part of the word makes it sound . . . well . . . “pharmaceutical-like,” but in most cases, the same compounds can be found in supplemental form outside of medical practices with significantly lower price tags.

Rather than entering into a debate with doctors, chiropractors, and wellness practitioners to smoke out the answers as to whether their “nutraceutical products” are superior, let’s just blend the two words, supplement and nutraceutical and discuss the compounds themselves from a perspective of impact on any of the seven areas I just outlined.

KEY QUESTIONS, SAFETY AND EFFICACY

With a few questions out of the way, I’ll address what I believe to be two of the most valuable supplemental antioxidants, both novel and proven (to some degree), in the related realms of longevity and health.

For now, two questions should do it.  Here goes . . . 

QUESTION #1: If something is sold “Over the Counter,” is it “safe?”

Safe?  Not necessarily.  While most of the more innocuous supplements are components of foods, (such as fruit, vegetables, grains, and animal products), select herbs, botanicals, water plants (algae), roots, and mushrooms can have some significant effects beyond “nutrition.” 

It’s also important to note the distinction between “natural” whole-food sourced supplements and synthetic compounds which are often subjected to chemical processing and unnatural solvents.  While this in and of itself may not inherently be dangerous, quality control, toxicity, and whether or not the body recognizes these compounds as it would recognize the natural versions are all variables to be considered. 

Finally, as with all nutritional products, there are a great many individual variables that can determine your potential for adverse reaction.

QUESTION #2: Do supplementaceuticals “work?”

There are common compounds that have drug-like effects (i.e. caffeine which can be delivered in herbal products such as extracts of guarana and Kola Nut) in that they stimulate the central nervous system and you “feel” the effects, but most viable supplementaceuticals integrated into a sound nutrition program should positively interact with the whole foods you consume for an enhanced synergistic result. 

The question, “does it work” is a difficult one to answer, as many expect a drug-like effect, one they experience or feel within minutes of dosing, or a dramatic physical change such as rapid fat loss. 

For most pursuing optimal health through sound nutrition, the effects will reveal themselves over time, or in some cases, the absence of symptoms or discomfort is a subtle outcome not acutely recognized in any given moment.

If you choose products that align with your needs and desired outcomes, and they contribute in any way to betterment, than they “work.”  Not usually quickly, but often beneficially, and sometimes, over time, dramatically.

NOW LET’S LOOK AT 2 EXAMPLES OF NOVEL SUPPLEMENTACEUTICALS THAT APPEAR TO “WORK”

I told you earlier I’d discuss a couple of valuable antioxidants and you might have expected a discussion on Zinc, Beta-Carotene, or an extract of Green Tea.  If we’re looking for “the most powerful antioxidant” we’d have to land on Glutathione.  And if we could simply swallow this powerful compound and increase our blood and cellular supply this would be a single short paragraph with simple instruction.  "Take Glutathione."

The challenge is, swallowing Glutathione capsules has little actual value.  Oral glutathione is not easily absorbed and most will be destroyed by digestive enzymes and stomach acids.  For that reason, I and my colleagues and clients in the know usually opt to get Glutathione intravenously.

Before I give you the "hack," we should probably address the obvious question.

What is Glutathione (GSH)? 

For the sake of brevity I’ll say it’s a tripeptide (synthesized endogenously from glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid),  that is accurately referred to as “the Master Antioxidant.”  This free radical scavenger is present in blood, cells, and tissues where it serves efficiently as a protective agent.  Glutathione is highly prevalent in the liver playing a key role in mitigating toxicity. 

I’ll add that Glutathione is highly active in repair of respiratory vessels, cardiovascular structures, and the gastrointestinal tract so its role in immune function is undeniable, and for biochemists and healers, worthy of a fair amount of awe.

The two primary factors that diminish our ability to synthesize and sustain glutathione levels are aging and stress (oxidation).  With even this basic understanding, it becomes clear that as we become further distant from childhood, “increasing compromised GSH levels” is at the top of the supplementaceutical intention food chain.

"Time Out.  If we can't swallow capsules and get a Glutathione Boost, how do we get it?"

The common answer . . . Intravenously!

While an intravenous push or drip may in fact be the best option for kicking up GSH levels, it’s not the only way and for some, it's not an attractive one at all.  It requires someone sticking a needle in your arm and using a syringe or an IV drip to directly infuse this redox powerhouse into your system.  It may run you between $75 - $175 depending on the dosage and source. 

That leads me to conclude, IV Glutathione is good, I'd even say "very good," but it isn’t mandatory if the goal is to regain youthful levels.

Changing your nutritional input can result in you boosting your own levels needle-free.

It’s important to understand that, as  I mentioned moments ago, your body can synthesize its own glutathione.  Naturally.  It needs the right raw materials, and unlike oral glutathione powder, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) can make it through the stomach and find its way to absorption. 

NAC is a glutathione precursor, thus, supplementing with NAC and consuming glutathione-rich foods (grass fed meat, dairy, and whey protein) can increase blood levels and cellular content of Glutathione significantly. 

Let's consider NAC supplementation a simple hack for spiking our internal supply of what we now know as  the master antioxidant.

SO THE FIRST OF THE 2 SUPPLEMENTS I’M ADVISING YOU TO CONSIDER, FOR HEALTH, IMMUNE OPTMIZATION, AND DISEASE PREVENTION, IS . . .

1. N-ACETYL CYSTINE (NAC)

NOTICE: There may be a slight challenge in souring N-Acetyl Cysteine.  NAC is used in medical practices and emergency rooms to treat severe liver toxicity, thus, it has been used as a drug and has suffered its fair share of scrutiny related to its OTC availability.  In 2022 the FDA announced possible restrictions on the sale of NAC as a nutritional supplement.  Since then safety testing that failed to show any risk, so . . . try to find it, consider 600 mg per day, and if you believe it to be a valuable supplement to increase availability of your own glutathione, I suggest you stock up.  Just in case.

If you’d like to try to understand the FDA’s stance on restriction of NAC, you can start here.

FDA Update on NAC Guidance

COMING UP, THE REVEAL OF SUPER-ANTIOXIDANT #2

Let's now take a quick  look at a fullerene, more specifically a Buckminsterfullerene (uh oh, another long word), called C60. 

As before, an obvious question arises.  The obvious question that now begs to be addressed is . . .

“What, Phil, is a fullerene?”

Ah, I’m glad you asked.

It’s a molecular carbon cage.  Imagine a microscopic soccer ball where the lines are bonds between select points (carbon atoms) and the inside is hollow.  A spherical cage made up of carbon with the bonds forming a spherical polyhedron (Geometry 101) made up of molecular hexagons and pentagons where 60 carbon molecules are bound together.

I’ll stop here on the scientific description and the geometry jargon, but for those who seek to understand the depth and detail of fullerene science, I’m providing a link to the Wikipedia description:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene

Here’s what I can tell you in a brief compelling paragraph or two, a few snippets of insight that might prompt you to give it a try:

2. C-60

C-60 is a very powerful redox agent (antioxidant) that is well-evidenced to also have anti-inflammatory properties.  There’s evidence to suggest is may also play a role in “maintaining normal weight” and detoxify the  blood stream and cellular structures of pathogens and heavy metals.

That alone merits attention . . . but WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

There were two landmark studies conducted with rodents indicating a dramatic increase in longevity (near double). 

I want to say that again.  In peer-reviewed published studies, the use of C-60 DOUBLED the lifespan of mammals!

Skeptics often point to the fact that there aren’t any human studies showing the same longevity effects.  There’s a very good reason.  Rodents have a lifespan of roughly 128 days.   To assess whether their lifespan doubled, we’d only have to wait 6 months or so. 

We couldn’t draw similar conclusions from similar human studies for upwards of 160 years!

For the researchers among us, check out  "the Baati study" as published in the June 2012 issue of the Journal, Biomaterials:

Baati T, Bourasset F, Gharbi N, Njim L, Abderrabba M, Kerkeni A, Szwarc H, Moussa F. The prolongation of the lifespan of rats by repeated oral administration of [60]fullerene. Biomaterials. 2012 Jun;33(19):4936-46. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.03.036. Epub 2012 Apr 10. Erratum in: Biomaterials. 2012 Sep;33(26):6292-4. PMID: 22498298.

I’ll share further details on usage and what to expect in another article, but for now, I say the science is legit, the promise is extreme, and for anyone seeking to reduce entropy and slow the aging process, I haven’t seen any available supplement that even comes close to C60’s apparent potential.

Two quick cautions.  (1) It should be diluted in olive oil (water soluble C60 in a base of water did NOT have the same effect) and (2) it should be kept in a dark bottle not exposed to light (to prevent the oil from becoming rancid).

That’s a wrap for now.  Keep in mind, no “supplement” or “nutraceutical” will prove to be a “fix” or solution in and of itself.  With that in mind, explore the virtues of NAC and C60 and in the weeks to come, we’ll explore an impressive collection of nutritional hacks, stacks, and complements.

Find Resources for NAC, C60, and other Supplementaceuticals Addressed in the Younger Better Stronger Program.

NOTE: If you live in South Florida, email me to schedule a Glutathione IV

or

CLICK HERE TO make an appointment to come visit my new  facility, Infinite IMPACT in Boca Raton and arrange a complimentary "experience" including red light therapy, PEMF, and more, and if you want a GSH IV we can include it for only $75:

SCHEDULE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT INFINITE IMPACT

Coming Up Next: Clinoptilolite, the great detoxifier

And Then: NMN and NAD+ for cellular anti-aging