NAC & PCO

 cysteine (NAC)  &Magnesium

D-Pinitol is 3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol that occurs naturally in several different foods, including legumes and citrus fruits. D-Pinitol is converted into d-chiro-inositol in the body. Like d-chiro-inositol, pinitol appears to favorably influence the action of insulin. In a double-blind study of patients with type 2 diabetes, administration of 600 mg of pinitol twice a day for three months reduced blood glucose concentration by 19.3%, decreased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentration by 12.4% and significantly improved insulin resistance. In a shorter-term double-blind study, administration of pinitol at a dose of 20 mg per kg of body weight per day for four weeks decreased mean fasting plasma glucose concentration by 5.3%.

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)

N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is a stable derivative of the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine and an antioxidant that is needed for the production of glutathione, one of the body's most important natural antioxidants and detoxifiers. While cysteine is found in high protein foods, n-acetyl cysteine is not. A large body of evidence supports the use of NAC in women with PCOS.

Improving Insulin Sensitivity
Women with PCOS frequently have an abnormally high insulin response to sugars and refined starches. A 2002 study evaluated the effect of NAC on insulin secretion and peripheral insulin resistance in women with PCOS (Fulghesu 2002). The study subjects who had an exaggerated insulin response to a glucose challenge and were treated with NAC showed an improvement in insulin function in their peripheral tissues. The NAC treatment also produced a significant decline in testosterone levels and in free androgen index values. The researchers concluded, "NAC may be a new treatment for the improvement of circulating insulin levels and insulin sensitivity in hyperinsulinemic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome."

Restoring Fertility
NAC may also be useful for improving fertility in women with PCOS. In one study, NAC appeared to improve the effects of Clomid®, the widely used fertility drug. Clomid® plus NAC significantly improved ovulation rates in a study of 573 women with PCOS. According to the researchers, 52% of the study participants who took Clomid® plus NAC ovulated, whereas only 18% ovulated in the Clomid® alone group. The authors concluded: "N-Acetyl cysteine is proved effective in inducing or augmenting ovulation in polycystic ovary patients.".

Similarly, a study of Clomid®-resistant women has shown that NAC appears to make Clomid® more effective. In the study, 150 Clomid®-resistant women with PCOS were divided into two groups: one group took Clomid® and NAC. The other group took Clomid® and a placebo. In the NAC group, 49.3% ovulated and 1.3% became pregnant. In contrast, in the placebo group, only 21% ovulated and there were no pregnancies.

Worth noting, the same researchers compared the effects of a NAC- Clomid® combination with the metformin- Clomid® combination on ovulation induction in anovulatory Clomid®-resistant women with PCOS. The efficacy of the metformin- Clomid® combination therapy is significantly higher than that of NAC-Clomid^® for inducing ovulation and achieving pregnancy among Clomid®-resistant PCOS patients.