Safety Profile
Overall safety rating: Generally Safe
Glutathione (Liver Support) Side Effects & Safety
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Full disclaimer
Potential Side Effects
- Mild GI discomfort (nausea, bloating) with oral glutathione
- NAC may cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, especially at higher doses
- Rare: allergic reactions to NAC (bronchospasm in asthmatics)
- Sulfur-containing supplements (NAC) may cause sulfurous breath or body odor
Drug & Supplement Interactions
- NAC may potentiate the effects of nitroglycerin and other nitrate medications (vasodilation, headache)
- High-dose NAC may interact with activated charcoal (reduced absorption of both)
- Glutathione supplementation may theoretically reduce effectiveness of certain chemotherapy drugs that rely on oxidative mechanisms — consult oncologist
- NAC may interact with cough suppressants containing dextromethorphan
Maximum Dose
Do not exceed: 2000mg/day oral glutathione or 2400mg/day NAC
References
- Hayes JD, Flanagan JU, Jowsey IR (2005). Glutathione transferases. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology. DOI PubMed
- Prescott LF, Park J, Ballantyne A, Adriaenssens P, Proudfoot AT (1979). Treatment of paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning with N-acetylcysteine. Lancet. DOI PubMed
- Honda Y, Kessoku T, Sumida Y, Kobayashi T, Kato T, Ogawa Y, Tomeno W, Imajo K, Fujita K, Yoneda M, Kataoka K, Taguri M, Yamanaka T, Seko Y, Tanaka S, Saito S, Ono M, Oeda S, Eguchi Y, Aoi W, Sato K, Itoh Y, Nakajima A (2017). Efficacy of glutathione for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, pilot study. BMC Gastroenterology. DOI PubMed
- Lu SC (2013). Glutathione synthesis. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. DOI PubMed