L-Cysteine
From Wikiwel
L-cysteine is an amino acid commonly sold in dietary supplement form. Also found naturally in the human body, L-cysteine is available in many foods as well. There are a number of foods that contain L-cysteine, including meat, dairy products, eggs, and legumes.
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Special Precautions of L-Cysteine
- Although little is known about the safety of long-term use of L-cysteine supplements, there's some concern that taking L-cysteine in combination with certain medications (such as prednisone and other drugs that suppress the immune system) may increase the potency of those medications and trigger adverse effects.
- It's important to note that self-treating a chronic condition—especially a serious illness such as COPD or cardiovascular disease—and avoiding or delaying the use of standard care can have serious health consequences. If you're considering the use of L-cysteine supplements in treatment of a chronic health problem, consult your physician before starting your supplement regimen.
The benefits of L-Cysteine are
L-cysteine is touted as a natural treatment for the following health problems:
- angina
- cardiovascular disease
- chronic bronchitis
- diabetes : Animal-based research indicates that L-cysteine may aid in the treatment of diabetes. In a 2009 study published in Free Radical Biology & Medicine, for instance, diabetic rats treated with L-cysteine experienced a significant decrease in blood sugar levels and in insulin resistance. Additionally, L-cysteine appeared to inhibit blood vessel inflammation (shown to be a key contributor to heart disease among diabetes patients).
- flu
- inflammation
- inflammatory bowel disease : A 2009 study from the Dutch journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta suggests that L-cysteine shows promise in the treatment of colitis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease). In tests on pigs, scientists found that L-cysteine may help reduce colitis-associated inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
- osteoarthritis
- enhance lung health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death in the United States.
- prevent colon cancer
- boost sports performance
- Free Radicals : L-cysteine may help prevent exercise-induced overproduction of free radicals (a process shown to contribute to oxidative stress). In an experiment involving 10 male basketball players, the authors of a 2007 study published in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine determined that one week of supplementation with L-cysteine helped boost antioxidant capacity and reduce free radical production.
- promote detox.
Food Sources of Cysteine
Cysteine is found in a variety of foods including poultry, yogurt, egg yolks, red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, oats, and wheat germ.
