N-Acetylcysteine and Macular Degeneration
A large study from Taiwan found that people who took the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) had a much lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) . The study used national health insurance data and included over 5,000 NAC users and 5,000 non-users . NAC users showed a significantly lower risk of both dry and wet AMD, especially at higher doses , suggesting a dose-response effect . NAC helps protect cells by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation , both key factors in AMD. However, the benefit was mainly seen in those taking larger or longer-term doses , and the data for wet AMD were less certain due to fewer cases. The authors caution that, since this was a retrospective database study , more prospective clinical research is needed to confirm NAC’s protective role and clarify the optimal dosage.