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The patient group was given 1.2 grams of NAC (N-acetyl L-cysteine, an amino acid precursor to glutathione) every day. The control group was given placebos that looked and tasted the same as the NAC.

Over the course of the subsequent flu season, physicians regularly screened blood samples for a particular flu virus that was known to be circulating in the population.

While the number infected with the known flu virus was statistically the same between patients and controls, there was a very large difference between the groups in demonstrating flu symptoms.

The group receiving the NAC had flu virus detected in 29% of patient blood. In the group recieving placebo, 24% had flu virus detected in their blood. There is no statistically significant difference between these two groups in the rate of virus infection.

In the rate of developing flu symptoms, there was a very significant difference. In the control group 79% of the patients who had flu virus detected also had obvious flu symptoms. Only 25% of the group recieving the daily NAC showed any flu symptoms at all, when infected with the same flu.

The strength of the immune response of the NAC group in putting down the flu infection was also significant when noting the severity and number of symptoms by those who developed them, when compared to controls who were also infected. The number of days in bed to recover from the flu were significantly different between the two groups too, with the NAC group spending much less time there.

Glutathiones importance to proper immune function is now well established by many studies. The AIDS epidemic has provided much illumination to the essential nature of adequate glutathione for a competent immune response.

The study reported here is clinical, multi-centered, prospective, double blind, with statistically significant sample sizes, and statistically significant differences in outcome between NAC and placebo.

If one chooses to know nothing else, one has to conclude that supplementing NAC has a significant, positive effect on the ability of the human to resist flu symptoms.

Including the other known facts about NAC as a Glutathione precursor, and sulfur bearing amino acid, this study demonstrates a very desirable clinical outcome from boosting glutathione through food supplements.

Read on for the journal reference, followed by graphs we've created from the published results of this study.

Title
Attenuation of influenza-like symptomatology and improvement of cell-mediated immunity with long-term N-acetylcysteine treatment.
Author
De Flora S; Grassi C; Carati L
Address
Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy.
Source
Eur Respir J, 10(7):1535-41 1997 Jul
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an analogue and precursor of reduced glutathione, has been in clinical use for more than 30 yrs as a mucolytic drug. It has also been proposed for and/or used in the therapy and/or prevention of several respiratory diseases and of diseases involving an oxidative stress, in general. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with NAC on influenza and influenza-like episodes.
A total of 262 subjects of both sexes (78% > or = 65 yrs, and 62% suffering from nonrespiratory chronic degenerative diseases) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial involving 20 Italian Centres. They were randomized to receive either placebo or NAC tablets (600 mg) twice daily for 6 months. Patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases were not eligible, to avoid possible confounding by an effect of NAC on respiratory symptoms.
NAC treatment was well tolerated and resulted in a significant decrease in the frequency of influenza-like episodes, severity, and length of time confined to bed. Both local and systemic symptoms were sharply and significantly reduced in the NAC group. Frequency of seroconversion towards A/H1N1 Singapore 6/86 influenza virus was similar in the two groups, but only 25% of virus-infected subjects under NAC treatment developed a symptomatic form, versus 79% in the placebo group. Evaluation of cell-mediated immunity showed a progressive, significant shift from anergy to normoergy following NAC treatment.
Administration of N-acetylcysteine during the winter, thus, appears to provide a significant attenuation of influenza and influenza-like episodes, especially in elderly high-risk individuals. N-acetylcysteine did not prevent A/H1N1 virus influenza infection but significantly reduced the incidence of clinically apparent disease.

For a strong immune system and resistance to the flu we suggest our Defense & Replenish and Glutathione Precursors products.

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