N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has an unusually broad human evidence base spanning glutathione biology, respiratory medicine, acetaminophen toxicity, exercise and recovery, psychiatry, fertility, healthy aging and selected clinical settings. This Data Center separates established medical uses from supplement research, maps positive and negative trials, and grades evidence by study design rather than treating every proposed benefit as equally established.
Small randomized subgroup study of ADHD symptom scores in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus, not a trial in typical ADHD.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.5811/westjem.2012.4.6885PMID 23687539PMC3656701
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human evidence with useful design strength but limited by sample size, duration or scope.
Controlled human evidence with useful design strength but limited by sample size, duration or scope.
Controlled human evidence with useful design strength but limited by sample size, duration or scope.
Controlled human evidence with useful design strength but limited by sample size, duration or scope.
Sourcedoi:10.47626/1516-4446-2024-3541PMID 41021585PMC12681350
Systematic review of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials in human AUD/PTSD populations.
Sourcedoi:10.1186/s12888-026-08124-8PMID 42115982PMC13162469
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Relatively large, long-duration randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in children with autistic disorder.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.1038/s41467-024-51079-1PMID 39349461PMC11442465
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Sourcedoi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12010055PMID 22706327PMC3410961
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.04.020PMID 28623823PMC5535813
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.1038/s41386-025-02061-yPMID 39910268PMC11914066
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Sourcedoi:10.1113/jphysiol.2006.115352PMID 16840514PMC1995650
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Sourcedoi:10.1016/j.redox.2015.07.012PMID 26262996PMC4536296
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Sourcedoi:10.3390/biomedicines8100390PMID 33007928PMC7601820
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Double-blind randomized controlled human trial with modest sample size and short duration.
Randomized controlled human intervention evidence with modest sample size, open-label design and short duration.
Sourcedoi:10.1186/s12876-026-05157-xPMID 42587287PMC13465645
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Systematic mechanistic review dominated by in-vitro and animal mucus-hypersecretion evidence; human bronchial tissue evidence was lacking.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.06.006PMID 19524577PMC3189485
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.1002/14651858.CD012123.pub2PMID 33294991PMC8095024
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.3390/biomedicines12071462PMID 39062036PMC11274394
Randomized double-blind human trial with direct metabolic and adipose-tissue measures but a small sample and short duration.
Randomized double-blind human trial with adipose-tissue and anthropometric outcomes but a small bariatric-surgery population.
Sourcedoi:10.1186/s12263-024-00744-7PMID 38702594PMC11069202
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Sourcedoi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1421150PMID 39376972PMC11456833
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or observational evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
SourcePMID 2757663
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Human mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, pilot or narrative evidence useful for context but not definitive efficacy.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Sourcedoi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.09.076PMID 26545726PMC4698030
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Human evidence synthesis with important heterogeneity and condition-specific limitations.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
High-level human evidence from a systematic review/meta-analysis or large pivotal randomized trial.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Very small randomized human study in obstructive sleep apnea; useful signal but insufficient for treatment recommendations.
Double-blind randomized human trial with direct clinical acne outcomes but small sample size and topical combination treatment.
Controlled human intervention evidence with meaningful design strengths but population, size or protocol limitations.
Controlled human evidence with useful design strength but limited by sample size, duration or scope.
