Glutathione vs NAC for skin & hair
Short answer: For skin & hair, users rate them about the same: 90% report improvement with Glutathione (10 reports) and 89% with NAC (19 reports).
Glutathione has 967 meta-analyses and 1,685 randomized trials on PubMed; NAC has 387 and 767.
Based on 156 reports about Glutathione and 2,058 about NAC. Not medical advice.
| Glutathione Supplement | NAC Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 71%helped37 reports · medium confidence | 54%helped947 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 967 / 1,685 | 387 / 767 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Mood % reporting improvement | — | 65% (323) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | — | 90% (301) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 100% (4) | 81% (170) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 100% (7) | 73% (91) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 71% (48) |
| Common side effects | injection site, insomnia, stomach issues, weakness | anhedonia, stomach issues, depression, emotional blunting |
| Typical dose reported | 500 mg | 600 mg |
IV glutathione is contraindicated due to lack of efficacy and side effects. It may work more as an antioxidant in melasma.
Int J Dermatol, 2025 ↗“IM 600mg 2x week. My head is clear, my energy is so much better and my skin is glowing!”
Taken together, these preliminary findings suggest that dietetic approaches might be included as part of BD treatment. Also considering the high risk of metabolic disorders in individuals with BD, they should be encouraged to choose healthy dietary lifestyles, including daily intake of fruits, vegetables, seafood and whole grains.
Nutr Neurosci, 2023 ↗“NAC has helped me stay calm and reduce anxiety as well as gives me loads of energy if I am sleep deprived.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate