Cysteine Cautions
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Certain groups of people should not take cysteine supplements and others should exercise caution when taking it:
- People with liver or kidney disease
- People with certain health conditions (diabetes, cystinuria)
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
People with diabetes should not take cysteine supplements as it may inactivate insulin, which could produce many adverse health effects. Similarly, people with cystinuria should not take cysteine supplements as these people already have a problem with dealing with cystine and taking further cysteine supplements will only put pressure on their health and could cause kidney stones, as well as various other adverse health effects.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take any type of amino acid supplement as it could have an adverse effect on their child.
People with diabetes should not take cysteine supplements as it may inactivate insulin, which could produce many adverse health effects
Toxic Levels of Cysteine
Cysteine is generally non-toxic, but may cause some adverse symptoms if doses are much higher than 1000mg per day.
Overdosage and Toxicity Symptoms
In general, cysteine supplements are non-toxic, but may produce the following toxicity symptoms in some people:
- Bladder or kidney stones
People experiencing these symptoms should discontinue their cysteine supplements and seek the advice of their doctor.