Giving mice a special supplement in their water for 11 weeks helped them stay lighter when eating a high-fat diet, even though they ate the same amount of food.
Scientific Claim
N-acetylcysteine supplementation at 2 g/L in drinking water for 11 weeks reduced body weight gain by approximately 15 grams in male C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet compared to untreated high-fat diet mice, with no effect on calorie intake.
Original Statement
“However, access to NAC containing water did not affect the growth rate of mice on regular chow, whereas the NAC treatment dramatically inhibited HFD-induced weight gain, exhibiting 15 grams less than that of obese mice and a weight close to that of the control mice with a regular chow at the end of 11 weeks.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study shows an association between NAC supplementation and reduced weight gain in mice, but cannot prove causation due to lack of randomization details and blinding. The phrase 'dramatically inhibited' overstates the evidence.
More Accurate Statement
“N-acetylcysteine supplementation at 2 g/L in drinking water for 11 weeks was associated with approximately 15 grams less body weight gain in male C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet compared to untreated high-fat diet mice, with no effect on calorie intake.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
N-acetylcysteine Protects Mice from High Fat Diet-induced Metabolic Disorders