Acetyl-L-Carnitine

One of the most effective nutrients in enhancing mental quickness, acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) has been used for years in Europe. This powerful cousin of L-Carnitine has been dubbed “The King of Carnitines” because of its ability to improve brain function while still providing all the benefits that L-Carnitine is known for. When you add an acetyl group to an amino acid (e.g. N Acetyl Cysteine, Acetyl L-Tyrosine or Acetyl L-Carnitine) you make it more soluble in blood serum so more of the amino gets absorbed. About 7.5 to 10.2% of the carnitine in the body is in the form of ALC.

In addition to improving solubility, the acetyl group helps provide additional benefits when using ALC.
• ALC is able to help remove lipofuscin (cellular garbage) deposits in heart and brain tissue.
• It retards the decline of NMDA neurotransmitter receptors that naturally occurs as we age.
• The Mitochondrial DNA theory of Aging is based on damage to mitochondrial DNA. ALC slows the rate of mDNA damage.
• For Intermittent Claudication patients, 2,000 to 4,000 mg of ALC per day improves walking distance without pain.
• After a stroke, ALC (especially in combination with Lipoic Acid) protects against many of strokes after effects.
• Like its L-Carnitine cousin, ALC helps ferry fatty acids from the bloodstream into the mitochondria, supporting patients with congestive heart failure.
• ALC helps prevent glycosylation (AGE) damage to the optic nerve and in those patients with cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, thereby helping support the body functionally.
• ALC seems to slow or reverse the decline in cholinergic receptors (those that use acetylcholine) that comes with normal aging. This action helps maintain a good memory.
• ALC enhances the release of the neurotransmitter, dopamine and improves dopamine’s binding to its receptors.
• ALC improves attention span and improves the mood (possibly through dopaminergic action).
• ALC helps inhibit neuronal degeneration seen in neuropathy, including diabetic neuropathy.
• ALC enhances short-term, long-term and spatial memory, as well as verbal fluency.