Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), an esterified form of L-carnitine, is one of the most common metabolites of carnitine present naturally in humans and mammals’ plasma and tissue¹⁻².
ALC is readily convert into carnitine and acetyl-CoA back in mitochondria according to the metabolic needs of the cell. It is absorbed from the gut and actively crosses the blood-brain barrier². L-carnitine acts as a transporter of long-chain fatty acids between cytoplasm and mitochondria for β-oxidation³⁻⁴.
Growing clinical evidence supports multiple health benefits of ALC on cognitive functions and various neurological disorders.
Taking 1.5g to 2g of ALC daily for at least 3 months may improve memory and intellectual functions as resulted in better scores in clinical and psychometric assessment scales in older people with memory deficits compared to those in the placebo groups⁹.
Depressed patients have higher total cortisol secretion possibly attributed by heightened activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis¹⁰. Daily consumption of 500mg of ALC, 3 times daily for 2 months may significantly improve mood and counteracting depression symptoms in elderly with depressive disturbance as measured by decreased scores in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression¹¹.
As ALC levels are declined in many forms of dementia, daily supplementation of ALC may improve spacial learning tasks, timed tasks of attention, discrimination-learning tasks and personal recognition tasks. Reduction in deterioration of reaction time and short-term memory associated tasks have also been observed⁵⁻⁷. Long term memory performance and delay in behavioural deterioration are recorded Male infertilityafter one-year administration of 1g to 2g of ALC⁸.
Consumption of 1g to 3g of ALC (alone and in combination with 2g of L-carnitine) may increase sperm morphology and total and forward sperm mobility in males with fertility problems in 6 months¹²⁻¹³. Result is more significant in men receiving the combination therapy¹³.
Taking 1.5g to 2g of ALC daily for at least 3 months may improve memory and intellectual functions as resulted in better scores in clinical and psychometric assessment scales in older people with memory deficits compared to those in the placebo groups⁹.
Depressed patients have higher total cortisol secretion possibly attributed by heightened activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis¹⁰. Daily consumption of 500mg of ALC, 3 times daily for 2 months may significantly improve mood and counteracting depression symptoms in elderly with depressive disturbance as measured by decreased scores in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression¹¹.
As ALC levels are declined in many forms of dementia, daily supplementation of ALC may improve spacial learning tasks, timed tasks of attention, discrimination-learning tasks and personal recognition tasks. Reduction in deterioration of reaction time and short-term memory associated tasks have also been observed⁵⁻⁷. Long term memory performance and delay in behavioural deterioration are recorded Male infertilityafter one-year administration of 1g to 2g of ALC⁸.
Consumption of 1g to 3g of ALC (alone and in combination with 2g of L-carnitine) may increase sperm morphology and total and forward sperm mobility in males with fertility problems in 6 months¹²⁻¹³. Result is more significant in men receiving the combination therapy¹³.
ALC is generally well tolerated for most people without incidence of significant side effects even with long term administration. The most common adverse reactions include stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, headache, and restlessness. “Fishy” odour of urine, breath and sweat may possibly be observed in some individuals.
Typical doses used in clinical trials are in the ranging from 1g – 3g daily.
ALC is generally well tolerated for most people without incidence of significant side effects even with long term administration. The most common adverse reactions include stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, headache, and restlessness. “Fishy” odour of urine, breath and sweat may possibly be observed in some individuals.
Typical doses used in clinical trials are in the ranging from 1g – 3g daily.
The material is prepared for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a piece of personal medical advice. Owing to each person’s varying health needs, a physician should be consulted before acting on any information provided in this material. Although every effort is made to ensure that this material is accurate, it is compiled for internal use only and should not be considered definitive. Neither VitaHealth nor its employees, or information providers shall be responsible or liable for any errors, inaccuracies, or other defects in the information contained in this publication.
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) belongs to a group of medicinal plants in the Leguminosae family. It is a perennial plant, can grow up to about 16
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), an esterified form of L-carnitine, is one of the most common metabolites of carnitine present naturally in humans and mammals’ plasma and tissue¹⁻².
