Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplement: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, Dosage, And More

March 19, 2023

Overview Of Acetyl L-Carnitine supplement

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is the derivative of the trimethylated amino acid L-carnitine (L-Carnitine burns fats into energy and transports fatty acids across the mitochondria). The ALC-transferase enzyme produces ALC in the brain, liver, and kidney.

Acetyl-L-carnitine has an advantage over L-carnitine; the ALC chemical structure can be easily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Also, it crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) more effortlessly than regular L- Carnitine.

What are the Benefits Of Acetyl L-Carnitine supplement?

  1. Promotes the uptake of acetyl CoA into the mitochondria during fatty acid oxidation.
  2. Stimulate acetylcholine, protein, and membrane phospholipid biosynthesis. 
  3. Obtains a cholinomimetic effect (due to the structural similarity with acetylcholine)
  4. Enhance energy levels.
  5. Decrease oxidative stress in the nervous system.
  6. Prevent subsequent cell death in the case of adult, neonatal, and pediatric brain injury. 
  7. Incorporate into glutamate, glutamine, GABA, or into lipids for myelination and cell growth. 

What Are the uses of Acetyl L- Carnitine supplement?

Numerous Studies have indicated that Acetyl L-Carnitine may be of benefit in Managing; 

  1. Alzheimer’s disease (Reduce attention deficiencies in some individuals after long-term treatment, especially when combined with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors )
  2. Depression (Acetyl L-Carnitine supplement remarkably decrease depression symptoms) 
  3. HIV infection (used for symptomatic management and nerve regeneration) 
  4. Diabetic Neuropathy (Reduce pain, Enhance nerve conduction velocity, and nerve regeneration)
  5. Ischemia (acts as neuroprotective)
  6. Cognitive impairment due to alcohol abuse.

Side Effects Of Acetyl L-Carnitine supplement

Side effects are usually minor and don’t happen to all patients, some examples: 

  • Stomach pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting 
  • Diarrhea
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache
  • Restlessness and difficulty in sleeping.
  • fishy odor of the urine, breath, and sweat
  • Elevated Blood Pressure 
  • Lower blood sugar and higher triglyceride levels (in diabetes)
  • Psychosis (in bipolar disorder)

Acetyl L Carnitine Side effects

Who should not take L-Carnitine supplement?

  1. Pregnancy and breastfeeding: There isn’t enough reliable data. therefore, avoid using it during pregnancy or breastfeeding
  2. Bipolar disorder: Acetyl-L-carnitine might worsen symptoms in people with bipolar disorder who are in the remission state.
  3. Cancer patients treated with Taxanes: Acetyl-L-carnitine might worsen symptoms (Nerve damage in the hands and feet) in some patients using taxanes chemotherapeutic drugs.
  4. Hypothyroidism: There is some worry that acetyl-L-carnitine might interfere with thyroid hormone. 
  5. Seizures: If you have ever had a seizure, don’t take acetyl-L-carnitine as there is some concern that it might increase seizure occurrence (due to the structural similarity with L-carnitine)
  6. In case of an allergy

L-Carnitine supplement dosage

The common dose of acetyl-l-carnitine is 1500 – 3000 milligrams/ day, taken by mouth for up to 33 months.

Does Acetyl-L-carnitine Supplement make you lose weight?

Most studies have been done on the L-carnitine form, l-carnitine supplements provide a modest reducing effect on body weight, BMI, and fat mass, especially in the case of overweight/obesity. So, it’s assumed that acetyl-L-carnitine may have a similar role because our bodies can convert L-carnitine to acetyl-L-carnitine and vice versa, but further research must be held to confirm this assumption.

Can you take Acetyl-L-carnitine Supplement every day?

Several people have been taking Acetyl-L-carnitine safely for up to 33 months. Consult your doctor, before using it for a long duration of time. 

What Are The Precautions When Taking Acetyl L-Carnitine supplement?

Acetyl- L-Carnitine may interact with some medications, such as: 

  1. Acenocoumarol (Sintrom) and Warfarin (Coumadin): they are anticoagulants and when ALC is taken with them, it might increase their effect causing bruising or even bleeding. 
  2. Serotonergic drugs when taken with ALC might increase serotonin causing serious side effects such as heart problems, seizures, and vomiting.
  3. Thyroid hormone, Taking acetyl-L-carnitine with thyroid hormone might reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.

You must consult your doctor before combining Acetyl-L-Carnitine with any medication. 

Acetyl L Carnitine Precautions

How Do You Get The Best Acetyl-L-Carnitine supplement Online?

Mitochondrial Support is a rich form of Acetyl-L-Carnitine and it’s capable of supplying key-mitochondrial micronutrients to the human body!

Mitochondrial Support Ingredients:

  • Acetyl L-Carnitine
  • N-Acetyl Cysteine
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid
  • Resveratrol
  • Broccoli Seed Extract
  • Green Tea (EGCG)
  • The Micronutrient “Backbone” 

Mitochondrial Support has great value because it can: 

Recharges Cellular Energy Production.

Supports Immune Function.

Increases Antioxidant Protection.

Supports Detoxification Capacity.

Provides Key Micronutrients to Optimize Daily Nutritional Intake.

Includes the powerful antioxidant trio of alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl L- carnitine, all shown to recharge cellular energy production and the primary cellular antioxidant pools of vitamins E and C and glutathione.

Key micronutrients and phytonutrients including green tea, broccoli seed extract, and resveratrol protect the mitochondria and continually renew the cycle of energy production.

 
Mitochondrial support

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References

  1. Acetyl-L-carnitine – PubMed
  2.  Acetyl-L-Carnitine – Uses, Side Effects, And More -WebMD
  3. L-Carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine roles and neuroprotection in developing brain
  4. Acetyl-L-Carnitine – Drugs.com  
  5. Metabolic Syndrome and Psychiatric Illness – NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME -ScienceDirect
  6. Acetylcarnitine – ScienceDirect
  7. Acetyl carnitine – Drug Bank  
  8. Acetyl-L-carnitine in HIV-associated antiretroviral toxic neuropathy-pubmed  
  9. Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine in diabetic neuropathy and other geriatric disorders  
  10. Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine in Alzheimer’s disease patients unresponsive to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors  
  11. Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss and body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 randomized controlled clinical trials with dose-response analysis
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