Acetyl L Carnitine alpha lipoic acid - What is the health benefit of these supplements, separately and together?

Acetyl L Carnitine is a stabilized form of the amino acid metabolite L Carnitine and is utilized in the same manner in the body. This nutrient plays an important role in protecting and supporting brain functions. it seems the power behind this nutrient essentially comes down to these three properties: it shuttles fatty acids to the mitochondria for energy production; it readily enters the brain, where it helps form a brain chemical acetylcholine; it helps regenerate neurons damaged by free radicals.

Benefit of Acetyl l carnitine supplementation
The mind boosting effect is often noticed within a few hours, or even within an hour. Most people report feeling mentally sharper, having more focus and being more alert. Some find a mild mood enhancement. Acetyl l carnitine supplement may be used as an overall mind booster.

Dosage
The typical dosage is 250 mg once a day or a few times a week whereas others prefer 500 mg or even 1,000 mg. Inositol for brain health is getting popular.

I am 35 years old and severely disabled from lumbar nerve root irritation. Recently I came across research from Italy where significant success was achieved in reducing peripheral nerve inflammation utilizing acetyl L-carnitine supplements. What do you think is the maximum safe daily dose and for how long do you think I can safely take this supplement.
    It is impossible for us to know in any one individual what the proper dosage would be and how long it can be taken safely. A good dose to begin with is 300 mg a day for a couple of weeks and then basing further changes in dosage on the initial response.

Different forms
We are not sure what additional benefit, if any, are provided by acetyl l carnitine arginate over ALCAR.

Acetyl l carnitine alpha lipoic acid combination
You will find these two nutraceuticals together in supplement form. There are various products that have this combination. There is no human research that says taking the high dosages of both provides health benefits as an anti aging formula. In our opinion, many such product dosages are too high and may actually cause unpleasant reactions which could include restlessness, rapid heart beat, nausea, anxiety, and insomnia. Perhaps a dosage of 100 mg of acetyl-l-carnitine and 20 mg of alpha lipoic acid may be more appropriate and safer for long term use.

Someone close to me was advised to take ALA combined with ALCAR and I was concerned. This person also takes Serzone and some gout meds. If carnitine can cause mood enhancement -- shouldn't one be careful combining w/an SSRI.
   We are not aware of any human research with the combination of acetyl-l carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, and Serzone. How a person who is taking an antidepressant responds to the additions if supplements has much to do with the dosage of the drug, the dosage of the supplements, and a host of other factors such as age, diet, activity level, other prescription medicines or over the counter pills, sleep patterns, etc. In general, low dosages are much less likely to cause negative interactions than higher dosages.

Effect of combined treatment with alpha-Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine on vascular function and blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease. Cardovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
In a double-blind crossover study, the authors examined the effects of combined alpha-lipoic acid/acetyl-L-carnitine treatment and placebo (8 weeks per treatment) on vasodilator function and blood pressure in 36 subjects with coronary artery disease. Active treatment increased brachial artery diameter by 2%, consistent with reduced arterial tone. Active treatment tended to decrease systolic blood pressure for the whole group and had a significant effect in the subgroup with blood pressure above the median and in the subgroup with the metabolic syndrome.
   Comments: It will take may more studies to determine the ideal dosage combination.

Alzheimer's disease treatment
Acetyl l-carnitine acts as an antioxidant, stimulates neurotransmitter formation, helps with alertness and improved concentration and could be of benefit in some patients with AD.

Diabetes and diabetics
Effect of oral acetyl L-carnitine arginate on resting and postprandial blood biomarkers in pre-diabetics.
Nutr Metab. 2009. Cardiorespiratory / Metabolic Laboratory, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee.
We sought to determine the effects of acetyl L-carnitine arginate (ALCA) on resting and postprandial biomarkers of glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as oxidative stress. Twenty-nine pre-diabetic men and women were randomly assigned to either 3 g.day-1 of ALCA or placebo  in a double-blind design, to consume for eight weeks. After each fasting sample was obtained, subjects consumed a high fat, high carbohydrate meal and additional blood samples were taken at 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours post meal. Samples were analyzed for a variety of metabolic variables (e.g., glucose, HbA1c, lipid panel, C-reactive protein, nitrate/nitrite, and several markers of oxidative stress). ALCA, but not placebo, resulted in an increase in nitrate / nitrite from pre to post intervention, with post intervention values greater compared to placebo. ALCA resulted in slight improvements in glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR. Supplementation with acetyl L-carnitine arginate results in an increase in resting nitrate/nitrite in pre-diabetics, without any statistically significant change in other metabolic or oxidative stress variables measured at rest or post meal.

Down's syndrome
The effect of acetyl-L-carnitine administration on persons with Down syndrome.
Res Dev Disabil. 2006.
Since previous investigations reported improvements in cognition of patients with dementia after acetyl-L-carnitine therapy and since there is an increased risk for persons with Down syndrome to develop Alzheimer disease, this study was designed to investigate the effect of acetyl-L-carnitine administration on neurological, intellectual, and social functions in adults with Down syndrome. In this double-blind study we enrolled 40 individuals with Down syndrome and administered acetyl-L-carnitine to the study group during a six months period. Specified examinations and psychological tests were given to persons in both the study and control groups at the start of the investigation and at 3, 6, and 9 months. A detailed analysis of the data revealed that therapy did not enhance central nervous system functions and that it did not benefit persons with Down syndrome.

Side effects, risk
In a few people, headache may be a cause of a high dose side effect.

Insomnia
I am interested in Good Night Rx and Mind Power Rx, the latter has acetyl-l-carnitine in it. Is it a low enough dose not to affect sleep for someone who may have sleep problems.
   It usually takes more thank 300 mg to lead to insomnia, the amount in Mind Power Rx is very small at 30 mg.

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 21 and I'm now 32. I am on a lot of medications to control my symptoms. I've also been taking ALC 500mg every morning and I find that it makes my extra pyramidal side effects worse. It's to a point to where I can barely talk now. I was taking the TwinLab version of ALC.

Testimonials
Acetylcarnitine, only for a month and at 1 to 2gm per day has improved my coordination, balance and reaction time that years of martial arts training hasn't been able to provide. I have also found that the coordination has remained improved even after being off of it for a couple months.

Shipping overseas or to other countries
Acetyl l carnitine can be shipped to Canada from the USA.

Using together with other nutraceuticals
Could you please advise if its safe to take nutrient below I am taking 2 at the same time ? I have tried taking 2 at the same time on an empty stomach and after 1 hour feel more alert and less clouded. I am suffering with low iron and find this combination of nutrients below helps fights the fatigue. I would like to continue taking 2 daily at the same time, as long as its safe? I am not taking any other nutrients or herbs at this time, except liqiud iron supplements in the morning on an empty stomach. ACETYL-L-CARNITINE 1000mg alpha lipoic acid 400mg COENZYME Q10 40mg and Biopenine 10mg.
    We are not in a position to suggest whether any particular treatment or vitamin regimen a person is on is safe or not safe. We can just give general guidelines that say it is best to use lower dosages of supplements when taken for prolonged periods and to take occasional breaks. You can also based the wisdom of taking so many of them based on any side effects you notice such as rapid heart rate, stimulation, and difficulty sleeping.

Use with prescription medications
I am taking 20 mg of Tamoxifen daily, re breast cancer 2 years ago. I also take 75 mg of Effexor daily. I want to know if I can take R Alpha Lipoic Acid 150mg and Acetyl L Carnitine 300 mg. Please advise if these will have any interaction with my prescription drugs.
   We are not in a position to give such advice since that is the role of your physician. When adding a supplement to an existing medication regimen, it is best to begin with one at a time and at a low dosage. Caution is advised when mixing natural products and medications, and one should begin with very low dosages.

Does your experience suggest that acetyl l-carnitine may be used in conjunction with Zoloft or other SSRIs, that there is no contra-indication?
   Research with ALC and combinations with prescription medications is very limited hence it is not easy to give specific answers nor to find a good source. Dosages make a huge difference and each person may have a different reaction based on many variables including overall health and sensitivity to medications and supplements. One can try low dosages at first, such as a quarter of a third of a capsule. As to its effect on the thyroid gland, again this is influenced by the type of thyroid problem and the dosage and type of medication used, along with each person's unique response. Starting with low dosages could avoid potential side effects.