Introduction
What is Acetyl-L-Carnitine?
Acetyl-L-Carnitine, or ALCAR, is an amino acid that is naturally produced in your body. This amino acid helps generate energy and it can also be found in animal proteins such as red meats. Many people take acetyl-L-carnitine supplements because of its potential benefits.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a more bioavailable form of the amino acid l-carnitine. The body continuously produces l-carnitine, and you also get it from the foods you eat.
Although carnitine insufficiency is uncommon in healthy people, supplementation with carnitine has been shown to have many benefits. These include improving heart health and enhancing brain function. [1] [2]
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a form of the nutrient L-carnitine. It is more bioavailable than other forms of L-carnitine and it can easily cross the blood-brain barrier. Acetyl-L-Carnitine has properties that help improve brain function. When it is taken with other nootropics, its effects are enhanced. This makes it a potentiator, which allows nootropics to work more effectively.
There are different types of L-carnitine. These include L-carnitine L-tartrate (LCLT), which is often used to improve physical performance, and Glycine Propionyl L-carnitine (GPLC), which helps with blood flow issues. The only form of L-carnitine that has nootropic properties is Acetyl L-carnitine. It also provides both L-carnitine and acetyl groups, which help develop the learning neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.
ALCAR vs L-Carnitine vs Carnitine
The main difference between acetyl-L-carnitine and carnitine is that acetyl-L-carnitine is more bioavailable than other forms of L-carnitine. Acetyl-L-carnitine can easily cross the blood-brain barrier, which makes it a potentiator – allowing nootropics to work more effectively.
Carnitine is also a nutrient that is produced by the body and it can be found in animal proteins such as red meats. Many people take carnitine supplements because of its potential benefits, which include improving heart health and enhancing brain function. However, carnitine does not have any nootropic properties.
The only form of L-carnitine that has nootropic properties is Acetyl L-carnitine. It also provides both L-carnitine and acetyl groups, which help develop the learning neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.
Acetyl L-Carnitine Benefits
What Are Acetyl L-Carnitine Benefits?
There are many potential benefits of acetyl-L-carnitine. Some of these include:
- Improving heart health
- Enhancing brain function
- Acting as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant
- Reducing inflammation
- Helping with blood flow issues
- Boosting energy levelsImproving physical performance
Improving heart health
Acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to improve heart health. It does this by reducing the risk of heart disease and improving blood circulation. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of angina and heart failure.
Enhancing brain function
Acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to enhance brain function. It does this by increasing blood flow to the brain and improving cognitive function. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to improve memory and learning.
Acting as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant
Acetyl-L-carnitine has powerful antioxidant properties. It helps to protect the brain from damage caused by free radicals. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of age-related cognitive decline.
Reducing inflammation
Acetyl-L-carnitine has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of arthritis and joint pain.
Helping with blood flow issues
Acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to improve blood flow. It does this by increasing blood flow to the brain and improving cognitive function. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of age-related cognitive decline.
Boosting energy levels
Acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to boost energy levels. It does this by increasing the body’s ability to burn fat for fuel. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to improve physical performance and reduce fatigue.
Improving physical performance
Acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to improve physical performance. It does this by increasing the body’s ability to burn fat for fuel. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements have also been shown to improve physical performance and reduce fatigue.
Mechanism of Action
How Does Acetyl L-Carnitine Work?
Acetyl-L-carnitine works by crossing the blood-brain barrier, which allows it to act as a potentiator for nootropics. It also helps to develop the learning neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetyl-L-carnitine has many other potential benefits, including reducing inflammation, protecting the brain from damage, and improving heart health.
One of ALCAR’s nootropic benefits involves the acetyl groups, which produce the support for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Often referred to as “the learning neurotransmitter,” acetylcholine is accountable for learning, memory, and cognitive function. Increased levels of acetylcholine result in an improvement in cognitive function, and low levels of that essential neurotransmitter risks neurological complications similar to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
On Neurotransmitters
Acetyl L-Carnitine still shows increasing levels of norepinephrine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are important for mood and brain function. The ability to improve neurotransmitters is one of the main techniques that Acetyl L-Carnitine uses to complement nootropic effects.
This is similar to the way racetams work, which enhances the action of neurotransmitter receptors in the cerebellum. Acetyl L-Carnitine helps promote cellular energy and protects the brain from damage. It also decreases the number of damaged cells in an individual brain, which can help increase lifespan.
Damaged fat cells, which can be identified as lipofuscin (age spots), also happen in the brain. This can lead to age-related neurological problems like a lack of energy or weak memory.
Acetyl L-Carnitine helps the brain get rid of these damaged cells, which in turn increases brain function and reduces the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. It has also been shown to limit brain deterioration during times of stress.
Dosage
How To Take Acetyl L-Carnitine?
The typical dosage of Acetyl-L-Carnitine is 500 mg per day.
It can be taken once in the morning, or split into three doses of 500 mg each. However, do not exceed 1,500 mg during the trial period.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is water soluble, so it can be taken with or without food. However, taking ALCAR late in the evening can result in disrupted sleep.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Side Effects
Nausea is the most common side effect, but it can be prevented by taking ALCAR with food instead of on an empty stomach.
Some people who use ALCAR get headaches.
The second most common type of headache is the kind you get when you have too much choline. People usually report that the headaches go away when they take less choline in their diet and supplements.
Some people may experience side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea when taking acetyl-L-carnitine.
If these side effects occur, stop taking the supplement and speak to a doctor.
Additionally, acetyl-L-carnitine may interact with other medications, so speak to a doctor before taking it if you are taking any other medications.
Reviews
As the title says, it’s been a game changer. Old stack was: Citicoline 300mg b.id with centrophenoxine 350mg one to two times daily. Switched Centro to ALCAR 500 one daily just to try and damn it’s been really good. Mornings are good, everything is really clear. Honestly this feels a lot like amphetamine. So much so that I cancelled my pdoc appt to get a refill. I was basically off the meds but wanted to have a few around but now I really don’t think I need them. Very glad people on here have posted about alcar before!
Reddit II
Funny enough I get a stronger response from ALCAR then I do racetams in regards to mental performance. It seems to make me really smart. Your mileage may vary though. To OP: I get results in a day. Be careful for not overdoing it. I’ve posted before that acetylcholine overload tends to make you depressed and function worse.
– eastmangobo
Reddit III
“I have been taking Acetyl for about 17 years. For the last 2 yrs or so it has affected me less and less (no idea why) but before that, I noticed a MASSIVE positive boost from taking it. I experienced a huge uptick in word retrieval and overall brain function. used to always say that when I took Acetyl, it was like an electric switch was turned on, as that’s what it felt like … electric..I always bought it in bulk powder and almost always used 1 gram in my morning shake (180lb Male). DO NOT use it after noon …. you will NOT sleep !!!! You should notice a difference within 3-4 days. As I did mention, I am noticing now that I am affected by Acetyl less and less. If I miss a few days, I don’t really notice it like I did years ago and I don’t really get that electric charge feeling. I don’t know why this is, as I’ve purchased a few different brands.”
– Gernan_Mafia
Tim Ferris
Measuring the effects of acetyl-L-carnitine on various aspects of cognitive performance. Alas, after multiple consecutive nights of vivid nightmares (which I rarely have), I wondered if ALC might play a role. I only experienced this when taking ALC in the later afternoon or evening, and daily total consumption never exceeded 1,500mg. After finding a few reports like this, I decided to call it quits with my protocol. Thus far, I have found ALC to produce unpleasantly vivid dreams to a much greater extent than, say, galantamine or huperzine-A, which enhance vividness but don’t seem to create the same degree of negative tone. Of course, this is an N of 1 (single subject) amateur hour, but the contrast has been both remarkable and remarkably consistent. I’d be curious to hear if anyone else has experienced something similar. And be careful with those cholinergic neurons…
Conclusion
ALCAR is an outstanding amino acid nootropic. It offers many benefits to both the body and the brain. In addition to its potent brain boosting effect, it is also a healthy nutrient. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is safe, affordable, very tolerable, and easily accessible in department and drug stores. It enhances cognitive function, supports ant-aging and longevity, which makes it a nootropic worth adding to any stack.
What is the difference between L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, L-Carnitine Tartrate, and Acetyl L-Carnitine?
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate and L-Carnitine Tartrate are the same thing, they just truncate the L-Tartrate for brevity. This is the form of L-Carnitine that is in supplements that some studies have linked to possibly helping recover times from workouts (specifically it was shown that people taking L-carnitine had less damage to their leg muscles after a workout versus people that weren’t taking it), there weren’t any other observations of it’s added use outside of that. Acetylcarnitine is an alternative form of l-carnitine for supplementation that has been pushed because of it’s bioavailability. The downside is that it’s less concentrated in the bloodstream after digestion. It doesn’t appear that any studies have been performed linking acetylcarnitine to exercise performance, but it’s only proven use has been in increasing sperm mobility. A few proposals have set out to use it treat neurological conditions, but none have yet been proven.
Is ALCAR effective?
Yes. ALCAR has nootropic and neuroprotective benefits. This compound works great alone if you want a substance to help protect your brain from oxidative stress. Better cognitive results often happen when ALCAR is stacked with other nootropics. The main nootropic benefits of ALCAR will be consistent with higher acetylcholine levels. Low acetylcholine is linked to cognitive deficient and low energy levels. Although ALCAR helps in the production of Acetylcholine, nootropic benefits may not be apparent when taken alone. For this reason, ALCAR is highly recommended to stack with other nootropics. Below is a list of typical benefits seen in an ALCAR + racetam/ampakine combination.
ALCAR is often stacked with a cheap choline salt like choline bitartrate or citrate because it acts synergistically to produce Acetylcholine. Some people will use this stack as a cheaper alternative to more expensive acetylcholine intermediates such as alpha GPC or citicoline.
ALCAR by itself or in a choline stack will also work great with the racetams and ampakines. Boosting the level of Acetylcholine will allow for a synergistic combination with racetams which act as Acetylcholine receptor agonists. ALCAR is suggested to help protect from excitotoxic situations resulting from excess glutamate that may be a result of taking certain ampakines. For this reason, ALCAR may be beneficial when stacked with certain glutamate agonists like sunifiram and unifram.
Can I take acetyl-l-carnitine & taurine together with antidepressants, antipsychotics and NAC?
They don’t interact, in fact, Acetyl-L-Carnitine is used as “complementary” therapy along with Psych Meds. Taurine is as well. Taurine is also VERY much so present in Energy Drinks like Red Bull & Monster. It is responsible for much of the “kick” and focus Energy Drinks give us.
Can I take 5-HTP and Acetyl L-Carnitine together?
To date there has been no evidence that either counteract the other or have negative effects. Both substances are great for many aspects of brain health. You can be pretty safe in the assumption that it’s worth testing out for yourself to see how you react to this combination.
Where can I buy ALCAR and nootropics in Dubai?
You can buy Acetyl-L-Carnitine 500mg Capsules and other nootropics in Dubai and the UAE from Nootropix UAE shop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAPtuFkgtSk
Further Readings
- N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT)
- L-Theanine
- N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)
- Agmatine Sulfate
- The Ultimate Nootropics FAQ