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ACETYL - L - CARNITINE
Acetyl-L-Carnitine
(ALC) occurs
naturally within the body, it is vital in the transport of fats into the
mitochondria (the cells furnace) and assists in the production of acetylcholine,
one of the body's key neurotransmitters. ALC
is a highly effective nutritional adjunct in the treatment of Alzheimer's
disease, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and other diseases that affect the
central nervous system (CNS) function, such as age-associated memory impairment,
depression, Dysthmia, senility, cerebrovascular insufficiency, alcohol-induced
cognitive impairment, and Down's syndrome.
Numerous studies indicate that ALC may
have an anti-aging function in both the brain and the body. ALC also enhances the synthesis of nerve growth-factor receptors and may
resuscitate aged neurons by increasing their responsiveness to endogenous
neurotrophic factors in the CNS. A
majority of the research has focused on age-related disease states, however,
studies using young healthy subjects indicated that ALC enhanced normal CNS
functioning.
The key study on ALC was published in
Italy by Lino et al and colleagues in 1982 (most of the important research on
ALC has come from Italian investigators). The
research chose 17 healthy subjects between 22 and 27 years of age, ten
physically active (in sports regularly) and seven sedentary. Lino et al gave each of the subjects either 1500 mg/day or a placebo for
30 days. The subjects were tested
before and after treatment, using a video game-type of device designed to
evaluate attention levels, eye-hand coordination, and reflexes.
The researchers found that reflex speed was markedly increased in the ALC group, in
addition, these subjects made four times fewer errors and finished the required
tasks four times faster than the placebo group. When observed according to their groupings as either athletic or
sedentary, all had improved response speed at 15 days and further improvement at
30 days. In the athletes, left-hand
exceeded right-handed performance, reversing baseline right-handed superiority. The biggest gain in task completion time was seen in sedentary subjects. The time needed for the sedentary group to exit from a maze was reduced
by 43%, in contrast to a 32% reduction for athletes. Lino et al reported no adverse effects of ALC in any of the subjects.
ALC is recommended as part of a daily
health maintenance routine, taken on an empty stomach. ALC is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation.
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