The Amino Acid, Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is a form of L-carnitine, both of which are commonly commercially available in vitamin shops, but there's a difference…

An important difference

One functional difference between l-carnitine and acetyl-l carnitine is that the latter crosses the blood brain barrier a lot more readily than the former.

How ALC helps athletes

Commonly, athletes use ALC as a fat burner and energy enhancer. ALC helps transport fat to the energy production cycle where it is burned as fuel to produce energy. This makes ALC an excellent choice of supplement for athletes due to this simultaneous dual benefit.

Not just for athletes - for everyone with a brain!

However recent research has shown ALC to be more than a supplement for athletes. It has been shown to have pronounced health promoting and protective effects on the human central nervous system. ALC is believed to exert these effects via 3 mechanisms. These are:

• By increasing levels of nerve growth factor, a protein that is needed for the growth, maintenance and survival of nerve cells.
• By boosting energy production in the nerve cell mitochondria (the energy making factories of our cells)
• By protecting nerve cells against oxidative attack

Several studies have shown that ALC can slow progression of Parkinson’s disease. Now that's interesting! Want to know more? Talk to Pater Radi...

Peter Radi – Naturopath and Nutritionist

Peter Radi is a naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist and has been in clinical practice since 2000. He is available for private consultations at the Mr Vitamins Clinic where he can provide you with more information about ALC as well as personalised health improvement programs. Learn more about Peter here