Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a natural substance present throughout the human body that plays a vital role in normal brain and nervous tissue function. It helps maintain healthy levels of neurotransmitters, the chemical mediators of brain electrical transmissions. It is also essential for the production of energy from fats needed to support brain and heart function.

Although the body can make Acetyl-L-Carnitine, the majority of Acetyl-L-Carnitine and other carnitine derivatives must come from the diet. Under conditions of stress and illness, the body’s ability to make Acetyl-L-Carnitine may be significantly impaired and dietary sources become critically important. Meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products are the richest source of carnitine derivatives. Acetyl-L-Carnitine supplements provide much greater amounts of L-Carnitine than are readily available from the diet and in the form most important for normal brain and nervous tissue function.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is important for:

Energy production: Fatty acids serve as one of the primary energy sources for the body. Skeletal and heart muscle obtain most of their energy from fat breakdown. For these tissues to produce energy from fat, fatty acids must be transported to specific locations (mitochondria) within cells. Acetyl-L-Carnitine transports individual fatty acids for energy production. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is also an important regulator of sugar metabolism.

Brain and nervous system: Acetyl-L-carnitine has a vital role in maintaining brain function and is naturally found throughout the central nervous system. In addition to producing energy, acetyl-L-carnitine is used for neurotransmitter synthesis to maintain healthy brain function.

Healthy aging: Aging induces many structural and functional changes in the body. The body’s ability to synthesize Acetyl-L-Carnitine declines with age and tissue levels fall significantly. Supplementing with Acetyl-L-Carnitine can restore healthy tissue levels to normal, improve energy metabolism, and decrease oxidative stress. These important effects help maintain healthy heart and brain function.