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Acetyl L-Carnitine
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Acetyl-L-carnitine or ALCAR, is an acetylated form of L-carnitine. Acetylation is a process of introducing an acetyl group (resulting in an acetoxy group) into a compound, specifically, the substitution of an acetyl group for an active hydrogen atom. In the case of ALCAR, carnitine. Carnitine is an ammonium compound biosynthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine. In living cells, it is required for the transport of fatty acids from the cytosol into the mitochondria during the breakdown of lipids (or fats) for the generation of metabolic energy.
Both the acetyl and carnitine components of this compound have been proven to exhibit neurobiological effects thus studies have been performed to prove it’s role in the anti aging process.
What is most promising for anti aging advocates is that studies have shown that ALCAR protects brain tissue against neurotoxins ALCAR may also have a neuroprotective effect on aging processes and related disorders. It might affect specific neuronal systems leading to specific types of improvement.Studies show that ALCAR attenuates the decrease in hippocampal choline acetyltransferase activity following i.c.v. administration of streptozotocin which inhibits glucose utilization.
This product has shown so much promise that human studies were done on patients with AD. (Spangioli et al , Pettegrew et al and Thal et al ) Scientist suggest that ALCAR could have a therapeutic effect in decreasing the deterioration associated with AD and furthermore, treatment could even be more beneficial in presenile AD than in senile AD.
There has been impressive results of both pre clinical and clinical studies involving ALCAR however there has only been a modest number of research done. Scientist hope for more ALCAR studies in the future to further prove ALCAR’s role in anti-aging.
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