August 17, 2016

The Importance of ALCAR with ALA by Jerry Hickey, R. Ph

Jerry Hickey is a pharmacist and radio personality and fills the esteemed role of Scientific Director and President of Invite Health. He has spent his professional life analyzing nutritional information and medical studies with the aim of creating the highest quality and most natural nutraceuticals for user’s maximum health benefits. Here, Jerry speaks about the benefits of ALCAR with ALA or Acetyl-L-Carnitine & Alpha-Lipoic Acid…

What is ALCAR and ALA?

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) is an absorbable form of the amino acid known as L-Carnitine, a naturally occurring amino acid that is synthesized in the liver and kidney. Like L-Carnitine, ALCAR produces energy in the mitochondria of the cell. Because it participates in energy metabolism, it can be supportive in healthy brain development, visual memory and overall focus for the general public.

ALA is unique because it is both a fat- and water-soluble antioxidant, a great feature due its benefits for a variety of tissues. ALA is an instrumental precursor to the liver’s main neutralizer of chemicals, Glutathione, and it is found naturally in food sources such as spinach, broccoli, peas, Brewer’s yeast, Brussels sprouts, rice bran, and organ meats.

What can these two nutrients do together?

Together, these two specific nutrients have been shown to have cooperative effects in the developing area of pro-aging, a term that characterizes the natural process of aging with fewer risk factors for common age-related symptoms such as weight gain in the midsection, higher blood sugar, overall fatigue and more. As you get older, the energy pathways in your body become increasingly blocked due to the lack of these two chemicals. ALCAR and ALA work within these energy pathways. Studies show that when you take these nutrients together, they counterbalance the blockage in your energy pathways. Your metabolism begins to function better, which will assist your body in creating more energy.

Where is the research?

There is some recent research that suggests this nutrient pair helps support healthy nervous system tissue, thereby preserving healthy nerve cell function from the head to the feet including the face, mouth, eyes, ears, genitals, spinal cord and brain. ALCAR and ALA together have been shown to not only reduce occasional pain caused by aging or damaged nerves. The pair helps to actually heal these damaged nerves supporting normal sensation. It’s also been suggested that ALCAR and ALA support mental health, memory loss, cognitive ability and healthy weight loss.

Read other studies on ALCAR with ALA by clicking here!