Home » Reviews » Amino Acids » Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Review

Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Review – 8 Essential Things to Know

By Sasha de Beausset Aparicio, MSc

Reviewed by Rebecca Williams, MD, MA, MB, BChir

Last Updated:

Evidence Based | Facts | Formula | Pros & Cons | Contraindications | Cost | Dosing | Does it Work

Carlson Laboratories Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder is a nutritional supplement designed to support memory and concentration. Carlson Labs is the manufacturer of the formula, which makes it available in both powder and capsules forms. The manufacturer argues that the benefits of free form amino acids such as Acetyl L-Carnitine far exceed those of supplementation with proteins directly.

Carlson Laboratories was founded in 1965 and activated in the nutritional health supplement sector. The company product range has expanded through the years to meet the nutritional needs of the customers. Today, the product lines include award-winning Norwegian fish oils, a full line of vitamins (including the most complete line of natural vitamin E products in the world), minerals, amino acids, special formulations and nutritional supplements.

Carlson Laboratories Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder is for adult use only, except pregnant or lactating women.

Facts

1) Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Quick Facts

Carlson Laboratories Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder is a single ingredient amino-acid based supplement. The formula is advertised to be soy, milk, wheat, corn, yeast, gluten, sugar, salt and preservative free.

Acetyl L-Carnitine is an amino acid. It is one of several forms of Carnitine found in the body, compounds naturally produced and regulated by the kidneys.One of the main functions of Acetyl-L-Carnitine is to transport fatty acids to the mitochondria (known as the power plant of the cell) thus facilitating fat to be used as fuel in the energy production processes.

The brain protective action of Acetyl L-Carnitine is accounted for by the fact that all Carnitines are antioxidants, meaning they counteract the damaging effects of free radicals. Additionally, the acetyl group attached to L-Carnitine is involved in the production of the key neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, essential to learning and memory processes. Research is now conducted to determine if Acetyl-L-Carnitine can assist with disorders such as depression, ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease.

Formula

2) What Are Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Ingredients?

Carlson Laboratories Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder contains the following ingredients: Acetyl-L-Carnitine (as acetyl-l-carnitine HCl).

3) Is Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Right for You?

The human body produces acetyl l-carnitine in the liver and kidneys and stores it in the heart, brain, sperm and also in the skeletal muscles. Usually, it is produced in the right amounts your body needs, however, some individuals experiment troubles in producing it, thus trying to acquire it from other places like dietary supplements or other more powerful medications.

Acetyl l-Carnitine is a substance mostly used to help the body turn fat into energy and is known to improve athletic performance, especially in bikers and runners. However, it has been proven that this substance does not help much when dealing with fatigue or when needed to improve athletic performance.

Also, acetyl l-carnitine is an antioxidant. Antioxidants assist the body rid itself or suppress the release of free radicals. Free radicals are harmful particles in the body known as their malicious effect upon the human cells or for the damage they cause when tampering with DNA.

Some research suggests that acetyl l-carnitine might be useful when dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia by improving memory in the elderly and by slowing down the progression of these diseases. Other studies, however, demonstrated that acetyl l-carnitine did not help at all. Some scientists believe it might be useful to relieve depression and reduce fatigue. Extensive research is needed to prove acetyl l-carnitine’s ability to do so.

Other studies made on acetyl l-carnitine found it to be useful when dealing with problems as hyperthyroidism, Peyronie’s disease, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, kidney disease and dialysis, weight loss, exercise performance, diabetic neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. However, its ability to help with these issues has not yet been proven.

Pros & Cons

4) Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder: Pros and Cons

  • Powder form makes it easy to dissolve and administer;
  • Soy, milk, wheat, corn, yeast, gluten, sugar, salt and preservative free;
  • The formula is available in glass bottles to minimize the hydroscopic effects.

Contraindications

5) Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Warnings and Precautions

  • Lack of consumer reviews;
  • No side effects, drug interactions or precautions are mentioned by the manufacturer, although Acetyl-L-Carnitine is known to cause side effects;
  • Not suitable for pregnant and nursing women.

Cost

6) Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Cost

Acetyl l-carnitine by Carlson Labs is a dietary supplement found in bottles containing 120 capsules designed to last up to 4 months if the recommended daily dosage is not exceeded. This product is available for purchase directly on the manufacturer’s website or from various other online retailers and can be bought at a rather affordable price.

Dosing

7) Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder Serving Size

The suggested dose is half a teaspoon dissolved in water. No side effects are mentioned although stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, restlessness and a “fishy” odor of the urine, breath and sweat have sometimes been reported.

Does it Work

8) Bottom Line – Does It Really Work?

Carlson Laboratories Acetyl L-Carnitine Powder is a source of Acetyl L-Carnitine, an important amino acid with multiple health benefits. Although many of these benefit claims are still under research and clear evidence is still required. Regarding the formulas specific memory and concentration enhancement benefit claims, there is some evidence to support the fact that Acetyl L-Carnitine has neuro protective and cognitive enhancing properties. While we could not find any product reviews, we may say the product is likely to work for some consumers.

The manufacturer doesn’t mention any interactions with other medicine or categories of patients who should avoid use, although clinical tests on Acetyl-L-Carnitine have indentified potential side effects. Pregnant and nursing women are advised not use the formula.

4.7/5 - (3 votes)
Subscribe
Notify of
2 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Martha P

I used some other similar products and since I started on Acetyl L-Carnitine 500 and I noticed some slight improvements.

Luke

Acetyl L-Carnitine 500 really helped me with my carnitine deficiency. I am very happy with this product.