kebaldwin
Thu, Aug-16-07, 20:27
Beat Fatigue with Acetyl L-Carnitine
August 16, 2007 - Fatigue is one of the most common complaints among individuals. Adequate rest, regular exercise and proper nutrition may help, but people often wonder if there's something they can take to help them improve energy. A new study recently published in the journal Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics suggests that the nutrient acetyl L-carnitine promotes improvement in both physical and mental fatigue in the elderly.
There were some interesting items recently in the medical news. In a study just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was noted that vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene do not appear to prevent heart disease in high risk women1. Over 8,000 women participated in this study. All women were over 40 years old and had a history of cardiovascular disease or, at least, three risk factors for the development of heart disease.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Manson, did indicate that "the study does hint of the possibility that a combination of vitamins C and E appears to reduce the risk of stroke," although it could be a result of chance, but nevertheless, it was felt that it warranted further study. It would seem from the study that, indeed, these three antioxidants are not "the magic bullet" when it comes to reducing risk of heart disease in high risk women. There was clearly no adverse effect from these three antioxidants.
My main objection to this study is that one could falsely assume that all antioxidants for all age groups and sexes are of no benefit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Obviously, women who have known cardiovascular disease or are at high risk of developing this condition should be doing preventative things such as exercise, proper diet, avoiding smoking, etc. There are a lot of other powerful antioxidants beyond the three basic vitamins studied shown to have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health. I've never been an advocate of taking only these three or one of these three antioxidants.
The other reason the study may not have been effective is the fact most people take vitamin E and beta carotene in the cheap synthetic forms purchased at drug stores and mass market discount stores. Studies have shown the natural forms of these nutrients are several times more effective antioxidants. This is why I've always recommended Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) Synergy multi-vitamins that contain natural vitamin E and beta carotene along with 30 to 70+ additional nutrients.
On the other side of the coin, I'd like to point out that drugs are certainly failing patients'goals and have major and even deadly side effects. Although a big to-do may be made about the relative lack of efficacy of some antioxidants in one particular study while ignoring hundreds of positive studies, the danger of drugs seems to be ignored and minimized by the medical community and media.
There was just a study published in the August 2007 edition of the European Heart Journal2. Over 15,000 patients were enrolled. Over 2,200 were initially categorized as being asymptomatic but having cardiovascular risk factors, whereas over 13,000 were said to be symptomatic. The groups were given aspirin alone or aspirin plus the drug Plavix. It appeared that those treated with both Plavix and aspirin who had a history of multiple cardiovascular risk factors, but no history of any symptoms or events, actually had an increased cardiovascular mortality of a shockingly higher 72%.
Moving on to some very positive news, there was a wonderful study published on the incredible benefits of acetyl-L carnitine (ALC) in the July 2007 Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics3. Ninety six subjects over age 70 participated in a randomized double-blinded trial. Half were given 2,000 mg twice a day of acetyl-L carnitine while the other half received placebo for six months. Those given acetyl-L carnitine had statistically significant improvement in both physical and mental fatigue along with improvement in functional status and cognitive health. Additionally, those in the treated group had a reduction in muscle discomfort, decrease in fatigue after exercise and improvement in sleep. Authors indicated, "Considering that fatigue is one of the most common complaints found among the elderly, these results are significant." As you know, I've strongly recommended ALC in my prior newsletters based on my personal experiences and numerous published studies. It appears 2,000 to 4,000 mg per day is the optimal dosage.
There was a related trial performed on dogs published July 2007 in the journal FASEB4. Dogs between ages seven and almost nine years were given supplements of alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L carnitine twice daily over approximately two months. Dogs given the supplements were noted to have significantly fewer errors in reaching learning criteria on two or more discrimination tasks compared to controlled administered placebo. Authors indicated the long term supplementation of alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L carnitine may be effective in attenuating age-associated poor cognitive health by slowing the rate of mitochondrial decay and cellular aging.
Finally there was an interesting meta-analysis reported in the August 2007 edition of the journal Hepatology5. Researchers reviewed data from 10 studies conducted in Europe and Japan on people who drank coffee correlating with incidence of abnormal cellular growth within the liver. A total of over 2,200 cases of abnormal cellular growth of the liver were reviewed. It was found that, among people who drank coffee, there was a 41% reduction in abnormal cellular growth compared to those who never drank coffee. Higher coffee consumption, defined as one cup or more in some studies and three cups or more in other studies, had a 55% reduction in incidence of abnormal cellular growth in the liver.
It's noted that animal laboratory studies suggested there are certain compounds in coffee which may block harmful enzymes involved in development of this abnormal cellular growth. Authors of the study indicated that, although, a cause-and-effect relationship between coffee and abnormal cellular liver growth cannot be determined on the basis of the data, the current analysis provides quantitative evidence of a protective effect. When you look at the studies indicating levels of antioxidants in foods, coffee and tea are quite impressive.
The two studies noted above on acetyl-L carnitine just reinforce my absolute positive feelings about this amazing nutrient. I've successfully used a combination of acetyl-L carnitine and alpha lipoic acid in my patients who have poor peripheral nerve function. I can't tell you how many patients I see who complain to me of being chronically fatigued. I've used acetyl-L carnitine in reducing fatigue in certain neurologic concerns but have never tried it in patients who just complain of being fatigued. I certainly plan to do so along with alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, magnesium and B-complex. These are nutrients essential for producing the energy molecule ATP required by every cell to maintain good health.
And don't forget the importance of a high-quality, broad-spectrum multi-vitamin containing many antioxidants and phytonutrients working in combination to help promote optimal immune function and cellular health.
1. Cook NR, Albert CM, Gaziano, JM, Manson JE, et al. A Randomized Factorial Trial of Vitamins C and E and Beta Carotene in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Women. Arch Intern Med.2007;167:1610-1618.
2. Wang TH, Bhatt DL, Fox KA, Steinhubl SR, Brennan DM, Hacke W, Mak KH, Pearson TA, Boden WE, Steg PG, Flather MD, Montalescot G, Topol EJ; on behalf of the CHARISMA Investigators. An analysis of mortality rates with dual-antiplatelet therapy in the primary prevention population of the CHARISMA trial. Eur Heart J. 2007 Aug 2; [Epub ahead of print]
3. Malaguarnera M, Gargante MP, Cristaldi E, Colonna V, Messano M, Koverech A, Neri S, Vacante M, Cammalleri L, Motta M. Acetyl l-carnitine (ALC) treatment in elderly patients with fatigue. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007 Jul 19; [Epub ahead of print]
4. Milgram NW, Araujo JA, Hagen TM, Treadwell BV, Ames BN. Acetyl-L-carnitine and {alpha}-lipoic acid supplementation of aged beagle dogs improves learning in two landmark discrimination tests. FASEB J. 2007 Jul 10; [Epub ahead of print]
5. Bravi F, Bosetti C, Tavani A, Bagnardi V, Gallus S, Negri E, Franceschi S, La Vecchia C. Coffee drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: A meta-analysis. Hepatology. 2007 Aug;46(2):430-5.
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=342&csrc=EM-FYH20070816:main
August 16, 2007 - Fatigue is one of the most common complaints among individuals. Adequate rest, regular exercise and proper nutrition may help, but people often wonder if there's something they can take to help them improve energy. A new study recently published in the journal Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics suggests that the nutrient acetyl L-carnitine promotes improvement in both physical and mental fatigue in the elderly.
There were some interesting items recently in the medical news. In a study just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was noted that vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene do not appear to prevent heart disease in high risk women1. Over 8,000 women participated in this study. All women were over 40 years old and had a history of cardiovascular disease or, at least, three risk factors for the development of heart disease.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Manson, did indicate that "the study does hint of the possibility that a combination of vitamins C and E appears to reduce the risk of stroke," although it could be a result of chance, but nevertheless, it was felt that it warranted further study. It would seem from the study that, indeed, these three antioxidants are not "the magic bullet" when it comes to reducing risk of heart disease in high risk women. There was clearly no adverse effect from these three antioxidants.
My main objection to this study is that one could falsely assume that all antioxidants for all age groups and sexes are of no benefit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Obviously, women who have known cardiovascular disease or are at high risk of developing this condition should be doing preventative things such as exercise, proper diet, avoiding smoking, etc. There are a lot of other powerful antioxidants beyond the three basic vitamins studied shown to have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health. I've never been an advocate of taking only these three or one of these three antioxidants.
The other reason the study may not have been effective is the fact most people take vitamin E and beta carotene in the cheap synthetic forms purchased at drug stores and mass market discount stores. Studies have shown the natural forms of these nutrients are several times more effective antioxidants. This is why I've always recommended Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) Synergy multi-vitamins that contain natural vitamin E and beta carotene along with 30 to 70+ additional nutrients.
On the other side of the coin, I'd like to point out that drugs are certainly failing patients'goals and have major and even deadly side effects. Although a big to-do may be made about the relative lack of efficacy of some antioxidants in one particular study while ignoring hundreds of positive studies, the danger of drugs seems to be ignored and minimized by the medical community and media.
There was just a study published in the August 2007 edition of the European Heart Journal2. Over 15,000 patients were enrolled. Over 2,200 were initially categorized as being asymptomatic but having cardiovascular risk factors, whereas over 13,000 were said to be symptomatic. The groups were given aspirin alone or aspirin plus the drug Plavix. It appeared that those treated with both Plavix and aspirin who had a history of multiple cardiovascular risk factors, but no history of any symptoms or events, actually had an increased cardiovascular mortality of a shockingly higher 72%.
Moving on to some very positive news, there was a wonderful study published on the incredible benefits of acetyl-L carnitine (ALC) in the July 2007 Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics3. Ninety six subjects over age 70 participated in a randomized double-blinded trial. Half were given 2,000 mg twice a day of acetyl-L carnitine while the other half received placebo for six months. Those given acetyl-L carnitine had statistically significant improvement in both physical and mental fatigue along with improvement in functional status and cognitive health. Additionally, those in the treated group had a reduction in muscle discomfort, decrease in fatigue after exercise and improvement in sleep. Authors indicated, "Considering that fatigue is one of the most common complaints found among the elderly, these results are significant." As you know, I've strongly recommended ALC in my prior newsletters based on my personal experiences and numerous published studies. It appears 2,000 to 4,000 mg per day is the optimal dosage.
There was a related trial performed on dogs published July 2007 in the journal FASEB4. Dogs between ages seven and almost nine years were given supplements of alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L carnitine twice daily over approximately two months. Dogs given the supplements were noted to have significantly fewer errors in reaching learning criteria on two or more discrimination tasks compared to controlled administered placebo. Authors indicated the long term supplementation of alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L carnitine may be effective in attenuating age-associated poor cognitive health by slowing the rate of mitochondrial decay and cellular aging.
Finally there was an interesting meta-analysis reported in the August 2007 edition of the journal Hepatology5. Researchers reviewed data from 10 studies conducted in Europe and Japan on people who drank coffee correlating with incidence of abnormal cellular growth within the liver. A total of over 2,200 cases of abnormal cellular growth of the liver were reviewed. It was found that, among people who drank coffee, there was a 41% reduction in abnormal cellular growth compared to those who never drank coffee. Higher coffee consumption, defined as one cup or more in some studies and three cups or more in other studies, had a 55% reduction in incidence of abnormal cellular growth in the liver.
It's noted that animal laboratory studies suggested there are certain compounds in coffee which may block harmful enzymes involved in development of this abnormal cellular growth. Authors of the study indicated that, although, a cause-and-effect relationship between coffee and abnormal cellular liver growth cannot be determined on the basis of the data, the current analysis provides quantitative evidence of a protective effect. When you look at the studies indicating levels of antioxidants in foods, coffee and tea are quite impressive.
The two studies noted above on acetyl-L carnitine just reinforce my absolute positive feelings about this amazing nutrient. I've successfully used a combination of acetyl-L carnitine and alpha lipoic acid in my patients who have poor peripheral nerve function. I can't tell you how many patients I see who complain to me of being chronically fatigued. I've used acetyl-L carnitine in reducing fatigue in certain neurologic concerns but have never tried it in patients who just complain of being fatigued. I certainly plan to do so along with alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, magnesium and B-complex. These are nutrients essential for producing the energy molecule ATP required by every cell to maintain good health.
And don't forget the importance of a high-quality, broad-spectrum multi-vitamin containing many antioxidants and phytonutrients working in combination to help promote optimal immune function and cellular health.
1. Cook NR, Albert CM, Gaziano, JM, Manson JE, et al. A Randomized Factorial Trial of Vitamins C and E and Beta Carotene in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Women. Arch Intern Med.2007;167:1610-1618.
2. Wang TH, Bhatt DL, Fox KA, Steinhubl SR, Brennan DM, Hacke W, Mak KH, Pearson TA, Boden WE, Steg PG, Flather MD, Montalescot G, Topol EJ; on behalf of the CHARISMA Investigators. An analysis of mortality rates with dual-antiplatelet therapy in the primary prevention population of the CHARISMA trial. Eur Heart J. 2007 Aug 2; [Epub ahead of print]
3. Malaguarnera M, Gargante MP, Cristaldi E, Colonna V, Messano M, Koverech A, Neri S, Vacante M, Cammalleri L, Motta M. Acetyl l-carnitine (ALC) treatment in elderly patients with fatigue. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007 Jul 19; [Epub ahead of print]
4. Milgram NW, Araujo JA, Hagen TM, Treadwell BV, Ames BN. Acetyl-L-carnitine and {alpha}-lipoic acid supplementation of aged beagle dogs improves learning in two landmark discrimination tests. FASEB J. 2007 Jul 10; [Epub ahead of print]
5. Bravi F, Bosetti C, Tavani A, Bagnardi V, Gallus S, Negri E, Franceschi S, La Vecchia C. Coffee drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: A meta-analysis. Hepatology. 2007 Aug;46(2):430-5.
http://www.vitacost.com/newsletter/newsletter.cfm?nl=342&csrc=EM-FYH20070816:main