ALCAR Nootropic Supplements

What Are The Main ALCAR Nootropic Benefits?

More and more people are discovering a new form of smart drugs called nootropics. These are supplements that have beneficial effects on the human brain and have a whole host of a positive result when taking them such as increased focus, memory and mood enhancement. Those who use smart drugs are turning to more naturally derived forms of nootropics. ALCAR is such an organic nootropic, and its popularity has risen in recent years.

ALCAR is an enhanced version of L-Carnitine, acetylyzed in a laboratory. It is important in many different bodily functions including energy metabolism and it can improve memory function and boost neuroplasticity.

It also offers enhanced neurological rather than physical benefits due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Its primary effect is on the production of acetylcholine – one of the main neurotransmitters involved in memory, learning, computation, analysis, perception and many more cognitive processes. By raising acetylcholine levels, you can promote increased synaptic plasticity and boost the formation of memories.

There are two different categories of benefits offered by ALCAR: Nootropic benefits and neuroprotective. Since this helps to raise the amount of acetylcholine within the brain, the associated benefits usually related back to this fact. This will normally lead to memory enhancement and increased learning capacity.

ALCAR can help to keep the brain healthy by reducing nerve pain and possibly even promoting heart health due to its antioxidant properties. It is also shown to improve communication between neurons, further improve brain function.

Recommended Dosage

The most commonly recommended dosage is between 500 and 1000mg, taken all at once -although it is considered to be much more effective if split into several equal administrations throughout the day. It is always advisable to start with the lowest effective dosage, only increasing users become more familiar with the actual effects and benefits resulting from ALCAR.

Side Effects

Research shows that ALCAR is very safe at recommended dosages– even for long-term daily use. No doubt, this is partially due to the fact that this nutrient is naturally produced by the liver and kidneys. After this, the chemical is generally transported to other tissues throughout the body and stored in places like the skeletal muscles, brain, and heart. The main ALCAR nootropic benefits include improvement in clarity of thought, mood, memory, and focus.

In high doses, of more than 5 grams per day, you might see diarrhea, increased appetite, body odor, and rash, along with possible headaches. None of these side effects are believed to be long-term and most symptoms subside within a few hours. In patients with epilepsy, it has been shown to trigger seizures upon administering this drug. Such patients should not use it as a result.

Long-term use of the ALCAR Nootropic Benefits

There is very little research on any long term results or side effects of extended use of ALCAR. Most available research does indicate little to no long term adverse effects of using ALCAR within dosage limits or even significantly dangerous effects from using more than directed. There are a few claims to it being a weight loss aid, but studies that confirm these findings are scant and inconclusive.

Short-term use of the ALCAR Nootropic Benefits

All available research indicates that those who use this within dosage recommendations should suffer virtually no ill side effects. Those who use more only suffer mild instances of side effect listed above. Those who suffer epilepsy should not take ALCAR.

Research

ALCAR is absorbed in the intestines (jejunum) mostly by the organic cation transporter 2 (OCTN2) which is a sodium-dependent transporter. These transporters take up L-carnitine molecules, while it needs to be deacetylated prior to absorption so it can readily be reacetylated afterward. It is then absorbed L-Carnitine is absorbed in the gut via the OCTN2 transporter, and alterations in this transporter determine alterations in L-carnitine absorption. If it is increased, then more is absorbed, if it is impaired or blocked, then less L-carnitine is absorbed.

When looking at the overall bioavailability of L-carnitine supplements, there has been contrasting data on whether L-carnitine or ALCAR are better absorbed relative to the other, although all that has been ascertained is that the isomer of D-carnitine is not absorbed from the intestines. The bioavailability of these supplements in the range of 1-6g appears to range from 14-18%, which is lower than the bioavailability from lower doses via food products (54-87%) and applies to L-carnitine and ALCAR, thought to also extend to Propionyl-L-Carnitine.

When examining variations in the absorption of this chemical found in the body, it seems that L-carnitine found in food products is absorbed to a better degree than L-carnitine from supplements (regardless of the form used), but supplements are still absorbed to a fairly decent degree. Intradermal, or topical skin delivery, of L-Carnitine, has been shown raise bioavailability by 2.8x in rats, although this number is subject to vary depending on vehicle and pre-treatment.

Legal Status

Although no international health authorities have allowed this nootropic to be prescribed clinically and it isn’t approved for clinical use by the FDA, it is legal to purchase from supplement websites and storefront markets. Its lack of FDA approval is only due to there not being enough studies to confirm the benefits of ALCAR, not due to any safety concerns. ALCAR has shown a wealth of benefits in clinical trials among mice and is frequently used among bodybuilders and nootropic biohackers.

Online Reviews

The following are reviews from those who followed dosage guidelines:

• “As a graduate student taking neuroscience, I began taking A-L-C to enhance cognition but curiously, the main effect I discovered was that when exercising, I might still get tired like before but I could continue without feeling the desire to stop; odd to describe. This was apparent after only a few days. I never noted any untoward effects using 3g/day in three doses. Your mileage may vary.”
• “I started taking ALCAR with alpha lipoic acid about 2 years ago. I saw it at the drugstore and it said enhances memory. I have had problems with focus and memory retention for about 10 years, so I decided to try it. I take 2-200mg capsules daily. I have noticed much improvement in remembering things and organizational skills over the past couple of years. I went to a workshop in Cincinnati last year and found out that the University (UC) has it listed on its slide program that was shown at this workshop and had noted that it has shown to be beneficial in treating memory/Alzheimer’s and other dementia. I have recommended it to many family members and friends, and several have told me that it has helped them too. The main ALCAR nootropic benefits lie in its ability to improve one’s clarity of thought!”

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, ensuring those who are undergoing treatment for epilepsy will not take this supplement, this is extremely safe at proper dosages and even side effects that result from using more are generally mild in comparison with other similar nootropics like Phenibut. Conversely, there is significant evidence to indicate that this supplement can and does improve fatigue and alertness, increases mitochondrial energy production, boost focus and improve circulation and anti-oxidant protection.