Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine

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http://hfn-usa.com/articles/030203mitoplex.html

 

The breakthrough discovery of combining two power-packed nutrients, Lipoic Acid

and Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Mitochondria Superchargers

 

 

 

 

Just recently, last February 2002, Dr. Bruce Ames and colleagues at the

University of California, Berkeley published a series of groundbreaking studies

that show how Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine work together to supercharge

the cells' mitochondria … so that we now have the capability to live a longer,

more productive life.

 

How do Lipoic Acid (LA) and Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) work together?

 

The first study to examine this relationship didn’t even use the two supplements

together. Instead, it looked at the effects of taking them individually. Both

ALC and LA seem to work by improving

 

mitochondria function, but they differ in how they do it:

 

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) is more potent at restoring mitochondria energy

production. The problem is, it doesn't prevent the increase in free radicals

that accompanies the energy production. In the long run, this increase in free

radicals limits ALC’s potential benefits and will cause more damage to the cell

and mitochondria.

 

• R-Lipoic Acid (LA) is better at restoring cellular and mitochondria free

radical protection, and has been shown to restore levels in old animals to the

levels found in young animals.

 

However, scientists were interested in combining ALC and LA to see if this

combination would have powerful results. And it did—and is now being used as a

breakthrough anti-aging dietary supplement!

 

In order to understand how the two supplements work together, it's important to

first understand how Lipoic Acid works.

 

The different forms of Lipoic Acid

 

Like many dietary chemicals, Lipoic Acid exists in different forms. In the body,

Lipoic Acid is found only in its " R " form. Because only tiny quantities of

Lipoic Acid are found naturally in animals and plants, the form that has always

been manufactured and sold is made synthetically and contains equal amounts of

the " R " and " S " forms.

 

Vitamin E is another example of a vitamin that's sold both in a natural form and

a synthetic form. While the natural and synthetic forms are mirror images of

each other and usually have similar functions in the body, they can differ in

their biological actions. For example, it is now known that natural vitamin E is

utilized by the body more efficiently than synthetic vitamin E, even though they

both have the same antioxidant power. Early on in Lipoic research it became

apparent that the natural and synthetic forms of Lipoic did have different

effects in the body.

 

Think of it this way: you can’t fit your right hand into a left-handed glove. If

you wore your gloves on the wrong hands, you wouldn’t be able to function

normally—simply because the gloves wouldn’t fit.

 

The same thing happens in the body. Your body will not accept a left-handed

compound to do the job a right-handed one is designed to do, and vice versa. A

compound that’s the wrong shape cannot work as well in your body as one that's

the right shape. And the right shape is the one that the body recognizes and

fully utilizes.

 

Natural Lipoic Acid vs. Synthetic Lipoic Acid

 

For years, the manufacturers of nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals have

produced a synthetic form of Lipoic Acid. The vast majority of research in the

past 30 years has used this synthetic form, and this is the type of Lipoic Acid

used as a pharmaceutical in Europe to enhance glucose uptake for diabetics.

 

The synthetic form contains both R and S-Lipoic Acid. But it was discovered that

in enhancing glucose uptake, all the activity was found only in the natural R

form of Lipoic acid, and the S form could actually INHIBIT glucose uptake.

 

The synthetic form of Lipoic Acid containing both R and S-Lipoic Acid had a

beneficial effect, but not as much as the R form alone. Eventually, pure

R-Lipoic Acid became more available to researchers, and scientists discovered

that it is a better form of the nutrient, all around, which makes it the logical

choice as a dietary supplement.

 

Pure R-Lipoic Acid is finally available to consumers, and we are pleased to

inform you about it.

 

What's the difference between Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) and L-Carnitine (LC)?

 

L-Carnitine is used by the body to transport long chain fatty acids to the

mitochondria, where they are burned for energy. During this process it is

converted to Acetyl-L-Carnitine. It has also been used for decades as a

supplement for its important role in fat metabolism and heart health.

 

This has caused confusion both among consumers and supplement companies as to

which product is best to take, or if both must be taken together. Although these

compounds can have some similar effects, they are not interchangeable. To begin

with, high levels of L-Carnitine can actually reduce the amount of

Acetyl-L-Carnitine that penetrates into the brain or counteract its effect on

nerve cells. Also, much of the ALC we take is converted in the body to LC during

its metabolism, giving us the benefits of both. Lastly, in some studies,

L-Carnitine has not been shown to have the same stimulating effect on

mitochondrial energy production as ALC. So, in the end, it seems prudent to get

our body's L-Carnitine and ALC from daily Acetyl-L-Carnitine supplementation.

 

The recent groundbreaking study of combining

 

R Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine

 

In the late 1990s, Dr. Bruce Ames and colleagues at the University of

California, Berkeley began examining the effects of combining R-Lipoic Acid and

Acetyl-L-Carnitine. 1

 

The research showed that the R form is more effective at promoting energy

production, chelating metals, preventing cataract formation, and increasing

glucose uptake into cells. This initial research set the stage for Dr. Ames'

team to continue with their groundbreaking studies which showed that the

combination of R-Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine:

 

1) Could significantly improve metabolic function, but at the same time lower

oxidative stress and free radical production

 

2) Restored age-related enzyme dysfunction of a key mitochondria enzyme used in

energy production, while lowering free radical damage and improving mitochondria

function

 

3) Improved memory in old rats

 

These studies concluded that the combination of R-Lipoic Acid and

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is indeed complementary, raising mitochondria function while

lowering free radical production.

 

Thus, it appears that the combination of R-Lipoic Acid and ALC may be the first

nutritional supplement proven to significantly reverse signs of aging on a

molecular level. While scientists have many years ahead of them determining the

exact mechanisms of how ALC and R-Lipoic acid work their magic, the combination

of these nutritional supplements is available today for everyone who wants to

keep their dietary supplement program at the cutting edge of nutrition and

anti-aging research.

 

 

 

10 Tips for Healthy Aging

 

1) Add Health Freedom Nutrition's Mitoplex to your daily regimen

 

 

Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables each day.

 

 

Exercise regularly.

 

 

Get regular health check-ups.

 

 

Quit smoking, if you haven’t already.

 

 

Practice safety habits at home to prevent fractures and falls. Always wear a

seatbelt in the car.

 

 

Maintain contact with family and friends. Stay active through work, play and

your community.

 

 

Avoid overexposure to the sun and the cold.

 

 

Limit your consumption of alcohol to one drink a day.

 

 

Don’t worry, be happy. Do things that bring pleasure to your life and avoid

stress.

 

 

 

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

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Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

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