Copyright 1995 by Jack Challem, The Nutrition Reporter™
All rights reserved.

A number of scientific studies have shown that carnitine, a nutrient consisting of two amino acids (lysine and methionine), may help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The latest study, by Jay W. Pettegrew, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has confirmed its value.

Pettegrew and his associates gave 3 grams of acetyl-L-carnitine daily to seven probable Alzheimer's patients for one year. This form of the nutrient is the acetyl derivative of carnitine and is more potent than plain carnitine. It is involved in trans-porting fats into the cell, where they are burned for energy.

Five other probable Alzheimer's patients received a placebo, and 21 healthy patients were used as a control group. Tests to assess cognitive function were given to all the patients at six and 12 months, and a number of neurochemicals were also measured.

Although the acetyl-L-carnitine and the placebo groups had virtually identical cognitive scores at the beginning of the study, the acetyl-L-carnitine group ended the study with "significantly higher" scores. That was because they had maintained their cognitive function, whereas the placebo group had deteriorated, according to an article in Neurobiology of Aging (Jan/Feb 1995;16:1-4).

Pettegrew also monitored levels of phosphomonoesters and high-energy phosphates, which degrade in Alzheimer's. These neurochemical signs confirmed that the disease's progression slowed among patients taking acetyl-L-carnitine.

The findings are particularly significant in that the patients treated with acetyl-L-carnitine were older, and presumably more resistant to treatment, than the placebo group. "These findings support the significance of membrane phospho-lipid changes in Alzheimer's disease and the ability of acetyl-L-carnitine to normalize these alterations," Pettegrew wrote.

This article originally appeared in The Nutrition Reporter™ newsletter. The information provided by Jack Challem and The Nutrition Reporter™ newsletter is strictly educational and not intended as medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, consult your physician.