In many well-designed tests, ALC repeatedly slowed rates of cognitive deterioration. It does so through many mechanisms. It enhances production, release, and uptake of acetylcholine (a key neurotransmitter); diminishes the effects of free radicals on brain cells; and prevents the loss of brain cells. Some studies suggest that ALC even reverses brain cell loss.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter essential to nerve function and muscle contraction, and it also affects memory and cognition. Tests show that people with Alzheimer's disease are deficient in acetylcholine. They also tend to have low levels of carnitine acetyl transferase, the enzyme that converts L-carnitine to acetyl-L-carnitine. Because ALC enhances acetylcholine production, low levels of the converting enzyme are likely to lead to lower levels of acetylcholine. Theoretically, ALC supplements will boost acetylcholine levels compromised by both brain degeneration and carnitine acetyl transferase deficiency. Tests bear this connection out: In double-blind trials, the brain function of Alzheimer's patients treated with ALC was considerably less deteriorated than the control group.

ALC also helps the antioxidants coenzyme Q10 and glutathione protect brain cells from free radicals such as superoxide dismutase. In animal studies, ALC also improves memory and thinking by reducing lipofuscin accumulation in the brain. Lipofuscin, a waste product in brain cells caused by free radicals, increases in density as brain weight declines, and has been associated with memory loss and cognitive decline in humans.

 

In animal studies, ALC reverses the loss of nerve cells in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, areas of the brain associated with memory, problem solving, emotion, and complex thoughts. Aging naturally destroys nerve cells, retarding or limiting the transmission of chemical messages, affecting speech, coordination, and recall. ALC also protects mitochondrial membranes and helps rebuild them if damaged.