What made these rats do the Macarena?
You’ve heard the old saying, “two heads are better than one.” Well, according to researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, two supplements may be better than one at fighting the effects of aging.
We’ve known for some time that the amino acid acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) can protect brain nerve cells from degeneration due to aging. Studies have shown that ALC can help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, improve memory, and lengthen attention span. Many of ALC’s benefits are attributed to ALC’s stimulatory effects on the mitochondria, the tiny “organelles” that function as the cells’ “energy factories.”
But other research had also shown that ALC can increase oxidative stress, particularly in the liver, opening the door for damage from free radicals and potential liver problems. For some people, that risk outweighed the potential benefits of ALC.
Together, two key nutrients make the old seem young again
Now, the UCB researchers have found that combining ALC with alpha lipoic acid (ALA) not only eliminates the concerns about oxidative stress, but also magnifies the therapy’s anti-aging effects.
In animal studies, the researchers supplemented young and old rats with ALC and ALA and compared their health and behavior before and after. They found that the supplement combination improved older rats’ metabolisms, improved their memories, and increased their energy levels. According to one researcher, as quoted in a UCB press release, “The brain looks better, they are full of energy – everything we looked at looks more like a young animal.”
“With the two supplements together, these old rats got up and did the Macarena,” said Bruce N. Ames, a professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley.
Increase activity level 300%
The study was published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which didn’t include any references to popular dance moves, but did provide more of the scientific details.
In a number of experiments, the researchers assessed the differences between the old rats and the young rats – and how supplementation with ALC and ALA closed that gap. Much of the research was focused on the nutrients’ effects on the mitochondria, which Ames described as the “weak link in aging.” For example, before supplementation, they found that the older rats had less than half the mitochondrial function the younger rats enjoyed. But after supplementation, the older rats “markedly reduced this decline,” posting values only about 20 percent lower than those of the young rats. The old rats also showed a three-fold increase in overall activity, and an increase in oxygen consumption after supplementation.
And, as they hypothesized, the researchers saw all of these benefits without any damage to the rats’ antioxidant status. In fact, they found “no significant differences” in antioxidant status between older rats who took the supplemental ALC and ALA and younger, untreated rats.
For most of us, doing the Macarena is a thing of the past, having nothing to do with being too tired. But dance preferences aside, this research shows how you can gain more energy, improve your memory, boost your metabolism, and protect your body from oxidative stress at the same time. This study suggests you can do all that by adding acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid to your daily supplement regimen.
While it’s difficult to translate the animal dosages used in this study to human values, I can tell you that the usual recommended dosage for ALC is 250 milligrams to 2 grams daily, while most manufacturers suggest 100 to 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid each day.* Both are widely available at health food stores and vitamin suppliers.
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