interesting research

[atticus]

I came across some research about the effects of supplementing acetyl-l-carnitine and/or l-carnitine in those who have deficits in executive and other brain functions, and especially in autism. The results seem very promising! As promising as such preliminary findings can be, that is. It seems as though carnitine has a lot of neuroprotective qualities. I'll link a few of the articles that piqued my interest below, with the caveat that some of these articles could be seen as offensive because of the language they use regarding autism:

Autism and carnitine: A possible link

SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class research journals

L-Carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine roles and neuroprotection in developing brain

Cognitive remission: a novel objective for the treatment of major depression? | BMC Medicine | Full Text (look for the heading 'acetyl-l-carnitine [ALC] and alpha lipoic acid [ALA]' for this one)

Acetyl-L-carnitine improves aged brain function - PubMed

Effects of l-Carnitine in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Review of Clinical Studies

Potential Role of L-Carnitine in Autism Spectrum ... - MDPIhttps://www.mdpi.com › pdf (this is a downloadable file, don't click if you don't want to download it).

Autism and intellectual disability associated with mitochondrial disease and hyperlactacidemia - PubMed

Metabolic and mitochondrial disorders associated with epilepsy in children with autism spectrum disorder - PubMed

A common X-linked inborn error of carnitine biosynthesis may be a risk factor for nondysmorphic autism - PubMed

Now some of these are animal studies, some are with very small sample groups, etc. This is still some pretty preliminary research. Share your thoughts with me?

 

[VictorR]

@Neonatal RRT this seems up your alley - would you care to comment / chip in perhaps?

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I haven't looked much into L-carnitine within the context of autism as of yet, but I am thinking it may have to do with how the brain runs more efficiently on ketones rather than glucose. However, within the context of neonatal medicine,...my area of expertise,...I do know that it is common practice to supplement our premature infants with L-carnitine as part of our feeding protocols. L-carnitine enhances the pathways which allow for the conversion of fats and triglycerides to ketones. Ketones are a far more efficient way to produce energy/ATP than even glucose.

The conversion of fat stores and triglycerides to ketones is the basic, underlying premise behind the Atkins diet and more so, intermittent fasting protocols for weight loss.

The interesting thing with regards to autism and intermittent fasting,...and I have done this myself,...is the brain works noticeably more efficient. A wave of euphoria comes over you when your body flips into ketosis,...and because you are putting the brain into a "stress response", all peripheral thoughts of anxiety, worry, pretty much all your emotional baggage goes away,...and you become "hyper-focused" on whatever task you are doing. It is an incredible feeling. If you also do a literature search on intermittent fasting, ketosis, and autism, you will get a fair amount of favorable research.

Furthermore, if you do a literature search on autism and low carbohydrate diets, you will find favorable research. Carbohydrates tend to spike insulin and potentially damaging oxygen radical production,...and the conversion of glucose into ATP (what your cells use for energy) is less efficient. Eating mono and polyunsaturated fats (so-called good fats) are actually anti-oxidants, dampen down the insulin production, and is more easily converted to ketones, and ultimately ATP.

If you are looking into these so-called "brain or memory supplements", these supplements that are called "nootropics",...L-carnitine is often found within the ingredients.

Personally, I have not taken L-carnitine supplements,...but now that I am thinking this over,...there may be some benefits not only for enhancing the effects of intermittent fasting and weight loss, but the ability to get the brain into a more efficient state.