"I tested it for 30 days because I figured what did I have to lose? I was feeling kind of slow and icky and I thought – you know – if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But if it does, how much better will I feel? Lo and behold I feel better. And since I'm feeling better, I don't feel as 47 as I did six weeks ago. But the most important and hugest thing to me is falling asleep. It's been great and I'm gonna' keep taking it."
- Julie Ross, age 47 Individual results my vary.

"I'm almost 67 years old and I'm jogging? Can you get this? I know a lot of men my age are saying big deal, but yeah, it is a big deal. It's substantial. I'm more active. I also noticed every morning there's activity below the waist, I feel like I did when I was much younger. Hey I feel like a real man down there. But the key, the beauty of this whole thing, the thing I absolutely love, is that I am sleeping through the night. Since I was 48, I was never able to sleep through the night."
- William Michael Paul, age 66 Individual results my vary.

"I recommend it. It worked wonderfully, all of a sudden I just had energy throughout the day and I didn't have that really tired feeling at the end of the day. You'll be REALLY impressed. It's a subtle but impressive difference in your life."
- Wanda Walters, age 54 Individual results my vary.

Our Patented Formula

This is the first supplement to contain acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA). The patented Juvenon™ Cellular Health Supplement formula provides a balanced ratio of these nutrients, which have been shown to boost mitochondrial levels and slow cellular aging.*

acetyl-L-carnitine: The Lesser Known Cousin

How is it different? Structurally, the difference between the acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) and L-carnitine (LC) is that ALC is an LC molecule that also contains an attached acetic acid group. This structural difference is small, but it produces a considerable difference in the biochemical properties of the molecule and, consequently, in its effects on metabolism. Acetyl-L-carnitine helps metabolize fat and has additional benefits as described by recent scientific research.

1. Studies have shown that the acetyl group on acetyl-L-carnitine can be donated to a specific acceptor molecule, choline, to form the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which helps restore nerve function. This process is believed to be at least partly responsible for the improved mental function that results from acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation in patients with cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and other disorders of the nervous system. Additional studies indicate a neuroprotective role for acetyl-L-carnitine demonstrating an improvement in symptoms of peripheral nerve damage common to diabetic patients.

2. The acetyl group can also be utilized for the production of energy in the Krebs cycle. This donation increases the availability of an important cofactor (CoA) required for the conversion of carbohydrates to energy. Sufficient amounts of carnitine, derived from acetyl-L-carnitine, are necessary to transport, toxic, non-metabolizable, short-chain fatty acids, out of the mitochondria, and thus to free up the cofactor, CoA. A deficiency in acetyl-L-carnitine promotes a corresponding decrease in this cofactor, and consequently impairs energy production from both fats and carbohydrates, thus affecting energy levels in all cells of the body.

3. ALC, but not LC, has also been demonstrated to protect the nervous system, partly because it more readily is transported into the nervous system. Recent studies with humans have indicated many of the age-associated disorders involving the nervous system, such as depression, impaired cognition, and decreased mental alertness, may be due to a deficiency in ALC.

4. ALC, but not LC, protects the mitochondria. A recent finding demonstrated that a deficiency in ALC affects the structure and energy-producing capacity of the mitochondria. The mitochondria are responsible for producing virtually all the energy required by the cell. Therefore any subtle change in their structure can have a tremendous effect on the cell's energy reserves. ALC has been demonstrated to revitalize mitochondria by restoring levels of a key mitochondrial component, cardiolipin. Cardiolipin, a phospholipid, is the glue that orchestrates the energy-producing machinery of the mitochondria and which normally declines with age.

5. The acetic acid group on ALC allows it to enter the mitochondria more readily than LC and consequently more rapidly perform its beneficial effects An additional enzyme must act on LC before it can enter the mitochondria.

How can it affect physical and mental state?

These characteristics raise some questions. First, why would a deficiency in a fat-burning chemical affect our physical as well as mental state? The two systems of the body requiring the most energy are the muscular and nervous systems. It has been estimated that the brain requires the amount of energy present in a quarter pound of sugar per day, for normal, healthy functioning. A lack of energy in brain and muscle tissues will be exhibited as impaired physical and mental activity. If the deficiency persists for a sufficient period of time, it can lead to disease.

Although the brain normally does not use fat for energy, (it prefers glucose from carbohydrates), except under conditions of fasting or starvation, it nevertheless can be adversely affected by a deficiency in ALC, because of all 5 of the numbered items described above.

Where does it come from?

Although the cells of the body do produce this important chemical, it is widely believed that the major source of the compound is derived from the diet. Meat (especially lamb) is the major dietary source of ALC, and the basis for why vegans can be deficient in ALC, since plants contain insignificant amounts.

Studies with animals have recently demonstrated a gradual decline in plasma levels of ALC with age, which correlates with age-associated energy decline. Additional studies with humans have indicated a steady decline in ALC, beginning with the fourth decade of life. This too is correlated with energy decline. This decline in plasma ALC may be a reflection of inefficient absorption from the diet and/or reduced synthesis by the body. Both are believed to be responsible for the lower levels of ALC as we age. In view of the age-associated decline in the ability of the body to synthesize and absorb ALC, use of dietary supplements to ensure adequate ALC is a growing trend in healthy aging.

alpha lipoic acid: A Marvelous Nutrient

The importance of the nutrient alpha lipoic acid on cellular health was described in some detail in a previous Juvenon Health Journal The Two Faces of Alpha Lipoic Acid. Today's article begins with a brief summary of the previous publication and then provides significant new information on the effects alpha lipoic acid cellular metabolism.

Alpha Lipoic Acid and Cellular Energy Production

Alpha lipoic acid is an essential nutrient that functions as a cofactor in the catalytic conversion of food-derived metabolites to energy. While the cells of our body synthesize lipoic acid, we also obtain it from the foods we eat. Evidence indicates we require both sources to supply healthy quantities to our cells. As we age, however, this amount may be insufficient for maximum cellular health, since absorption from foods may decline and cellular synthesis may be less efficient.

Protection from free-radical damage

Lipoic acid has been demonstrated to be a potent antioxidant in several ways. First, it can remove toxic free radicals directly. Second, because it is soluble in fat and water, it can insert itself in membranes as well as in the cell's water compartments. Thus, lipoic acid can protect virtually all the cell from oxidants. Third, it is well known that various antioxidants with different properties are required to protect the cell. Lipoic acid has been shown to function as the ultimate reducing (activating) agent in converting several additional antioxidants to their reduced and active forms. These include vitamins C and E, ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), and the important cellular antioxidant, glutathione. Finally, lipoic acid has been demonstrated in cell culture and animal experiments to have the capacity to activate a family of genes (called phase II genes), which are critical in the removal of toxic cellular substances. There are over 200 of these cell-protective genes. They are important in keeping our cells free from toxins produced during cellular metabolism as well as those obtained from prescribed drugs and environmental toxins.

Recent findings

Recent studies shed new light on lipoic acid's capacity to regulate metabolism. Lipoic acid given to humans in oral doses of 300-600 mg/day has been documented to increase the serum level of lipoic acid in the blood to 25-50 micromoles/liter (5mg/liter of blood). It turns out that doses in this range can promote the activation of an important regulator of energy metabolism (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) and in effect accelerate the removal of a carbohydrate-derived food metabolite, pyruvate, by converting it to energy. The net effect of this activity is to accelerate the removal from the serum of carbohydrate precursors to pyruvate.

The liver is a major regulator of carbohydrate-derived metabolite levels, and any increase in the activity of an enzyme that acts on these metabolites to convert them to energy can have a significant effect on reducing their levels in serum. Lowering serum levels of these carbohydrate-derived metabolites can have important positive effects on overall health. This research also demonstrated that lipoic acid inhibited the production of energy from fat in liver cells, but not in muscle. This is an important finding in that a product of fat metabolism (acetyl CoA) inhibits the conversion of carbohydrate-derived metabolites to energy. Therefore, by inhibiting fat oxidation in the liver, and thus preventing the accumulation of the fat-derived oxidation product acetyl CoA, lipoic acid accelerates the removal of the carbohydrate metabolite, pyruvate. In this way it helps keep precursors to this metabolite at healthy levels in the serum.

In summary, lipoic acid, has been shown to lower carbohydrate-derived metabolite levels by activating enzymes to convert them to energy. Secondly, lipoic acid prevents the conversion of cellular metabolites (such as amino acids) to carbohydrates, further promoting a healthy serum level of these metabolites. Finally, lipoic acid inhibits the conversion of fat to energy, thus preventing the production of fat-derived metabolites to accumulate and subsequently interfere with the removal or utilization of carbohydrates for energy production.

As noted, this latter effect is unique to liver. This is important because muscle tissue, which has high energy demand, utilizes fat for energy, so it would not be wise to interfere with the energy production of this tissue. Therefore, one can conclude that at least one of lipoic acid's effects (inhibition of fat metabolism in liver) is specific to the liver.

What does all this mean to human health?

The research cited above is encouraging in that it does suggest that lipoic acid in certain doses (300-600mg/day) may help promote the metabolic conversion of carbohydrates to energy. This effect is important because high serum levels of carbohydrate metabolites can negatively affect cellular health and contribute to aging.