ALCA 500 contains Acetyl-L-Carnitine Arginate, a novel molecular combination of the amino acids Acetyl-L-Carnitine and L-Arginine. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in human brain, nerve, heart, liver and sperm cells, where it participates in metabolizing fatty acids into energy by the mitochondria. As an antioxidant, Acetyl-L-Carnitine protects neurons from damage caused by superoxide radicals. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is involved in other aspects of neuronal metabolism because its molecular structure resembles the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetyl-L-Carnitine supplementation supports energy utilization by its effects on fatty acid metabolism in the mitochondria. L-Arginine is utilized to produce nitric oxide by the action of the enzyme tetrahydrobiopterin (THBP). L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid synthesized by the body from ornithine. Arginine is important in bioenergetics because it is used by the body to produce creatine.
