Lee Swanson Research Update

Acetyl-L-Carnitine Can Relieve Nerve Pain Among Diabetics

June 2005

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

The nutritional supplement acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) appears to decrease pain and improve nerve function in people with diabetic neuropathy, according to a study published in Diabetes Care.

ALC is an amino acid that may be found in lower concentrations in people with diabetes than in healthy people. Several studies have shown that ALC helps relieve pain associated with neuropathies.

In the recent study researchers evaluated the data received from two previous studies in which more than 1,200 participants received either 500 mg of ALC three times per day, 1,000 mg of ALC three times per day or placebo.

Several measures were taken to assess response to treatment: microscopic examination of nerve fibers, nerve conduction velocity (to see how quickly the nerves transmit information), vibration perception, and analysis of symptoms related to diabetic neuropathy, including pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, dizziness, and more.

The number of nerve fibers and clusters of regenerating nerves were found to be significantly greater in the group taking 500 mg of ALC three times per day than in the placebo group. Vibration perception increased significantly among those participants taking 1,000 mg of ALC three times per day compared with placebo.

At the outset of one of the studies, 27% of the participants said that pain was their most bothersome symptom; taking 1,000 mg of ALC three times per day significantly reduced this pain. Those participants who had been diagnosed with diabetes most recently experienced the greatest pain reduction.

Researchers concluded: "These studies demonstrate that ALC treatment is efficacious in alleviating symptoms, particularly pain, and improves nerve fiber regeneration and vibration perception in patients with established diabetic neuropathy."

Diabetes Care 28:89-94, 2005

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