N-Acetyl L-Carnitine
N-Acetyl L-Carnitine in MemoPryl
N-acetyl L-carnitine HCl is a named MemoPryl ingredient with no published amount. A Cochrane review of dementia trials found no evidence of benefit. It can cause stomach upset and, in people with seizure disorders, seizures. Ask your doctor if that applies to you.
Prepared by the MemoPryl label deskUpdated
The ingredient01
What is N-acetyl L-carnitine in MemoPryl?
N-acetyl L-carnitine, often shortened to acetyl-L-carnitine or ALCAR, is a form of carnitine, a compound your body makes and uses to turn fat into energy. It is the third of the six names listed for MemoPryl.
The brief writes it as “N-Acetyl L-Carnitine HCl”. HCl means hydrochloride, a salt form that dissolves well. Sponsored coverage of the vendor names it too, with no milligrams (Sponsored coverage of the vendor).
It is sold with talk of “brain energy”. The 1-bottle and 3-bottle renders say “Supports Brain Energy*”, but the close-up photo does not, which is one of several mismatches between the images.
| Name on the label | N-Acetyl L-Carnitine HCl |
|---|---|
| What it is | Acetylated form of carnitine, hydrochloride salt |
| Group on the panel | Nutrients and amino acids |
| Amount per serving (label) | Not published |
| % Daily Value | Not known |
| Amount used in research | 1,000 to 3,000 mg a day in dementia trials |
| Strength of evidence | No evidence of benefit in the Cochrane review of dementia trials |
| Marketed or traditional use | Marketed for brain energy |
| Main caution | Nausea and a fishy body odor at high doses; can cause seizures in people with seizure disorders. |
The card above is an illustration made for this site. The amount reads not published because no Supplement Facts panel was found.
The evidence02
Does acetyl-L-carnitine help memory?
Acetyl-L-carnitine has not been shown to help memory or dementia in the best review of trials. A Cochrane review pooled 16 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in mild-to-moderate dementia or cognitive decline (Cochrane, acetyl-L-carnitine).
Some measures favored the supplement at 12 and 24 weeks, but not at 52 weeks. On the measures that count, such as severity of dementia, daily function and thinking, there was no evidence of benefit. The authors said the few significant results may be due to chance.
The NIH fact sheet quotes the same authors: routine use for dementia was not justified, and effects remain unclear (NIH ODS, Carnitine). Those trials were in people with dementia, so they cannot speak for healthy adults with ordinary forgetfulness.
| Measure | Result in the review |
|---|---|
| Number of trials | 16, double-blind, placebo-controlled |
| Early weeks (12 and 24) | Some measures favored the supplement |
| Week 52 | No longer favored |
| Dementia severity, function, cognition | No evidence of benefit |
| Side effects | Not clearly different from placebo |
The review is a source for acetyl-L-carnitine alone. No trial of MemoPryl itself was found. See MemoPryl benefits for the bottle claims.
How much03
How much N-acetyl L-carnitine is in MemoPryl?
The amount of N-acetyl L-carnitine in MemoPryl is not published. We found no Supplement Facts panel, serving size or milligram figure, so we print none.
Cognitive trials of acetyl-L-carnitine used 1 to 3 g a day, which is 1,000 to 3,000 mg (NIH ODS, Carnitine). That is the research range for the ingredient. It is not the MemoPryl amount.
The gap matters. A mixed capsule with six names would need large capsules to hold gram-sized doses of one ingredient. Whether yours does cannot be known until you read the panel, so do not assume it matches any trial.
MemoPryl amount
Not published. Read the panel on your bottle.
The link between them
None can be drawn without the label.
Side effects04
Is N-acetyl L-carnitine safe, and who should be careful?
N-acetyl L-carnitine is usually tolerated, but it can cause stomach upset and, in people with seizure disorders, seizures. About 3 g a day can bring nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and a fishy body odor (NIH ODS, Carnitine).
Carnitine has no established upper intake level. The NIH fact sheet also notes that some seizure drugs, including valproic acid, phenobarbital, phenytoin and carbamazepine, lower blood carnitine (NIH ODS, Carnitine).
If you take a seizure medicine, or have ever had a seizure, ask your neurologist before starting. Carry on with prescribed medicine exactly as directed while you ask.
Have epilepsy or any seizure history. Take a seizure medicine. Are pregnant or nursing, since many supplements have not been tested there (NCCIH, supplements wisely).
MemoPryl also names St. John’s wort and ginkgo, which carry their own cautions. The side effects page puts all six side by side.
Your bottle05
How do you check N-acetyl L-carnitine on your MemoPryl bottle?
Check N-acetyl L-carnitine on your bottle by finding its name on the Supplement Facts panel and noting the amount and serving size. Names can vary slightly: “acetyl-L-carnitine” and “ALCAR” mean the same family.
Be careful with plain “L-carnitine”. It is a related but different form. If your bottle lists other names than the six, it is a different formula, and look-alike listings exist (memopryl.com vendor page).
Find the line
Look for N-acetyl L-carnitine HCl in the panel, next to the other five names.
Write down the amount
Note milligrams per serving, then compare with the 1 to 3 g research range yourself.
Ask about seizures and side effects
A pharmacist can check the bottle against your medicine list.
FAQ06
MemoPryl questions people ask
What is acetyl-L-carnitine used for?
It is sold for energy and brain support, and studied in dementia. The Cochrane review of 16 trials found no evidence of benefit on dementia severity, function or cognition (Cochrane, acetyl-L-carnitine). Marketing language goes further than the research does.
Is N-acetyl L-carnitine HCl the same as L-carnitine?
They are related. Acetyl-L-carnitine is an acetylated form, and HCl marks a hydrochloride salt. They are not interchangeable on a label, so match the exact name listed on your bottle with the one in the brief.
How much acetyl-L-carnitine do studies use?
Cognitive trials used 1 to 3 g a day (NIH ODS, Carnitine). That is a research range for the ingredient alone. MemoPryl does not publish its amount, so the range does not describe the capsules.
Does acetyl-L-carnitine cause a fishy smell?
It can at high intakes. About 3 g a day may cause a fishy body odor, along with nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea (NIH ODS, Carnitine). Because the MemoPryl amount is unknown, we cannot say whether this applies to the capsules.
Can acetyl-L-carnitine trigger seizures?
Carnitine can cause seizures in people who have seizure disorders (NIH ODS, Carnitine). If you have epilepsy or take a seizure medicine, talk to your neurologist before using any product that names it, and do not change your prescribed doses.
Do seizure medicines affect carnitine levels?
Some do. Valproic acid, phenobarbital, phenytoin and carbamazepine can lower blood carnitine (NIH ODS, Carnitine). That is another reason to bring the bottle to the pharmacist who knows your medicine list.
Is there a long-term study of acetyl-L-carnitine for memory?
The Cochrane review covered trials up to 52 weeks, and the early gains on some measures did not hold at that point (Cochrane, acetyl-L-carnitine). We found no long-term trial of the finished MemoPryl capsule.
Why does the label say HCl after the carnitine name?
HCl stands for hydrochloride, a salt form that helps the compound dissolve and stay stable. It does not change the research picture, and it does not tell you the amount. The label panel is where the milligrams would be.
Who wrote this07
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the official site, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Find our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. order-link partner, not by the maker of MemoPryl. This site earns a commission when you buy through our order links.
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