Approximately five hundred amino acids occur in nature. Twenty of these are amino acids that serve as building blocks for proteins in the human body, these are referred to as 'fundamental amino acids'. These fundamental amino acids can be further subdivided into the categories 'essential', 'semi-essential' and 'non-essential'.

L-carnitine belongs to the so-called semi-essential amino acids, which means that the body can partly produce these itself and is partly dependent on nutrition to meet its daily needs. In food, it is mainly found in (red) meat and to a much lesser extent in plant foods. Acetyl-L-carnitine (also called ALCAR) is the acetylated form of carnitine. In the liver, kidneys and brain, carnitine can be synthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine, with vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6 and niacin as co-factors. Carnitine can be converted into acetyl-L-carnitine as needed and vice versa.

Supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine has the advantage over L-carnitine that it crosses the blood-brain barrier more easily.

Permitted health claims:
No.

N-acetyl-L-carnitine HCl, vegetable capsule (pullulan, from fermented cassava starch), anti-caking agent (rice fibre).