Supplement
Supports mitochondrial fatty acid transport and acetyl group donation.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Superscript reference numbers link to the Sources bibliography.
Composite Rating
Blends evidence depth, community direction, safety friction, and completeness.
Evidence Intensity
100/100
High depth from human/RCT/meta counts
Community Direction
27
Positive Lean • confidence Low
Safety Friction
100/100
High signal from adverse/interaction markers
Data Completeness
100%
Studies 15 • mentions 10 • links 26
Not medical advice. This product is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.
FDA disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary. Not intended for use by pregnant or nursing women, individuals under 18, or those with known medical conditions without physician consultation.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Goal alignment: Energy, Focus, Performance.[28,33,222, etc.]
Dose guide: Human-study daily dose: 50 mg-1500 mg/day (higher-confidence extraction from PubMed abstracts)..[28,33,222, etc.]
Category
Amino Acid
Evidence Tier
HIGH
Daily Guide
Human-study daily dose: 50 mg-1500 mg/day (higher-confidence extraction from PubMed abstracts).
Clinical Depth
Humans: 110 • RCTs: 23 • Meta: 9
Cohort / Real-World
Cohort signals: 0
Safety Markers
Adverse signals: 137 • Interactions: 49
Freshness, trend, and study timeline for this item
Status
Trend
↑ Growing evidence base
Depth
228 total studies · 4 recent
Timeline
Animal-only studies
525
Total indexed
228
Safety adverse signals
137
Human studies
110
In vitro / tissue
99
Interaction signals
49
Weighted direction score: 27 (Positive Lean)
High when >=2 human meta-analyses, or >=5 human RCTs with substantial human literature volume.
Animal-only studies
525
Total indexed
228
Safety adverse signals
137
Human studies
110
In vitro / tissue
99
Interaction signals
49
Randomized trials
23
Meta-analyses
9
Distribution of evidence by study design strength
Evidence Strength: High
Composite of study volume, RCTs, and meta-analyses
PMID 35311615 • 2022 Jul
Clinician guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders with nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals: The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Taskforce.
World J Biol Psychiatry
Open PubMedPMID 32428983 • 2020 May 19
Dietary interventions for multiple sclerosis-related outcomes.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev
Open PubMedPMID 31201734 • 2019 Jun 15
Acetyl-L-carnitine for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev
Open PubMedPMID 39279185 • 2024 Oct 31
Nutraceutical interventions for erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
J Sex Med
Open PubMedPMID 29076953 • 2018 Feb/Mar
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Supplementation and the Treatment of Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Psychosom Med
Open PubMedPMID 31160241 • 2019 Aug
Influence of oral vitamin and mineral supplementation on male infertility: a meta-analysis and systematic review.
Reprod Biomed Online
Open PubMedPMID 37378482 • 2023 Jun
Palmitoylethanolamide and acetyl-L-carnitine act synergistically with duloxetine and pregabalin in fibromyalgia: results of a randomised controlled study.
Clin Exp Rheumatol
Open PubMedPMID 40647331 • 2025 Jul 4
l-Carnitine and Alpha-Lipoic Acid Fail to Improve Anaerobic and Aerobic Performance in Trained Cyclists Despite a Reduction in Blood Lactate Concentration.
Nutrients
Open PubMedPMID 38138300 • 2023 Dec 18
Combined Rehabilitation with Alpha Lipoic Acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Resveratrol, and Cholecalciferolin Discogenic Sciatica in Young People: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Medicina (Kaunas)
Open PubMedPMID 40973967 • 2025 Nov 1
A prospective randomized controlled trial of antioxidants in human IVF and embryo culture media.
Hum Reprod
Open PubMedPMID 28845931 • 2017 Jun
[Adjuvant antioxidant therapy in varicocele infertility].
Urologiia
Open PubMedPMID 24659610 • 2014 Feb
Multiple dietary supplements do not affect metabolic and cardio-vascular health.
Aging (Albany NY)
Open PubMedPMID 32878326 • 2020 Aug 31
Dietary Interventions in the Management of Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Best-Evidence Synthesis.
Nutrients
Open PubMedPMID 37654090 • 2024 Jan
The role of diet and non-pharmacologic supplements in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain: A systematic review.
Pain Pract
Open PubMedPMID 32245535 • 2020 May
Novel Therapies in Hepatic Encephalopathy.
Clin Liver Dis
Open PubMedBenefit reports: 6
Adverse reports: 3
No-effect reports: 0
Mixed reports: 1
Unclear reports: 0
Signal confidence: 0.39
Benefits
Adverse
No Effect
Frequently stacked with choline compounds. | Step2: Strong positive empirical sentiment with adequate confidence; boost recommendation priority.
Reddit evidence: 6 mentions (confidence 0.39) across Biohackers, Supplements.
Amazon signal: 0 products scanned (confidence 0.00).
GNC signal: 0 products scanned (confidence 0.00) [BLOCKED].
PerimeterX / captcha block encountered.
Use adverse/interactions PubMed signal counts for screening; perform clinician review before high-dose or multi-drug stack use.
Human-study daily dose signal: 50 mg-1500 mg/day (confidence HIGH).
Extracted from 18 dosing mentions across 3 PubMed studies (mg/day).
Imported legacy community score: 8.0/10 (heuristic mapping confidence 1.00).
Imported legacy monthly cost signal: ~$18.00.
Legacy community note: Highly regarded in nootropic communities for mental clarity and energy. Elderly users report significant cognitive improvement. Some younger users find it mildly stimulating. Popular in anti-aging protocols.
Sentiment Score
0.636088/100
Benefit Mentions
Adverse Mentions
Best Responders
No responder profile recorded.
post • r/Biohackers • unclear
Acetyl-L-Carnitine offers comparable effect to standard antidepressants with fewer adverse effects. Meta Analysis [2018]
Open mentionpost • r/Biohackers • benefit
What has given you the biggest boost in energy/mental clarity? I've been struggling with just feeling so exhausted and sluggish all the time. My health is fair- I eat pretty clean, get a good amount of protein, stay pretty active, prioriti…
Open mentionpost • r/Supplements • benefit
What gave you the biggest boost in energy/mental clarity? I've been struggling with just feeling so exhausted and sluggish all the time. My health is fair- I eat pretty clean, get a good amount of protein, stay pretty active, sleep fine. M…
Open mentionpost • r/Biohackers • mixed
Is this ADHD, dopamine dysfunction, or something else? I’m completely lost and need guidance I’m trying to understand what’s going on with me. I don’t know if this is ADHD or something else, so I’ll briefly list the key incidents. Backgrou…
Open mentionpost • r/Supplements • benefit
Rate my supplement stack / F35 **Morning Supplements:** **Acetyl-l-carnitine - 500 mg** * **Brand:** Jarrow * **Purpose:** Cognition, mental acuity **Berberine - 500 mg** * **Brand:** Pure Encapsulations * **Purpose:** Blood sugar support …
Open mentionpost • r/Biohackers • benefit
Longevity protocol - Thoughts ? Greetings all Long time lurker- first time posting. Been working on my Vitagenix longevity protocol for the past 5 years experimenting, optimizing and updating when needed. I'd like some push back though it …
Open mentionpost • r/Biohackers • unclear
Rate my ADHD stack I could use some advice on if my supplement timing/grouping needs work and if it makes sense to be adding/cycling/dropping anything here. I've been consistently using this regiment for the last 45 days or so. If anything…
Open mentionpost • r/Supplements • benefit
Advice for new buyer I'm new to supplements, having just started taking alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L carnitine. I made my initial purchase from Thorne based on their reputation but their stuff is pricey and I have no idea if these partic…
Open mentioncomment • r/Biohackers • unclear
Having the same problem. Modafinil, Acetyl L-Carnitine, caffeine and nicotine get me going enough for my demanding job, but my fatigue is getting worse and worse.
Open mentionamazon
Amazon search for Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Rating: n/a | Reviews: n/a
Open productEvidence Sources
Community Sources
META_ANALYSIS • 2020 • Adults
Mixed clinical cohorts.
Outcome: Potential fatigue and cognitive support in selected groups.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
PUBMED • Humans + preclinical triage
Counts aggregated from automated literature sweep and tiering rules.
Outcome: Tier HIGH; humans 110, RCTs 23, meta-analyses 9.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2022 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 35311615 from World J Biol Psychiatry.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2020 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 32428983 from Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2019 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 31201734 from Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39279185 from J Sex Med.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2018 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 29076953 from Psychosom Med.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2019 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 31160241 from Reprod Biomed Online.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2023 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 37378482 from Clin Exp Rheumatol.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2025 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 40647331 from Nutrients.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2023 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 38138300 from Medicina (Kaunas).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2025 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 40973967 from Hum Reprod.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2017 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 28845931 from Urologiia.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2014 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 24659610 from Aging (Albany NY).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2020 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 32878326 from Nutrients.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 37654090 from Pain Pract.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2020 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 32245535 from Clin Liver Dis.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2292,2848,2877, etc.]
Open source