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The nootropic Piracetam is most commonly stacked with choline to enhance its effects, but significant synergy may also occur if stacked with Acetyl L-Carnitine.
Piracetam and ALCAR (Acetyl L-Carnitine) both work to improve memory power, focus, mental energy, and brain health. They operate along similar pathways as well. Acetyl L-Carnitine is one of the precursors for the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine which Piracetam modulates to affect changes in neuron communication.
By taking these two compounds together, you may further increase any positive benefits to cognitive function and mental performance seen with the individual use of these nootropics. What is the proper dosage ratio of ALCAR to Piracetam powder and should you be using Choline in this stack as well?
Memory
Attention
Brain Health- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Piracetam and ALCAR Stack
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Piracetam – as you most likely already known – was the very first nootropic ever created, found to improve perception, reasoning, memory, learning, focus, and mood with almost no side effects to speak of.
It is believed that taking Piracetam increases the brain’s sensitivity to certain neurotransmitters and promotes mental fluidity.
It helps to improve the health of brain cells by detoxifying neurons, improving circulation to the brain, and increasing communication between the two hemispheres of the brain. This nootropic may also increase nerve growth and synapse formation, boosting the neuroplasticity of the brain.
Piracetam has several observed mechanisms of action, but almost all researchers agree that its primary benefits are derived from its modulation of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine.
This brain chemical drives much of our excitatory neurotransmission and is responsible for diverse functions related to short-term, working, or episodic memory, as well as executive function.
We can think of short-term memory as involving any of the processing activities of the brain like manipulating data, performing calculations, or reasoning. It is the major component of fluid intelligence which is a measure of our ability to adapt, use information, and learn.
Why Stack Acetylcholine Supplements with Piracetam?
Choline is typically taken in a stack with Piracetam to ensure that Acetylcholine levels are high when this nootropic is in the system. Piracetam seems to increase the rate of utilization for Acetylcholine stores in the brain. On occasion, if Acetylcholine levels are too low, this has been reported to cause a “Piracetam headache“.
The headache is eliminated when using this Racetam with a choline supplement such as Citicoline (CDP Choline) or Alpha GPC. Not only that, but the effects of Piracetam (and other nootropic compounds like Aniracetam, Oxiracetam and Pramiracetam) are much stronger when used in such a stack.
But choline is not the only component present in the Acetylcholine neurotransmitter molecule. The body also needs a source of acetate to combine with the precursor choline and form this important neurotransmitter.
Acetyl L-Carnitine fills this required function because it is a source of acetate and L-carnitine that can cross over the blood-brain barrier. As such, stacking Piracetam with ALCAR may lead to improvements in the Acetylcholine pathways and activity in the brain. One can also add choline to this stack for further synergistic benefits.
Mental Energy
Brain Function
Memory- Increases mental energy & focus
- Promotes neuron health & anti-aging
- Improves memory, alertness & signalling
Top ALCAR Products* ❯Additional Benefits of ALCAR
In addition to supporting the effects of Piracetam, ALCAR has some of its own nootropic benefits. Research shows that it can boost brain activity and has benefits for maintaining good brain health.
Other users will take ALCAR to enhance energy levels and even for weight loss and bodybuilding uses. Acetyl L-Carnitine is an acetylated version of L-Carnitine which is an amino acid that the body uses to deliver energy sources to our cells to be converted into ATP.
In particular, ALCAR is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier which other forms of Carnitine cannot do. This barrier is a selectively permeable membrane that separates brain tissue from circulating blood flow. It is necessary to prevent many compounds in foods that we eat from interacting directly with brain cells and to control levels of neruohormones and precursors that are allowed to enter into the cerebral cortex.
However, it can also prevent certain good supplements and drugs from reaching the brain in appropriate levels if they are impermeable to this barrier. Because ALCAR can cross over into brain tissue, it has added benefits for mental performance that other forms of L-Carnitine do not possess.
Effects of a Piracetam ALCAR Stack
When you take Piracetam with ALCAR, you receive the well-known benefits of this original nootropic in addition to the positive effects that ALCAR is capable of bringing about on its own.
One of the key benefits of ALCAR is its role as an antioxidant in neural tissue. It is also capable of clearing away damaged lipids that frequently build up around the brain known as lipofuscin.
If left to accumulate unencumbered, this waste build-up may lead to degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. In research studies when ALCAR is introduced to repair this damage, it has been shown to restore motor function in Alzheimer’s patients.
This supplement can also prevent nerve damage in the case of cerebral insufficiency when the brain experiences a lack of oxygen. Piracetam also shares a similar effect, protecting the brain from low-oxygen states which lead to premature cell death.
For this reason, it has been hypothesized that the Piracetam ALCAR stack may be useful in treating patients who have suffered from a recent stroke. ALCAR has further been used to reduce nerve pain in patients with diabetes as well as in treating and alleviating symptoms in men with Peyronie’s Disease.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Mood Enhancing Benefits of this Stack
On some occasions, Piracetam is used for depression and anxiety. While the nootropic supplement Aniracetam is now generally recognized as a stronger option for this purpose, there continue to be individuals who use Piracetam as a mood enhancer. ALCAR may be particularly effective when stacked with Piracetam for these uses.
Piracetam has been demonstrated to possess anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. A 2005 study showed that it could be useful in the treatment of anxiety while another study in elderly patients found that it helped to alleviate social anxiety and phobias. User reviews of ALCAR often cite an improvement in mental energy, motivation and confidence levels when taking this supplement.
ALCAR is available as a dietary supplement only, and the FDA has not approved it as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions. Piracetam is considered an unregulated and unscheduled substance; in the USA the FDA has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions. Piracetam is considered an investigational new drug (IND) at this point, and more research is needed.
Dosages for a Piracetam and ALCAR Stack
Stacking Piracetam with ALCAR has several notable synergistic benefits, but it is important to use the right dosages. Typical doses for Piracetam fall anywhere from 1 gram to 4.8 grams per administration with as much as 9.6 grams being used in a single day.
The average user takes between 2 – 4 grams in a day, but you may find that your individual sensitivity level requires a different amount. It is best to have at least two weeks of experience with taking Piracetam or any other racetam on its own before you start stacking other compounds so you can judge for yourself the benefits on their own.
Once you are ready to add ALCAR, it many users recommend starting with 500 mg taken in conjunction with Piracetam powder or capsules. Most individuals see positive results at this dosage level, though some may find that 750 mg or 1000 mg of Acetyl L-Carnitine supplements is a better fit.
There are no known negative interactions or serious side effects that occur when using a Piracetam and ALCAR stack. However, there may be some minor side effects that are typical when using Piracetam or ALCAR independently such as stomach discomfort, restlessness, headaches, or irritability.
Any time you begin using a new supplement stack, it is best to speak with a medical professional first. This is to ensure that there are no negative effects that may occur when the supplements are combined, and that the person taking the substances is suitable based on their health, age, any current medications they are taking, and any pre-existing conditions that they may have.
Conclusion
The Piracetam ALCAR stack may have significant positive effects for its user in terms of improved memory, brain health, focus, and energy levels. These two compounds are able to work together to increase Acetylcholine activity in the brain and this effect may be further amplified if Choline is used in this stack as well.
Piracetam and ALCAR are safe supplements that offer benefits for the protection of neural tissue from damage due to toxins, waste products, and oxidation. ALCAR also possess health benefits for the heart by reducing blood pressure, strengthening the lining of blood vessels and regulating blood flow. As a nootropic stack, these supplements mat help you think with greater clarity and concentration, and improve memory.
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Article last updated on: April 17th, 2018 by Nootriment
2 Comments
I’m studying for med school and I tried Piracetam and Alcar for 2 months, it was probably the worst decision of my life. It produced incredible brain fog, with lethargy and depression. As soon as I stopped it, everything went back to normal and I was functioning better than I ever was on it. Please talk to your MD about starting to put any of these chemicals in you.
I understand we all want that little ‘boost’ in cognition to help us get over our lack of motivation, lack of energy, and lack of mood, but realize that there weren’t any extensive human trials for this compound so the long term effects of these things are unknown. If you have insurance, go to your MD, neurologist, psychiatrist to talk about this. In fact, call the office before hand and ask whether or not the MD has knowledge of nootropics so you don’t waste your time.
I tried Piracetam and ALCAR and Centrophenoxine, with Choline and Vinpocetine, with an Emergen-C packet with the B-complexes, all to various degrees and dosages over many months, and was energized in many aspects.
Not all nootropics are created equal