Na-RALA + ALCAR together, negating benefits?

dachshund @ ImmInst.org Has anyone looked into this possibility or have information from published sources on the Na-RALA/ALCAR compatibility, or the stability of Na-RALA in the acidic stomach environment? I contacted Karyn Young at Geronova and she told me that they had not looked into this. Superior Nutraceuticals offers an ALCAR/Na-RALA capsule combo. I wonder if they have they looked into the chemical compatibility of these two supplements? I like Superior Nutraceuticals for their products and purchase Na-RALA, Ascorbate salts and EGCG powders from them.

To be honest, this has never really been answered and the main producers of ala like Geronova will look the other way for obvious reasons. I'd love some reassurance that I'm not flushing money down the toilet (literally). I'm no chemist but I'm one hell of an informed consumer and I feel like more of us should be. WE are the only ones keeping supplement makers honest. We have to hold them accountable 24/7. They have the burden of demonstrating their products are scientifically sound and I don't think this happens enough in the industry. If everyone were like me there would be a lot less ****ty supplement companies out there passing off garbage.

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I have done a little home experimenting & noticed that while Na-RALA is fully soluble in water, upon the addition of ALCAR the solution to become milky white. I suspect that Na-RALA reacts with the ALCAR (properly, Acetyl-L-carnitine hydrogen chloride) to form sodium chloride and an insoluble material, perhaps acetyl-L-carnitine hydrogen R-lipoate. ALCAR is fully soluble in water by itself.

I take my Na-RALA dissolved in water about 30 minutes before consuming ALCAR, to mitigate the possibility of diminished Na-RALA bioavailability from reaction with weak conjugate acids like ALCAR. However, this makes me wonder about what happens to Na-RALA in the acidic stomach environment. My concern would be that Na-RALA is protonated in the stomach to H-RALA and that it spontaneously polymerizes.

Has anyone looked into this possibility or have information from published sources on the Na-RALA/ALCAR compatibility, or the stability of Na-RALA in the acidic stomach environment? I contacted Karyn Young at Geronova and she told me that they had not looked into this. Superior Nutraceuticals offers an ALCAR/Na-RALA capsule combo. I wonder if they have they looked into the chemical compatibility of these two supplements? I like Superior Nutraceuticals for their products and purchase Na-RALA, Ascorbate salts and EGCG powders from them.

I would be interested to get input on the Geronova NaRALA product and experiences with it from the ImmInst.org community. Does it really overcome the inherent instability problems of R-ALA in the acidic environment of the stomach, or is one better served by consuming a weak base like sodium bicabonate with the Na-RALA to retain its salt nature in the stomach.

Thanks for your responses!
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I guess RALA could polymerize when catalyzed by a strong acid.
Forming a polythioester? The present of a large excess of water
would likely reduce that polymerization. Since an esterification
reaction produces water as byproduct a large excess of water
would shift the equilibrium to no esterification. Plus I think a certain amount of heat might be needed that the body would not supply to drive the reaction. Though the fact RALA is not very soluble in water might make that protection less than ideal. I wonder if RALA is very
soluble in other consumable solvents like ethanol or glycerin? They
would likely interfere with RALA self-polymerization. Seems esterifing
RALA with ethanol in the first place would make it for less likely to
polymerize in the stomach. Though who knows if it would be safe and effective? Also its possible digestive enzymes could break down a short RALA polymer anyway since esterification reactions are reversible