Carnitine is a quaternary ammonium molecule that plays a role in the metabolism of most animals, plants, and microorganisms. Carnitine helps energy metabolism by transporting long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria to be oxidised for energy generation, as well as eliminating metabolic waste from cells.
Carnitine is used to treat:
- Diabetes-related nerve discomfort.
- Insulin resistance can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
- Insomnia (feeling more weak or tired than usual)
- Carnitine has a variety of additional applications that have yet to be tested by doctors to see if they are effective.
Food-derived carnitine is completely safe. Before taking carnitine supplements, see your healthcare practitioner. Carnitine supplements are more powerful than food-based carnitine. They may also interfere with the effectiveness of some medicines.
Carnitine is a substance that aids in the absorption of fatty acids as well as mitochondrial activity. It is present in meat-based diets and may also be produced endogenously from lysine and methionine. Genetic problems, starvation, malabsorption, and renal dialysis can all produce deficiencies. The heart, skeletal muscles, liver, nerves, and endocrine systems can all be affected. Carnitine is sold as a dietary supplement for the treatment of tiredness, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic fatigue syndrome, liver diseases, and cancer.
L-carnitine appears to have cardioprotective and antioxidant properties in animal models. L-carnitine supplementation may assist overweight and obese people lose weight and lower their BMI, as per a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Supplementation also helps hemodialysis patients avoid cardiovascular disease by reducing muscle damage in both trained and untrained groups. Long-term carnitine supplementation has been linked to enhanced myocardial mechanical performance, a decrease in ventricular arrhythmias, and an improvement in exercise tolerance in humans. In individuals with anterior acute myocardial infarction, L-carnitine treatment did not reduce the risk of mortality or heart failure.
L-carnitine may improve symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and physical performance in patients receiving dialysis for end-stage renal illness, according to preliminary findings, but there is no clear evidence of its advantages in relieving fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. Several studies have demonstrated increased physical performance, aerobic capacity, and exercise tolerance. Other trials have had mixed findings, indicating that its therapeutic utility and safety warrant further investigation.
Although it did not increase sperm count or motility, L-carnitine, alone or in conjunction with clomiphene citrate, may help treat idiopathic male infertility. Also unsuccessful in enhancing semen parameters or DNA integrity was an antioxidant formulation including L-carnitine. Carnitine supplementation may enhance mental health indices and oxidative stress indicators in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Carnitine has also been studied for its anticancer properties. In pancreatic cancer patients, supplementation increased nutritional status and quality of life. Preliminary evidence suggests that L-carnitine, either alone or in conjunction with Coenzyme Q10, can help with chemotherapy-related tiredness. L-carnitine has also been shown to help with fatigue in both younger hypothyroid individuals on levothyroxine and thyroid cancer patients with hypothyroidism after surgery. Carnitine, on the other hand, had no effect on tiredness in individuals with aggressive cancers.
Lenvatinib treatment impacted the carnitine system in individuals with hepatocellular carcinoma, which might lead to carnitine deficiency and increased tiredness. Other early evidence suggests that l-carnitine may help to decrease muscular spasms caused by vismodegib. More research is needed to discover which cancer groups could benefit the most from carnitine administration.
Acetyl-L-carnitine, an ester derivative, is also sold as a dietary supplement and is frequently utilised as a neuroprotective agent. It may assist individuals with severe hepatic encephalopathy improve their cognition or decrease diabetic neuropathy. It was shown to be similar to fluoxetine in older individuals with dysthymic disorder; nevertheless, other trials found it ineffective for Alzheimer’s disease. Another research found that acetyl-L-carnitine enhanced chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and that this impact lasted for two years. Because of the risk of damage, acetyl-l-carnitine is not recommended for CIPN prevention.
Food sources of Carnitine:
Meat, dairy products, legumes, and avocado are all good sources of carnitine.
Carnitine Side Effects:
- The following are possible side effects of using carnitine supplements:
- Nausea (the sensation of being about to vomit)
- Symptoms of the flu (such as a cough, fever, or chills)
- Diarrhea is a common ailment (loose or watery bowel movements)
- Blood pressure that is too high
- odour of the body