L Carnitine Benefits

You may be asking what is L carnitine or what is L carnitine used for? Is it just one of those nutrients that’s optional, or is it something that is important to supporting your health?

What is L carnitine?
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about what L carnitine actually is. Some people refer to it as an amino acid, but that’s technically incorrect. It’s amazing how many sources out there have this wrong! Yes, it is extremely similar in structure, but L carnitine is actually a derivative of the amino acid, lysine.

What is L carnitine used for?
In a nutshell, it plays a crucial role in the metabolism of fat, specifically the “long chain” fatty acids.

You see, fats and nutrients flow through our blood and this supplies our cells with “fuel.” The mitochondria inside your cells use these supplied fats and sugars to make energy. The short and medium chain fatty acids can enter the mitochondrial wall by themselves. However, the long chain fats reportedly need L carnitine in order to get inside. So natural L carnitine is said to be good for supporting the metabolism of these fats.

Where does L carnitine come from?
There are two sources…

What we eat: Foods derived from animals contain carnitine. Unfortunately plant based sources contain only trace amounts. Therefore if you a strict vegan you are hardly getting any L carnitine through your diet.

Our body: Your body does produce carnitine naturally. However, there is a vast amount of research that suggests our body’s production of carnitine declines with age. This is why so many people in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and up are turning to L carnitine supplements.

How are L carnitine supplements used?
As a dietary supplement, the most common dosage on the market at this time appears to be 500mg, however some people use more or less depending on their age and circumstances (ask your doctor to find out what he recommends). Many people report increased energy from using L carnitine supplements, so for this reason some say it should avoided near the end of the day (just as you would avoid coffee late in the day). One of the most popular versions of this supplement is alpha lipoic acid acetyl l carnitine, because these two cellular nutrients combined are a powerful combination!