Carnitine - The Life Extension Amino Acid
The Life Extension Amino Acid
Carnitine is an amino acid which, has been found to have a wide range of protective effects and health benefits as long as it is consumed in sufficient amounts.
Carnitine's protective effects are associated primarily with heart health. It has been shown to be a factor in the protection against heart disease.
One of a number of additional health benefits of carnitine is that it increases fat metabolism. It therefore helps in avoiding obesity, so the claim goes. Obviously, if carnintine can aide in avoiding obesity, it automatically qualifies as a medication against many health problems, which are associated with being overweight.
Carnitine is popular among athletes and body builders as it increases stamina and has been shown to help in developing muscle mass.
We haven't encountered claims that carnitine would be helpful in sexual functions, even though such claims (usually unsubstantiated) are regularly made for any kind of nutritional product as they tend to increase sales.
L-Carnitine - What is it
L-Carnitine is an essential component of foods of animal origin.
L-Carnitine is a natural substance, naturally occurring in meat and meat extract.
L-Carnitine is a vitamin-like nutrient, related to vitamins of the B-group (Vitamin BT).
L-Carnitine, in international classifications, is listed next to choline, another vitamin-like nutrient.
L-Carnitine is a physiological substance, essential for energy production and for fat metabolism.
L-Carnitine can be synthesized in the human liver, but insufficient amounts are produced in infants, in adolescents and in adults under certain physiological conditions
L-Carnitine Metabolic Functions.
One of the most important functions of L-Carnitine is the oxidation of long chain fatty acids, a process which takes place inside of mitochondria.
L-Carnitine acts as a shuttle molecule, transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria for beta-oxidation leading to the generation of energy. Skeletal muscle cells, but especially cardiac muscle cells, depend upon this mechanism for the source of metabolic energy. Numerous other functions of L-Carnitine have also been established, such as:
- Oxidation of medium chain fatty acids
- Oxidation of fatty acids in peroxisomes
- Buffering the bound coenzyme A to free coenzyme A ratio
- Removing toxic concentrations of acylcoenzyme A
- production of energy from ketone bodies, from pyruvate, from amino acids including branched chain amino acids.
- Regulating blood ammonia concentrations.
It is very clear that L-Carnitine plays an important role in the production of metabolic energy and that this energy is produced from a variety of different substrates such as long chain fatty acids, medium chain fatty acids, ketone bodies, pyruvate and amino acids. In addition, professor peggy R. Borum (University of Florida) has proposed that the function of L-Carnitine is to store metabolic energy and to transport it among cells, and from one organ to another organ.
Furthermore, L-Carnitine is involved in the stabilization of cellular membranes, and it may stimulate the human immune system.
L-Carnitine for Weight Management
L-Carnitine is essential for fat burning and hence for weight loss. L-Carnitine is the forklift that takes fat to the fat incinerators in our cells called mitochondria. Unless fat makes it into the mitochondria, you can't burn it off no matter what you do and no matter how well you diet. This is why L-Carnitine is so crucial for optimal weight loss. It is most often the missing link in our fat burning machinery. Once fat is inside the mitochondria, fat is transformed into energy. It's like turning bricks into gold. This is why L-Carnitine both encourages weight loss and increases energy levels.
Food Sources of L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is normally taken up from food. Animal foods are generally good sources of L-Carnitine, whereas plant foods - vegetables - contain only traces or no carnitine at all. Meat is by far the richest source. Among meat from different animals, it is mutton which shows the highest content of L-Carnitine.
| Total content of L-Carnitine (mg/100 grams of raw food ) | |
|---|---|
| Sheep (meat) | 210 |
| Lamb (meat) | 78 |
| Beef (meat) | 64 |
| pig (meat) | 30 |
| Rabbit (meat) | 21 |
| Chicken (meat) | 7.5 |
| Cow's milk | 2.0 |
| Eggs | 0.8 |
| peanuts | 0.1 |
| Cabbage | 0 |
| Orange juice | 0 |
| Barley seed | 0 |
| Spinach leaf | 0 |
| potatoes | 0 |
A vegetarian diet is low in L-Carnitine. Such a diet often is also low in the two amino acids - lysine and methionine - that are necessary for the biosynthesis of L-Carnitine in the body. A diet which is based on mutton can provide an intake of about 1000 mg L-Carnitine per day.
Robert Crayhon's - Top Ten Reasons To Take Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine
- Carnitine the "energy vitamin". Every cell in your body - whether it is brain cell, immune cell, heart cell - works better when it has optimal energy available to it. Through providing optimal energy to cells, carnitine helps cells live longer, and may be an important longevity nutrient.
- Carnitine may keep triglycerides low and raises HDL cholesterol, thus helping prevent heart disease.
- Carnitine also may help prevent heart disease by enhancing the overall health of the heart and by helping to prevent cardiac arrhythmia, the cause of one third of all heart attack deaths.
- Carnitine may help promote weight loss, especially when combined with a low carbohydrate diet.
- Carnitine may increase energy levels naturally without harm to the body and without causing side effects or burnout like highly concentrated ephedra supplements. This may increase the ability of the body to exercise, and may help protect tissues from damage when they lack sufficient oxygen.
- Carnitine may enhance sports performance and endurance and reduces the damage to tissues that can occur during exercise.
- Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) both may enhance immune function.
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine may protect nerve cells from stress and deterioration, and may prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine may naturally increase mental energy and also help relieve depression.
- Carnitine may enhance liver function which is critical for overall health.
Disclaimer: Hundreds of scientific papers have lead to these conclusions. However, these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Robert Crayhon's - Top Ten Kinds of people Most Likely to Benefit from Carnitine
- Those who need more energy! Those who are always tired should rule out thyroid problems, hemochromatosis, or other medical problems that can cause fatigue. But carnitine can always be useful for anyone who needs more energy.
- Those who want to lose weight. Combined with a low carbohydrate diet, carnitine is the most useful nutrient I have ever found for weight loss.
- Those who have heart problems. Carnitine is crucial for heart health, and combined with CoQ10, vitamin E, magnesium and herbs like cactus and hawthorn, carnitine heads up a list of key heart health promoters.
- Athletes. Carnitine is essential for optimal fat burning and maximal endurance.
- Those who want optimal immune function. Carnitine provides energy to the cells of the immune system so that they are better able to protect you.
- pregnant women, as well as babies and perhaps even small children. Carnitine is an absolute essential nutrient for babies to get either through breast milk or formula.
- Vegetarians of all ages, especially those who consume no animal products of any kind. Since animal products are the only food which contain carnitine, vegetarians have a special need to take carnitine for optimal health.
- Those who want maximal brain health and prevention of brain ailments such as Alzheimer's disease. They benefit from a special form of carnitine called Acetyl-L-Carnitine. This preventative role of Acetyl-L-Carnitine for Alzheimer's is not proven. But I believe it is reasonable to conclude from the research showing that Acetyl-L-Carnitine slows the progression of Alzheimer's that it probably also helps prevent it.
- Those with depression. I have found carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine to help increase overall wellness that is essential for the holistic management of depression.
- Those with a range of other ailments, including male infertility, cancer, AIDS, and liver problems.
Disclaimer: Hundreds of scientific papers have lead to these conclusions. However, these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
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