Your body uses the nutrient L-carnitine to metabolize fat. Many foods naturally contain L-carnitine, and most people derive this nutrient from food rather than supplementation. Mostly present in proteins, you can also find L-carnitine in some vegetables, nuts and legumes.
L-Carnitine
L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid essential in metabolizing fat and turning fat into energy. L-carnitine doubles as an antioxidant that benefits your body. Your kidneys and liver produce L-carnitine, but the amino acid is stored throughout the body. According to the "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," L-carnitine plays an important role in heart health, controlling blood sugar levels in the body and improving mental clarity.
Food Source
If you are not a vegetarian, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products are the best food sources of L-carnitine. One 3 oz. serving of beef contains 81 mg of L-carnitine, 24 mg in a 3 oz. serving of pork, 20 mg for a 3 oz. portion of Canadian bacon, 8 mg for an 8 oz. serving of milk and 5 mg in 3 oz. of fish.
Vegetarian
If you are a vegetarian and you do not want to take supplements, you can find L-carnitine in non-meat sources. However, these sources do not offer nearly as much L-carnitine as meat products. For example, a 1/2 cup serving of cooked asparagus contains 0.1 mg of L-carnitine. If you are a vegetarian, you need to make sure you consume enough L-carnitine to prevent deficiencies. Symptoms of L-carnitine deficiency include hypoglycemia, cardiomyopathy and skeletal-muscle weakness.
Dosage
The US Food and Drug Administration does not issue a daily recommended intake of L-carnitine. According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, the average Western diet that includes animal products contains approximately 60 mg to 180 mg of L-carnitine per day. For most individuals, this meets the suggested daily dose. If you do not eat meat products, discuss supplementation options with a medical professional to avoid developing an L-carnitine deficiency.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Carnitine (L-carnitine); Steven D. Ehrlich; March 2009
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Carnitine
- OSU Oregon Estate University: L-Carnitine; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; October 2002
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Dennis Kasper, Eugene Braunwald, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson and Anthony Fauci; 2004
- "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno; 1997
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