L-carnitine is a nonessential amino acid that helps your body turn fat into energy. Though it is not normally necessary to obtain L-carnitine from your diet, supplementation may be useful in maintaining your body's health if you have heart or vascular disease. Supplementation with forms of L-carnitine may prevent damage to your brain or blood vessels, such as the carotid arteries that feed your brain, following injury from sources such as decreased circulation.
Carnitine Function
L-carnitine is an amino acid, the building blocks of proteins, that your body is able to produce itself from the amino acid L-lysine. L-carnitine is a necessary cofactor for the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria, the cellular organelle that oxidizes fat into energy. Waste produced by fat metabolism is also removed from the mitochondria via a reaction dependent on L-carnitine.
Deficiency
Most people can synthesize a sufficient amount of L-carnitine and do not require supplementation. During periods of intense exercise, supplementing with L-carnitine may be necessary. Medical conditions, especially those affecting metabolism and circulation, can prevent sufficient amount of L-carnitine from being produced or transported to your body's tissues. Your body produces a steady amount of L-carnitine that is unaffected by L-carnitine supplementation.
Heart Disease
When your blood does not circulation efficiently due to heart or vascular problems, your body cannot be supplied with nutrients in ample amounts. L-carnitine supplementation has shown promise in restoring normal fat metabolism in heart disease patients, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. L-carnitine deficiency may contribute to fatigue, muscle weakness or abnormal fat metabolism leading to high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
Brain Benefits
Abnormal metabolism plays a large role in many age-related brain diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, according to a 2004 article in "Molecular Aspects of Medicine." A deficiency of L-carnitine in the brain due to heart disease may raise the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders. Supplementation with L-carnitine shows some evidence in improving cognitive processes like learning and memory in those suspected of having carnitine deficiency.
Forms
Many forms of L-carnitine supplements are available. Acetyl-L-carnitine is a modified form of L-carnitine that is able to cross the blood brain barrier freely, the specialized lining of blood vessels in the brain that controls entry of chemicals. Propionyl-L-carnitine is another modified form of L-carnitine that appears to be more readily absorbed by your body's tissues, such as blood vessels and muscles.
Safety
L-carnitine is considered to be safe. Taking large quantities may lead to gastrointestinal disturbances or a fishy body odor. However, consult with your doctor before beginning L-carnitine supplementation, as it may affect other medications or medical conditions. L-carnitine supplementation is not a substitute for medical treatment or any prescription medication.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: L-Carnitine
- Linus Pauling Institute: L-Carnitine
- Atherosclerosis: Propionyl-L-carnitine Reduces Intimal Hyperplasia After Injury in Normocholesterolemic Rabbit Carotid Artery by Modulating Proliferation and Caspase 3-dependent Apoptosis of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
- Molecular Aspects of Medicine: Role of Carnitine Esters in Brain Neuropathology
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