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Alternative Names: Acetyl-L-carnitine.
L-Carnitine has a chemical structure similar to the amino acids but is not truly an amino acid. It helps the body metabolize fatty acids to provide energy; promotes a healthy heart and lessens the risk of heart disease; aids in weight loss; improves muscle strength and lowers blood triglyceride levels.
Although recognized as a B-vitamin (vitamin B-t), L-Carnitine is not a member of the B-Complex family. It does possess one of the strong attributes of the B-complex family of vitamins, namely its water-solubility and non-toxic nature. It is also similar to some B-complex vitamins in that it can be produced by a liver process combining two essential amino acids, Lysine and Methionine. Carnitine is unique in that it is recognized both as a vitamin and also as an amino acid.
As with most other substances produced by the body, there are times when insufficient quantities of carnitine may be produced. Also, there are times when a metabolic defect may exist, interfering with the body's ability to metabolize it.
Most dietary regimens of today do not contain the proper amounts of free amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein and other amino acids such as Carnitine. Another reason for an inadequate supply, and the body's inability to produce it, is the consumption of protein foods which originate largely from the animal kingdom.
Source
The 'L' in L-Carnitine indicates that it is a natural concentrated organic form of supplement designed primarily for therapeutic use. This type of supplement can only be produced from the plant kingdom.
Natural sources include Almonds (raw), apricots, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, beans, bee pollen, beet greens, brazil nuts (raw), brewer's yeast, broccoli, brussel sprouts, buckwheat, carob, cashew nuts (raw), chestnuts (raw), collard greens, garlic, hazel nuts (raw), kale, legumes (beans and peas), lentils, millet, mustard greens, oatmeal, okra (raw), parsley (raw), peanuts (raw-organic), pumpkin seeds (raw), rice bran, rye, sesame seed (raw), soy beans (cooked and sprouted), sunflower seeds (raw), walnuts (raw), whole wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, yellow corn (raw).
Carnitine is also found in the following herbs: Amaranth, black walnut, burdock, chaparral, comfrey, fenugreek, ginger, horseradish, kelp, nettle, sassafras, spirulina.
Antagonists (substances that diminish its effectiveness) include: Alcoholic beverages tobacco (nicotine) cola drinks, most soft drinks (other than natural juices), coffee and tea (caffeinated and decaffeinated), chocolate (cocoa), inorganic mineral water (tap, well, spring), polluted air, refined sugar and refined sugar substitutes, overcooking foods (especially over 130°F), refined and processed foods, long-term storage of foods, freezing of foods, canning of foods, commercial synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, radiation exposure, synthetic estrogen, birth control pills, sulfa drugs, most all drug medications.
NOTE: Antagonists for carnitine would for the most part be the same as it would for most other water-soluble B-vitamins.
Function; Reasons For Use
Carnitine is an essential nutrient with vitamin-like qualities. It is considered essential in helping to transport fatty acids into mitochondria (the power plants of the cells). A deficiency in carnitine can therefore result in an overall reduction in energy production by the cells. It is well-known that individuals can become carnitine-deficient for a number of reasons.
Carnitine has been researched extensively, and has been found very effective in the utilization of fats and the burning of fatty acids. It is so effective in the process of burning fatty acids that it has shown the ability to register a marked decline in the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, and simultaneously raise the good cholesterol (HDL) levels. It also plays a vital role in lowering blood triglycerides, which is the fat content of the blood.
Carnitine helps to balance blood sugar levels and has a direct effect on heart muscle function.
When engaging in physical exercise, muscles require higher levels of carnitine than during periods of rest; the body responds by releasing carnitine reserves stored in the liver. These reserves are released into the bloodstream and transported to the muscles. However, only the muscles in need of carnitine are involved. This process is regulated by the temperature of the muscles: the higher the temperature of the muscles, the more carnitine is attracted to them, thus systematically supplying the muscles with their requirements.
Carnitine is particularly important during strenuous exercise since fat burning contributes approximately 60% of muscle energy in continuous exercise of great intensity. The Carnitine level in muscle tissue is over 40 times that in blood plasma; the longer or more strenuous the exercise, the greater the requirement.
Carnitine utilizes unsaturated fat as a source of energy, converting muscle and liver glycogen. Vitamin C-complex works synergistically with carnitine for its synthesis.
L-carnitine, aside from being an incredible anti-aging nutrient, also has shown benefit for multiple medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease such as angina and congestive heart failure, liver and kidney disease, obstructive lung disease, hypoglycemia, and many others. L-carnitine helps prevent obesity and has even shown benefit in AIDS patients. Although it is unusual to see physicians prescribing vitamins in the hospital, acetyl-L-carnitine is routinely prescribed by kidney specialists for their patients, since the kidney is a major site of carnitine synthesis.
Carnitine may also be useful in the treatment of anorexia, impaired metabolism, high LDL cholesterol, hypoglycemia, low HDL cholesterol, poor circulation, high triglycerides.
Even though a healthy body has the ability to produce carnitine, there are conditions which sometimes require the use of therapeutic supplementation. For example, the processes and/or nutrients required to produce it in the body may perhaps be impaired or insufficient. Or, due to improper diet and the aging process, one's ability to synthesize properly declines.
Carnitine is essential in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. It has a direct and profound effect upon the heart muscle and the way it functions. It is known to improve the energy metabolism of heart muscle cells that have been weakened by insufficient oxygen supply. Further, it is known to reverse congestive heart failure and restore the force of heart rate contractions. Some natural health care doctors, primarily Naturopaths, have described carnitine as the vitamin and/or the amino acid which prevents the buildup of fatty tissue in the heart muscle and therefore preventing the heart muscle from becoming 'flabby'.
Carnitine is very important in the maintenance of muscular integrity. Therapeutic supplementation can be used successfully to treat muscular weakness and fatigue. It prevents the atrophying of all body muscles and so is indicated for those individuals who are unable to exercise, but have a desire to avoid muscular atrophy.
Deficiency symptoms include anorexia, cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue, damaged heart tissue, heart attack, hypo-glycemia (low blood sugar), muscle disorders, muscular dystrophy, muscle weakness, myoglobinuria (high breakdown of muscle cells), obesity, poor circulation, high cholesterol (LDL), high triglycerides, low cholesterol (HDL).
NOTE: If two or more of the above symptoms are present you may need therapeutic supplementation of carnitine.
Directions
It is considered unwise for a lay person to attempt to treat themselves therapeutically. In view of this, one should always seek the services of a doctor that is formally schooled and trained in the profession of natural health care.
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Acetyl-L-Carnitine can help with the following: | | | | | Circulation |  Angina | Several clinical trials have demonstrated that carnitine supplementation improves angina and heart disease. Improvements have been noted in exercise tolerance and heart function. In one study of patients with stable angina, oral administration of 900mg of L-carnitine increased mean exercise time and the time necessary for abnormalities to occur on a stress test.
These results indicate that carnitine may be an effective alternative to other anti-angina agents, especially in patients with chronic stable angina. |
Intermittent Claudication| | In double-blind trials, supplementation with either L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine (a form of L-carnitine) has increased walking distance in people with intermittent claudication. Walking distance was 75% greater after three weeks of L-carnitine supplementation (2 grams taken twice per day), than after supplementation with a placebo, a statistically significant difference. [Brevetti G, Chiariello M, Ferulano G, et al. Increases in walking distance in patients with peripheral vascular disease treated with L-carnitine: a double-blind, cross-over study. Circulation 1988;77: pp.767-73.] |
Mitral Valve Prolapse| | L-carnitine is an amino acid that acts as a shuttle for fat that is required for cellular metabolism and also acts to strengthen the heart. Dosage: 500-1,000mg two to three times daily. Acetyl-l-carnitine is a related nutrient that may be more bio-available. Dosage: 120mg three times daily. |
Congestive Heart Failure
Atherosclerosis
 Cardiomyopathy| | There is some evidence that carnitine may be useful in cardiomyopathy [J Child Neurol (Canada) 10: pp.2S45-2S51, 1995]. A deficiency of carnitine is associated with the development of some forms of cardiomyopathy. Inherited forms of cardiomyopathy seen in children may be the most responsive to therapy with L-carnitine. The question of whether carnitine supplementation will help the average person with cardiomyopathy remains unanswered, but some doctors recommend up to 3gm of carnitine per day for the average adult. Carnitine is thought to work well with CoQ10, the two treatments being often combined. |
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Organ Health |
Diabetes Type II |
Uro-Genital |
 Andropause/Male Menopause| | The April 2004 issue of the journal Urology published the findings of Italian researchers that the amino acid carnitine was more active than testosterone in improving symptoms of aging in men, such as sexual dysfunction and depression, associated with the decline of androgenic hormones.
120 men between the ages of 60 and 74 with symptoms of low testosterone were randomized to receive 160mg orally administered testosterone undecanoate, 2gm propionyl-L-carnitine plus 2gm acetyl-L-carnitine per day, or a placebo for a six month period.
Erectile function, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction and nocturnal penile tumescence increased over the course of the study in the group receiving testosterone as well as in the group receiving carnitine. However, the group receiving carnitine also experienced an increase in orgasm and general sexual well-being. Erectile function and nocturnal penile tumescence were significantly more improved in this group than in those receiving testosterone. While both treatments lowered depression scores, carnitine's effect was greater.
Predictably, treatment with testosterone increased serum total and free testosterone and decreased luteinizing hormone levels, but carnitine's effect on these hormones was not significant. Treatment with carnitine was not associated with an increase in prostate volume as was testosterone treatment.
Fatigue was likewise improved in both groups. As one negative effect, the men taking testosterone developed enlargement of their prostates, which did not occur in the carnitine-treated group. Although both testosterone and carnitine improved symptoms of male aging, there was overall superior benefit to carnitine with no real side-effects. |
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KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. An immune system deficiency disorder that suddenly alters the body's ability to defend itself. The AIDS virus invades the T4 helper/inducer lymphocytes and multiplies, causing a breakdown in the body's immune system, eventually leading to overwhelming infection and/or cancer, with ultimate death.
Amino Acid (Amino Acids)
An organic acid containing nitrogen chemical building blocks that aid in the production of protein in the body. Eight of the twenty-two known amino acids are considered "essential," and must be obtained from dietary sources because the body can not synthesize them.
Angina
Angina Pectoris: Severe, restricting chest pain with sensations of suffocation caused by temporary reduction of oxygen to the heart muscle through narrowed diseased coronary arteries. Often triggered by exertion. Angina Vasomotoria: Like the previous, but less dangerous and more frequently caused by purely neurologic stimulus. The pain is more spasmodic and there is usually little actual blood vessel blockage.
Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia)
An eating disorder characterized by excess control - a morbid fear of obesity leads the sufferer to try and limit or reduce their weight by excessive dieting, exercising, vomiting, purging and use of diuretics. Sufferers are typically more than 15% below the average weight for their height/sex/age and typically have amenorrhea (if female) or low libido (if male). 1-2% of female teenagers are anorexic.
BID
Twice per day.
Cardiac
Pertaining to the heart, also, pertaining to the stomach area adjacent to the esophagus.
Cardiovascular
Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.
Carnitine
A compound found in skeletal and cardiac muscle and certain other tissues that functions as a carrier of fatty acids across the membranes of the mitochondria. Carnitine has been used therapeutically in treating angina and certain deficiency diseases.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, Chronic Fatigue)
A disorder of unknown cause that lasts for prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), "Yuppy Flu" and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems.
Claudication
Often Intermittent claudication: Condition caused by interruptions of blood supply to the muscles, characterized by limping and pain chiefly in the calf muscles: symptom characterized by pain during walking.
Congestive
Pertaining to accumulation of blood or fluid within a vessel or organ.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Estrogen (Oestrogen)
One of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Fatty Acids (Fatty Acid)
Chemical chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are part of a fat (lipid) and are the major component of triglycerides. Depending on the number and arrangement of these atoms, fatty acids are classified as either saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated. They are nutritional substances found in nature which include cholesterol, prostaglandins, and stearic, palmitic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosapentanoic (EPA), and decohexanoic acids. Important nutritional lipids include lecithin, choline, gamma-linoleic acid, and inositol.
Glycogen
A compound produced by the liver from glucose and stored in the liver and muscles. It acts as an energy source for muscles, and releases glucose from the liver to maintain blood sugar.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Herbs (Herb, Herbal)
Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, teas should be made with one teaspoon herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Tinctures may be used singly or in combination as noted. The high doses of single herbs suggested may be best taken as dried extracts (in capsules), although tinctures (60 drops four times per day) and teas (4 to 6 cups per day) may also be used.
High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
Also known as "good" cholesterol, HDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles that circulate in the blood picking up already used and unused cholesterol and taking them back to the liver as part of a recycling process. Higher levels of HDLs are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease because the cholesterol is cleared more readily from the blood.
Hormones (Hormone)
Chemical substances secreted by a variety of body organs that are carried by the bloodstream and usually influence cells some distance from the source of production. Hormones signal certain enzymes to perform their functions and, in this way, regulate such body functions as blood sugar levels, insulin levels, the menstrual cycle, and growth. These can be prescription, over-the-counter, synthetic or natural agents. Examples include adrenal hormones such as corticosteroids and aldosterone; glucagon, growth hormone, insulin, testosterone, estrogens, progestins, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, and thyroid hormones such as thyroxine and calcitonin.
Hypoglycemia
A condition characterized by an abnormally low blood glucose level. Severe hypoglycemia is rare and dangerous. It can be caused by medications such as insulin (diabetics are prone to hypoglycemia), severe physical exhaustion, and some illnesses.
Insulin
A hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin stimulates the liver, muscles, and fat cells to remove glucose from the blood for use or storage.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
Also known as "bad" cholesterol, LDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles composed of a moderate proportion of protein and a high proportion of cholesterol. Higher levels of LDLs are associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lung (Lungs, Pulmonary)
Organ of the body, located in the chest cavity which is designed to bring oxygen from the air into the blood stream, while also expelling carbon dioxide and other waste gases out of the body. Pulmonary: Related to the lungs.
Luteinizing Hormone
Anterior pituitary hormone stimulating estrogen production by the ovary; promoting formation of progesterone by the corpus luteum in women and stimulating testosterone release in men.
Lysine
Essential amino acid. Important for growth, tissue repair, and the production of hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Research indicates that lysine may be useful in the treatment of migraine and herpes simplex. Precursor to carnitine in the body.
Metabolism (Metabolic, Metabolize, Metabolizes, Metabolizing)
The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds. Also defined as the sum total of changes in an organism in order to achieve a balance (homeostasis): Catabolic burns up, anabolic stores and builds up; the sum of their work is metabolism.
Methionine
Essential amino acid. Dietary source of sulfur and methyl groups. Important for proper growth in infants, nitrogen balance in adults, healthy nails and skin and the synthesis of taurine, cysteine, phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), bile, carnitine and endorphins. It is an antioxidant nutrient and lipotropic agent which promotes the physiological utilization of fat.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Mineral (Minerals)
Plays a vital role in regulating many body functions. They act as catalysts in nerve response, muscle contraction and the metabolism of nutrients in foods. They regulate electrolyte balance and hormonal production, and they strengthen skeletal structures.
Mitochondrion (Mitochondria)
Structure inside a cell that is the location of the cell's energy production machinery. (Plural: Mitochondria)
Myoglobinuria
Excretion of the muscle's oxygen-transport protein, myoglobin, in the urine.
Naturopathy (Naturopath, Naturopathic, Naturopaths)
Medical practice using herbs and other various methods to produce a healthy body state by stimulating innate defenses without the use of drugs.
Placebo (Placebos)
A pharmacologically inactive substance. Often used to compare clinical responses against the effects of pharmacologically active substances in experiments.
Prostate
The prostate gland in men that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra and produces a secretion that liquefies coagulated semen.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Refined Sugar (Refined Sugars)
The term 'refined sugar' includes not only the "sugar" listed in ingredient listings, but also brown sugar, glucose, fructose and dextrose. Obvious sources include jams and jellies; hidden sources are often mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings and other condiments.
Serum
The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.
Testosterone
The principal male sex hormone that induces and maintains the changes that take place in males at puberty. In men, the testicles continue to produce testosterone throughout life, though there is some decline with age. A naturally occurring androgenic hormone.
Triglyceride (Triglycerides)
The main form of fat found in foods and the human body. Containing three fatty acids and one unit of glycerol, triglycerides are stored in adipose cells in the body, which, when broken down, release fatty acids into the blood. Triglycerides are fat storage molecules and are the major lipid component of the diet.
Unsaturated Fats (Unsaturated Fat)
In foods, fats missing hydrogen atoms in specific places on the fatty acid molecule; depending on the number of missing atoms, these fats are classified as either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Main dietary sources are plants and fish.
Vascular
Relating to the blood vessels of the body. The blood vessels of the body, as a group, are referred to as the vascular system. They are composed of arteries, veins and capillaries - arteries that pass oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body; veins which return oxygen-depleted blood from the tissues to the lungs for oxygen; and the capillaries that are the tiniest vessels and are between the arteries and veins.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin essential to the body's health. When bound to other nutrients, for example calcium, it would be referred to as "calcium ascorbate". As an antioxidant, it inhibits the formation of nitrosamines (a suspected carcinogen). Vitamin C is important for maintenance of bones, teeth, collagen and blood vessels (capillaries), enhances iron absorption and red blood cell formation, helps in the utilization of carbohydrates and synthesis of fats and proteins, aids in fighting bacterial infections, and interacts with other nutrients. It is present in citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, potatoes and fresh, green leafy vegetables.
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Last updated: May 11, 2008
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