What Is L-Carnitine? Benefits, Dosage & When To Take

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Do you feel fatigued while you walk, exercise, or work out? If yes, you need some energy to boost your body functions. Right? 

And what if you feel like your food is not providing you with enough energy? Why not try a supplement? L-carnitine, a supplement, provides you with natural amino acids required by your body. 

How does it work and what quantity of it you should intake, and many more questions that have arisen in your mind will get clear through this article.

 

What is L-Carnitine?

What is L-Carnitine

As you read in the introduction, L-Carnitine is a form of amino acid. When you intake a dose of this supplement, it transfers fatty acids in your body to membrane-bound cell organelles called mitochondria. What happens after this transfer? The fat breaks down and generates energy in the body

ATP, adenosine triphosphate, is the molecule with chemical energy present in mitochondria. The fat breaks because of ATP and provides you with energy. L-carnitine is a fat and carb mobilizer, and it temporarily metabolizes fat away from the body as energy. It is not harmful until you increase the dosage required. 

There are a few types of Carnitines available in the market, namely,

  • Acetyl-L-Carnitine
  • Propionyl-L-Carnitine
  • L-Carnitine-L-tartrate
  • D-Carnitine

But, L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine are considered the most affecting and beneficial types of Carnitine available in the market.

 

L-Carnitine Benefits

What are the benefits of L-Carnitine

L-carnitine is a chemical naturally produced in our body in various parts, liver, brain, and kidneys. Its production is necessary for our body’s muscle movement, brain, and heart functions. Therefore, if your body lacks L-Carnitine, you should consume it as supplements in tablets or powdered form. 

Now, you must be wondering why L-Carnitine is so essential for our body? What are its benefits other than the proper brain and heart functioning? So, read on to know all the benefits the supplement, L-Carnitine, can provide your body.

1. Weight loss

Weight Loss

L-Carnitine is also known as a weight-loss supplement. And it is one of the cheapest supplements you could get in the market. As you read above, the fatty acids break down to provide energy when you consume them. Therefore, it also contributes to weight loss. But only if you make proper use of the energy it provides you.

L-Carnitine will not be able to help you to lose weight if you sit idle. People primarily consume it to gain energy to work out. So, you need to exercise or work out and eat healthy food with L-Carnitine’s consumption to lose weight.

 

2. Functions brain

Brain Function Improvement

L-Carnitine somehow helps to protect your brain from cell damage. Especially in the older age when your brain functions slow, L-Carnitine provides energy to the brain to work correctly.

It improves brain health by improvising mitochondrial functions and the activity of neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

 

3. Keeps heart healthy

Improves Heart Health

The energy L-Carnitine provides your body contributes to healthy heart functions. Also, it reduces the risk of heart diseases like angina, coronary heart diseases, chronic heart failures.

It may reduce insulin resistance which in turn increases blood pressure. Therefore, it is suggested to consume L-Carnitine with carb meal or protein powder, as insulin generates on its own when you consume L-Carnitine.

 

4. Exercise

L-carnitine shows its result when you exercise. After exercise, you can consume it to reduce muscle soreness. It may also increase the oxygen supply to your muscles and boost your stamina.

L-Carnitine may increase blood flow and red blood cells production in the body because of the energy you use, which L-Carnitine has provided you. It is said to enhance sports performance in athletes.

 

5. Improve insulin sensitivity

L-Carnitine is considered healthy for type-2 diabetic patients. It increases the enzyme present in our body called AMPK- activated protein kinase. The increase in the rate of enzymes improves your body’s ability to use carbs, which dispose of glucose, improving insulin sensitivity.

 

6. Improve cholesterol

Intake of L-Carnitine may help your body control cholesterol levels and other fats present in the blood. It has to be consumed either as capsules or by IV and in a different dosage than usual. Therefore, you need to consult your doctor before consuming and a proper health check-up. 

 

7. Increase ovulation

L-carnitine increases ATP levels, which enhance sperm capacitation when added to IVF ensure successful fertilization. And in women, an oral dosage of L-Carnitine increases the chance of pregnancy and helps cure diseases like PCOS-polycystic ovary syndrome. But, again, you must not consume a higher dose of L-Carnitine to cure such diseases without consulting your doctor.

source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649068/

 

8. Good for age

As we get older, our bones tend to shrink, and muscles lose strength, your body loses flexibility and endurance. Even the brain shrinks in volume and makes it difficult to memorize things. Also, blood pressure increases and increases the risk of diseases. 

L-Carnitine may help you in old age by increasing muscle mass and strength. It influences high-energy phosphate metabolism and much more to drive metabolism in the body.

 

What should be the dosage of L-Carnitine?

As you know, the L-Carnitine supplement comes in liquid, powdered, or capsule form. Therefore, if you prefer eating tablets, consume 3 to 4 capsules a day. It will provide you with around 1500 mg to 2 grams of L-Carnitine. Its standard dose is 500 to 2000 mg per day. And the quantity depends on the other food rich in creatine you are consuming. 

If you include less mg of L-Carnitine supplement powder, capsule, or liquid, balance the daily requirement by beef, fish, pork, chicken, or milk. One pound of beef or salmon will provide you with 1 to 2 grams of Carnitine. And 100 grams of chicken, tuna, or rabbit will provide you with 0.4 grams of Carnitine. Many more fruits, vegetables, and meat products provide L-carnitine. But, if your body needs more of it, you must consider consuming supplements.

 

At what time should you consume L-Carnitine?

Your body absorbs L-Carnitine quickly, and so you can eat it in the morning or before workouts. It will make you more energetic to put effort into exercises, and you can invest that energy in workouts to see the results.

 

FAQs

1. L-Carnitine supplements are veg or non-veg? 

Carnitine is present in animals, but the L-Carnitine supplements are entirely vegan. It is a dipeptide made from lysine and methionine.  

 

2. Does L-Carnitine show any side effects?

Usually, L-Carnitine dosage does not show any side effects. But, some people may face nausea and stomach discomfort. It may be because their body is allergic to the products present in the supplement, or they must have taken a higher dosage of it. And it may also increase blood pressure causing an increased risk of clogging of arteries.

 

3. Is Carnitine safe for children?

Yes, it is safe but in a limited amount of dosage. 500 to 2000 mg of Carnitine per day is suitable for children more than 18 years old. And for children 2 to 18 of age, 2 grams of Carnitine is enough to consume. But, do not give them the supplements of L-carnitine. Only food and milk products rich in Carnitine are safe for children under 18. 

 

You May Also Like To Read:

Best BCAA Supplements In India

Best Pre-Workout Supplements In India

Best Multivitamin Tablets In India

 

Bottom Line

L-Carnitine is a form of amino acid that transfers fat to mitochondria to break the fatty acids and generate energy in the body. It is one of the cheapest supplements available in the market with all-natural ingredients.

L-Carnitine may help to lose weight, improve cholesterol levels and increase ovulation. It keeps the heart healthy and enhances brain functionality. It also improves insulin sensitivity and increases stamina, providing you with enough energy to work out for more than 30 minutes.

The standard dosage of L-Carnitine is 500 to 2000 mg per day in the morning or before the workout. 

We hope you got all the information you were looking for. Do share your experience of reading this article in the comment section below. Just remember not to overdose on L-Carnitine without the consultation of your doctor.

 

Other Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1026/l-carnitine

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-834/acetyl-l-carnitine

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Carnitine-HealthProfessional/

https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug/def/l-carnitine-l-tartrate

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