L- CARNITINE

L-Carnitine is not an amino acid in its strictest sense, it is actually related to the B vitamins, and is know as vitamin BT.  Recent research indicates that carnitine plays an important role in converting stored body fat into energy, its main function in the body is to help transport long-chain fatty acids, which are burned within the cells to provide energy.

This is major source of energy for the muscles. This prevents fatty build-up, especially in the heart, liver and skeletal muscles. 

The results associated with L-Carnitine supplementation is controlling hypoglycemia, energizing the heart, reducing angina attacks, and is beneficial to patients having diabetes, liver and or kidney disease.  Studies have shown that damage to the heart from cardiac surgery can be reduced by treatment with L-Carnitine.  Carnitine also has the ability to lower blood triglyceride levels, and aid in weight loss. 

It is also an effective supplement for athletes.  It utilizes fat as a source of energy, sparing muscle and liver glycogen, also prolongs exercise time, prevents muscle fatigue, increases oxygen uptake, maintains normal energy metabolism, and increases stress tolerance.

Neuromuscular disorders are improved with carnitine, it is believed patients with systemic carnitine deficiency have a severe impairment of the oxidation of oleic and linoleic acids, skeletal muscle fibbers are greatly dependent on fatty acid oxidation for their energy requirement.  Carnitine also enhances the effectiveness of the antioxidant vitamins E and C.

Newborn's critically need carnitine, the carnitine content of human breast milk increases during the first week postpartum from 39 to 63 nmol per milliliter.  Although the newborn's requirements of carnitine are met by breast milk, there is no detectable carnitine in cow’s milk or soy protein based formulas.  

The most noteworthy benefit of carnitine supplementation can be found in patients with cardiovascular disease, such as congestive heart failure and angina.  L-Carnitine also has shown to prevent the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation in early phases of ischemia.  This essential nutrient improves metabolism of myocardial cells injured by ischemia and protects patients from cardiogenic shock (extreme low blood pressure due to heart failure) and serious arrhythmias.

Vegetarians are more likely than nonvegetarians to be deficient in carnitine because it is not found in vegetable protein, to ensure adequate production of carnitine vegetarians should take supplements or eat grains, such as cornmeal, that have been fortified with lysine.