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L-carnitine is a dipeptide - an amino acid made from two other amino acids, methionine and L-lysine. L-carnitine can be made in the liver if sufficient amounts of L-lysine, B1, B6 and iron are available. Muscle and organ meat, fish and milk products are the best sources of carnitine in the diet.Carnitine has been shown to have a major role in the metabolism of fat and in the reduction of triglycerides by increasing fat utilisation. L-carnitine transfers fatty acids across the membranes of the mitochondria where they can be utilised as sources of energy. L-carnitine also increases the rate at which the liver uses fats. By preventing fatty build-up, L-carnitine aids in weight loss and decreases the risk of heart disease. Carnitine has been shown to be deficient in hearts of patients who have died of acute infections of the heart.Muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy have been shown to lead to carnitine loss in the urine and therefore higher requirements for it. Carnitine is stored mostly in the skeletal muscles and heart, where it is needed to transform fatty acids into energy for muscular activity. L-carnitine is also concentrated in sperm and the brain. Many athletes have noted increased endurance and muscle building with carnitine supplementation.Deficiency of L-carnitine may increase symptoms of fatigue, angina, muscle weakness or confusion. A low level of Vitamin C will also result in apparent carnitine deficiency. L-carnitine is contraindicated for people with liver or kidney disease or diabetes. L-carnitine has proven helpful in improving lipid metabolism and reducing elevated cholesterol and triglycerides in people with cardiac problems and diabetes, but L-carnitine should only be taken with medical supervision in these conditions.L-carnitine becomes more useful as a supplement the older you get; as with everything else, production of your own L-carnitine gets less efficient as you get older. Therefore the people who should be taking L-carnitine are those with weak hearts, anyone over perhaps 50, and people who indulge in heavy and prolonged exercise - which includes endurance athletes, but also dancers and anyone with a very physical job.
