[Carnitine Efficacy] Does a lack of it make you gain weight? 3 Benefits of Carnitine

[Carnitine Efficacy] Does a lack of it make you gain weight? 3 Benefits of Carnitine

Carnitine Benefits
1. Reduces weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference and improves blood sugar control
2. Reduces triglyceride levels in the blood
3. Heart protection

Hello. This is Jinny, the pharmacist.

Today, I would like to introduce an ingredient called carnitine . Many of you will be hearing it for the first time. I think it will be a very attractive ingredient for those who are worried about weight and body fat management .

It's because carnitine helps 'decomposition of fat' . Carnitine, a type of amino acid, transports fatty acids into the cell's mitochondria, which then burn these fats to produce energy. In other words, if there is a lack of carnitine in the body, not only is it difficult to generate energy, but also the probability of obesity increases due to the accumulation of fat .

Therefore, a component called 'L-carnitine tartrate' , one of the forms of carnitine, has been recognized for its ability to reduce body fat . Today, we are going to look at the benefits of taking carnitine orally through a thesis.
1. Reduced weight, BM, waist and hip circumference and improved blood sugar control

The reason why you should be careful about obesity is probably not simply because of your longing for external beauty. Obesity is a clinical symptom and cause of various diseases. The more obese you become, the more vulnerable you are to adult diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and the higher your risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. 

Accordingly, in 2016, a paper was published in CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY examining the effects of oral carnitine intake on overweight polycystic ovary syndrome patients .
"Overall, 12-week administration of carnitine to patients with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) showed beneficial effects on blood sugar control and reductions in weight, BMI (body mass index), WC (waist circumference), HC (hip circumference) . "
Reference paper: Samimi, M., Jamilian, M., Ebrahimi, FA, Rahimi, M., Tajbakhsh, B. and Asemi, Z. (2016). Oral carnitine supplementation reduces body weight and insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Endocrinol, 84: 851-857.
2. Reduces triglyceride levels in the blood

We either consume neutral fat through food or synthesize it in the liver using carbohydrates and fatty acids as ingredients . When the level of triglycerides in the blood is high, it helps the production of bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and promotes the decomposition of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), increasing the risk of arteriosclerosis . Above 500 mg/dL, the risk of acute pancreatitis increases dramatically. Therefore, it is necessary to improve eating habits and exercise, and if necessary, to manage neutral fat levels in parallel with drug treatment .  

In this regard, a study was conducted as early as 1998 looking at the effect of carnitine intake on lipid metabolism and body fat content .
“ L-carnitine has been shown to have a significant effect on reducing the waist-to-hip ratio and the percentage of body fat. It also lowered plasma triglycerides. "
Reference paper: Liang Y, Li Y, Shan J, Yu B, Ho Z. (1998). The effects of oral L-carnitine treatment on blood lipid metabolism and the body fat content in the diabetic patient. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 7(2): 192-5.
3. Heart protection

Not only that. Carnitine has also been reported to have cardioprotective effects by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation and necrosis of cardiac myocytes . Therefore, L-carnitine, a type of carnitine , is used as a drug for myocardial metabolic disorders caused by heart diseases such as carnitine deficiency, angina pectoris, and acute myocardial infarction .

In response, a review paper published in 2018 reported the effects of L-carnitine administration on factors related to cardiovascular disease as follows.
“Therefore, administration of exogenous carnitine via diet and intravenous routes serves as an appropriate protective strategy against ventricular dysfunction, ischemia-reperfusion injury, cardiac arrhythmias, and toxic myocardial damage that predominately manifest in CVD. In addition, carnitine reduces cardiovascular pathologies such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperglycemia, insulin-dependent diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity. "
Reference papers: Zhong-Yu Wang, Ying-Yi Liu, Guo-Hui Liu, Hai-Bin Lu, Cui-Ying Mao. (2018). l-Carnitine and heart disease. Life Sciences, 194, 88-97.

Today, we looked at the effects of carnitine and its benefits when ingested. In addition to the benefits mentioned above , various benefits such as preventing muscle damage and improving fatigue and lethargy have been reported. Therefore, I think it is an ingredient worth trying for those who want to challenge a healthy diet or those who want a day full of energy.

I hope you have a healthy day in body and mind. It was Jinny.
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