Can L-carnitine Really Help You Lose Weight?

What Is L-Carnitine?

L-Carnitine, abbreviated as carnitine, is an amino acid that is widely present in human tissues and can be self-generated. It is an important factor in the energy generation process. It is responsible for delivering fatty acids into mitochondria so that they can be burned smoothly and produce energy. In addition, it is also necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates.

Carnitine is mainly formed by lysine and methionine, while Ascorbic Acid, ferrous iron, vitamin B6 and niacin are also the main cofactors of the synthesis process. If one of these nutrients is lacking, carnitine deficiency may occur. For healthy people (including vegetarians).

Can L-carnitine Really Help You Lose Weight?

The principle of L-carnitine weight loss:

The metabolic process of fat has to go through an obstacle, which is the mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria can burn fat to release energy and be consumed by the body, but long-chain fatty acids cannot pass this obstacle. L-carnitine plays the role of a porter, carrying long-chain fatty acids little by little outside the shield and sending them to the mitochondria for further oxidation.

L-carnitine is just a means of transportation. As for how much fat is consumed, it does not depend on L-carnitine. This is like the bricks needed to build a building are all transported by cars, but the number of bricks consumed in building a building does not depend on the number of cars, but on the size and structure of the building.

In short, if the amount of exercise (energy consumption) is not large and the fat consumption is not much, just increasing L-carnitine will not increase the oxidation function of fat, so it will not help to lose weight.

In addition, the absorption rate of L-carnitine ingested by the human body is less than 20%. Even if 2 grams are taken orally, less than 0.4 grams can be absorbed. The human body originally has about 20 grams, and the amount of 0.4 grams is negligible. If you take a large amount, it won't work either, because once the amount in the body fluid is too high, it will be excreted from the urine, wasting it.

Even if it can be absorbed by the human body and enter the cells, the process of fatty acid metabolism still requires the participation of several enzymes. The number of enzymes is certain, and the working speed is also certain, so even if it enters, it is useless.

L-carnitine is not a weight loss drug. Its main function is to transport fat to the mitochondria for burning. It is a carrier enzyme. If you want to use L-carnitine to lose weight, you must cooperate with proper exercise and control your diet.

Does The Human Body Lack L-carnitine?

Under normal circumstances (not a lot of exercise), the human body will synthesize enough L-carnitine by itself, and there will be no problem of L-carnitine deficiency. Only when the amount of exercise is large, such as athletes or fitness people, the energy consumption per unit time is high, and the "flow" of fat oxidation energy supply is large, it is possible (many research reports support, and some research reports deny) that L-carnitine synthesis is "relatively insufficient".

At this time, taking additional L-carnitine, expanding the scale of the transport fleet (carrier), and delivering more bricks (fatty acids) to the construction site (mitochondria) per unit time will obviously help to oxidize and consume more fat.

Which Foods Contain L-carnitine?

In addition to the body's own synthesis, L-carnitine can also be obtained from food, mainly from animals, and the content in plants is very small.

Animal sources: Rich sources include lean meat, liver, heart, yeast, lamb, chicken, rabbit meat, milk and whey; plant sources: avocado, kiwi, grapes, papaya, lemon, aloe vera, lotus leaf, Pu'er tea casein and malt and other small amounts of Taiwan alpine fruits.

What Are The Functions Of L-Carnitine?

‌Weight loss and slimming‌: L-carnitine is an amino acid substance that can promote the conversion of fat into energy. It can promote the oxidative metabolism of fat in mitochondria and other parts, decompose fat and excrete it through feces, which plays a role in weight loss and slimming.

‌Energy supplement‌: L-carnitine can convert fat into energy and increase endurance, which is very helpful for athletes and people who consume a lot of physical energy.

‌Relieve fatigue‌: L-carnitine can accelerate the oxidation of glucose, promote blood circulation, and relieve fatigue.

‌Maintain baby's body function‌: L-carnitine is an important nutrient in the baby's body and can maintain the normal development of the baby's body.

‌Lower cholesterol‌: L-carnitine can lower the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

What Is The Application Of L-Carnitine?

‌Food and Beverages‌: L-Carnitine is increasingly used in the food and beverage sector. It has antioxidant properties that can enhance immunity and anti-aging effects, so it is widely used in health foods, children's dairy products, sports drinks and liquid beverages. In addition, L-Carnitine is also used in processed bakery, soups and frozen foods.

‌Beauty Products‌: Due to its anti-aging properties, L-Carnitine is also widely used in beauty research and supplements. L-Carnitine can promote collagen synthesis, improve skin elasticity, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

‌Skin Care Products‌: L-Carnitine is also used in skin care products to help improve skin quality, reduce signs of skin aging, and keep the skin healthy and youthful.

‌Daily Chemical Products‌: L-Carnitine is also used in daily chemical products such as shampoo, shower gel, etc. to help improve the health of skin and hair.

‌Animal Feed‌: L-Carnitine is also used in animal feed to improve the growth rate and health of animals.