Carnitine (vitamin Bt) review

• Basics: a non-essential amino acid, responsible for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the energy-producing centers of the cells.

• Benefits: helps maintain blood lipid profile and promote fatty acid utilization within heart muscle, helps the body convert fatty acids into energy.

• Dosage: 500 milligrams (MG) to 4,000 mg per day for general health.

• Sources: red meat, fish, poultry, tempeh (fermented soybeans), wheat, asparagus, avocados, and peanut butter.

• Deficiency: deficiency occurs as a primary genetic defect of carnitine transport and secondary to a variety of genetic and acquired disorders.

• Overdose: toxicity from l-carnitine overdosage is rare.

Editor's choice: Acetyl L-Carnitine

Carnitine aids in converting fatty acids into energy used by the muscles throughout the body. It is stored in the skeletal muscles, heart, brain and sperm. An inadequate carnitine level may present itself in symptoms including confusion, heart pain, muscle weakness and obesity. Acetyl L-Carnitine by Vitabase is manuafactured according to the highest pharmaceutical standards and uses only the best quality raw ingredients. Click here for more information.

Sources of carnitine

Dietary sources of carnitine include foods of animal origin, such as meat and dairy products. Red meat (particularly lamb) and dairy products are the primary sources of carnitine. Carnitine can also be found in fish, poultry, tempeh (fermented soybeans), wheat, asparagus, avocados, and peanut butter. Cereals, fruits, and vegetables contain little or no carnitine. Carnitine can be manufactured in the body provided the requisite vitamins and minerals are also present. A typical Western diet supplies about 100mg of carnitine per day. It is found mostly in red meats and dairy products. Plant foods are not good sources of carnitine. In general, healthy adults do not require dietary carnitine as carnitine stores are replenished through endogenous synthesis from lysine and methionine in the liver and kidneys.