Product Overview
L-Carnitine 250mg 120 Capsules
- Helps the body burn fat for energy*
- Helps maintain normal cardiovascular health*
L-Carnitine is a nutrient that promotes energy production in cells by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondrion, an intracellular structure that generates metabolic energy in the form of ATP*. In this role, L-carnitine helps the body efficiently metabolize fat. Fumarate is a naturally occurring compound in the body. Fumarate serves as an intermediate in the Krebs cycle, a key energy-producing process that takes place in the mitochondrion.
Scroll down below the Supplement Facts box to see more information on the benefits of L-Carnitine and how it benefits you.
|
Suggested Use: 1 capsule 1 to 4 times daily.
Other Ingredients: gelatin (capsule), dibasic calcium phospate, silica, and magnesium stearate.
Warning: If you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or breastfeeding, consult your health care professional before using this product.
Do not use if either tamper-evident seal is broken or missing. Keep out of the reach of children.
Store in a cool, dry place.
L-carnitine is considered to be very safe for oral consumption. L-carnitine is generally well tolerated, even at doses as high as 15 grams daily.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
L-Carnitine promotes energy production in cells by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondrion. Its primary function is to transfer long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Fatty acid molecules are activated to coenzyme A (CoA) esters in the cytoplasm of the cell, and then esterified to L-Carnitine. The combination of a fatty acid molecule and L-carnitine is called “acyl-carnitine.” Much of the body L-Carnitine content is stored in the form of acyl-carnitine.1
The mitochondrion is the cell’s energy-generating furnace. Called an “organelle,” the mitochondrion is a self-contained structure inside the cell. Like all cellular structures, the mitochondrion is surrounded by a membrane. This membrane is an impenetrable barrier to acyl-CoA esters; passage across the membrane requires L-carnitine as a transporter. On the inside of the mitochondrial membrane, the acyl-CoA esters are made available to be metabolized through the process of beta oxidation. One of the key metabolic byproducts of this process is acetyl-CoA, also called “active acetate,” which enters the Krebs cycle (also known as the “citric acid cycle”) to supply fuel for production of ATP, the cell’s primary energy “currency.” L-Carnitine shuttles excess fatty acid residues out of the mitochondrion, and in this role is essential for preventing toxic buildup of fatty acids inside the mitochondrion. Evidence suggests that L-Carnitine and short chain acyl-carnitine esters can protect the mitochondrion from adverse effects of drugs and toxic chemicals.
Helps maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system*
Muscle tissue contains a high concentration of L-Carnitine. With its constant energy needs, heart muscle tissue is especially rich in L-Carnitine. Unsatisfactory production of L-Carnitine by the body can result from a variety of factors, including increased catabolism or the inability of tissues to extract and retain L-carnitine from the blood.
Along with glucose and lactate, fatty acids are the primary oxidation fuel for the heart. In addition to the oxidation of fat for energy in the cell, L-Carnitine is involved in the metabolism of glucose.2
At high concentrations, L-Carnitine demonstrates a clear-cut ability to potentiate the contractility of isolated heart muscle tissue [in vitro], indicating an enhancing effect on the heart health.3 L-Carnitine has been shown to improve the performance of rats subjected to fatigue tests.
L-Carntine may promote maintenance of healthy blood lipids. Preliminary evidence of this was seen in a small open trial of 26 participants who took 3 grams of L-carnitine daily for 40 days.4
The results of these and other studies suggest that oral consumption of L-Carnitine has a beneficial influence on maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system.
- Wagenmakers, A., Brouns, F. ed. Advances in Nutrition and Top Sport. Med Sport Sci. Basel, Karger, 1991;32:110-27.
- Calvani, M., Reda, E., Arrigoni-Martelli, E. Basic Research in Cardiology 2000;95(2):75-83.
- Fanelli, O. Life Sciences 1978;23:2563-2570.
- Pola, P. et al. Current Therapeutic Research 1980;27(2):208-16.
- L-Carnitine. PDR for Nutritional Supplements. First Ed. 2001.Montvale, NJ:Medical Economics.
