L-Carnitine

 L-carnitine – a fat-loss transporter.

The primary function of L-carnitine is to facilitate the transport of fatty acids from a cell’s cytoplasm across the mitochondrial membrane to the interior of the mitochondria, where fat burning takes place.  Without carnitine as a carrier, the fatty acids remain in the cytoplasm (think of it as storage), and you won’t lose as much fat.  L-carnitine (from natural and/or synthetic sources) is taken as a supplement because our bodies are unable to get it in enough quantities needed from food we take in, thanks to changes such as the decline of grass-fed cattle and other impurities in our food supply.  Take L-carnitine prior to and immediately after exercise, especially when you exercise in the morning.

Taking carnitine with omega-3 fish oil is one of the simplest things you can do to lose weight and raise your energy levels. The interesting thing about carnitine is that by elevating the amount of carnitine stored in your muscles, you will see improvements in your quality of life. Fat loss and more energy are two of these benefits, but taking carnitine is known to improve all of the following:
•    High-intensity work capacity
•    Increase athletic performance
•    Speed your recovery from intense exercise
•    Make your brain work better
•    Prevent oxidative stress that leads to longer term health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic inflammation

Sources

Food

The highest concentrations of carnitine are found in red meat and dairy products. Carnitine can be found at significantly lower levels in many other foods including nuts and seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower,sesame), legumes or pulses (beans, peas, lentils, peanuts), vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collard greens, garlic, mustard greens, okra, parsley, kale), fruits(apricots, bananas), cereals (buckwheat, corn, millet, oatmeal, rice bran, rye, whole wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ) and other foods (bee pollen, brewer’s yeast, carob).

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