8 L-Carnitine Benefits: A Supplement for Weight Loss

8 L-Carnitine Benefits: A Supplement for Weight Loss

L-carnitine is a popular supplement that’s taken to address various concerns ranging from weight loss to muscle recovery to boosting brain function. As an amino acid derivative, L-carnitine plays a crucial role in our bodily functions. Taking supplements containing L-carnitine used to be quite common only among athletes. But these days, more and more people are jumping into the bandwagon to experience the attractive health benefits of L-carnitine.

More about L-Carnitine

L-carnitine’s main function is to transport fatty acids for use by the mitochondria. It is found in almost every cell in the body. The body naturally produces its own supply of L-carnitine, but small amounts of this nutrient are also present in meat and fish. That being said, amping up your L-carnitine intake through supplements has been found to positively impact the body in several ways. This is especially true if you don’t consume a lot of meat and fish or if you have genetic issues that prevent you from creating enough L-carnitine in your body.

The 8 Benefits of L-Carnitine

So, how exactly does L-Carnitine benefit the body? Check out the following points to learn more.

1. It supports cellular function.

As mentioned above, L-Carnitine is essential in cellular function. The mitochondrion, which is the powerhouse of the cell, depends on L-Carnitine’s job to produce energy. The mitochondria are chiefly responsible for producing the energy needed by our cells to function properly. This is accomplished by burning long-chain fatty acids and converting them into usable energy. L-carnitine, meanwhile, is what helps transport fatty acids into the mitochondria. What’s more, it also transports toxic compounds out of the mitochondria to prevent unwanted buildup from happening. All that being said, it’s clear that L-carnitine is vital to the smooth functioning of the cell—especially in cardiac and skeletal muscle cells where the fuel to function is much needed. To illustrate, in animal studies, L-carnitine supplementation helped improve mitochondrial function—which contributed to healthy aging and decreased body fat.

2. L-Carnitine promotes weight loss.

L-Carnitine is thought to promote weight loss by helping speed up the metabolism. Several studies supporting L-Carnitine’s weight loss-assisting properties have already been published. In one review, it was concluded that people who took L-carnitine lost more weight than those who didn’t. Another animal study showed L-Carnitine’s potential as a weight-loss supplement. The study, which had overweight cats as subjects, illustrated L-Carnitine’s metabolic effect on the cats due to its ability to facilitate the burning of fatty acids for energy. While L-Carnitine certainly has potential, you still have to do your part for best results. L-Carnitine supplements will work best paired with regular exercise and a healthy diet. L-Carnitine can help boost your weight loss efforts for more pounds lost. It’s not meant to be a stand-alone approach to weight loss.

3. It helps boost your body’s fat-burning functions.

If body fat worries you, L-Carnitine may help. In one study, higher levels of L-carnitine in skeletal muscles led to a decrease in body fat accumulation in humans. This it does by boosting the amount of fat burned during your workouts. In the same study, higher L-carnitine content in the muscles was achieved by L-carnitine supplementation for 12 weeks. Another study involving overweight adults had the subjects take L-carnitine for 10 days. At the end of the study, it was found that L-carnitine boosted the breakdown of fat among those who took the supplement.

4. It supports heart health.

Several studies illustrate how L-carnitine can benefit heart health. For one, L-carnitine may help reduce blood pressure according to a study involving patients with increased cardiovascular risk. The patients experienced a drop in systolic blood pressure, which is an important marker of heart health. Furthermore, L-carnitine supplementation has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease. According to one study, L-carnitine’s cardioprotective effect helps reduce inflammation associated with hypertension. Patients with chronic heart failure and coronary heart disease may also benefit from L-carnitine’s properties. A 12-month study showed that L-carnitine treatment led to a decrease in death and congestive heart failure, but more studies are needed to further support this.

5. L-Carnitine helps enhance brain function.

L-Carnitine is one of those rare gems that benefit both physical and cognitive functioning. In one study, elderly human subjects who took L-carnitine for 40 days experienced an improvement in mental function. Animal studies also show that L-carnitine can enhance learning capacity in aging rats. Furthermore, research involving patients struggling with chronic alcoholism showed that L-carnitine can potentially improve all measures of cognitive function. But L-Carnitine’s brain function-boosting properties may not only help ordinary adults. Even those with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases are also potential beneficiaries. In fact, supplementation with L-carnitine among 30 mild- to moderately-demented subjects resulted in decreased deterioration in several areas of cognitive function. A similar result was shown in another research that studied the effects of long-term acetyl-L-carnitine treatment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In it, the group treated with L-Carnitine deteriorated slower in areas such as logical intelligence, selective attention, long-term verbal memory, and verbal critical abilities. This shows that although L-carnitine may not be able to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, it may be useful at slowing down the rate of deterioration of a patient’s brain function. Improved Overall Health

6. It helps boost exercise performance.

L-Carnitine can also help improve your performance during workouts. In a way, this perfectly complements its fat-burning properties and may contribute further to weight loss. This explains why L-carnitine is so popular among fitness buffs and those who are hoping to get fit and healthy. L-Carnitine helps increase your stamina during workouts—thereby helping you execute every rep and finish your exercise in good form. A study has shown that L-Carnitine reduces plasma malondialdehyde, which is a marker for muscle damage. L-Carnitine taken before physical exercise also helps delay exhaustion. In other words, L-Carnitine can help delay feelings of discomfort and tiredness and reduce fatigue. This allows you to get more mileage out of every workout session. What’s more, L-carnitine may help exercise performance as it supports the function of red blood cells during exercise. The proper function of red blood cells is crucial during workouts because they are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the muscles.

7. It may help fight Type 2 Diabetes.

Research suggests that taking L-carnitine may help reduce blood sugar levels and fight the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. A study involving pregnant women illustrated L-carnitine’s role in fighting insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. Another study showed that combining L-carnitine supplements and caloric restriction led to decreased insulin resistance among patients with impaired glucose metabolism. In a 12-week study, patients with Type 2 Diabetes who added L-carnitine supplements to their existing anti-diabetic medication experienced a significant decrease in their blood sugar levels compared to the placebo group. These show that L-carnitine may be a promising supplement for folks who are aiming to keep their glucose levels within healthy limits.

8. L-carnitine helps speed up muscle recovery.

L-Carnitine helps boost your performance during exercise. But did you know that its properties can help your muscles recover, as well? That’s right. L-carnitine continues to help your body long after you’ve executed your last rep at the gym. According to research, L-carnitine L-tartrate supplements help with recovery after resistance exercise. What’s more, a three-week study involving resistance-trained men showed that L-carnitine supplements are effective at reducing exercise stress and improving recovery from high-repetition exercises. Prolonged L-carnitine supplementation also helps reduce muscle soreness according to one study. The men who participated in the trial experienced a significant reduction in pain and tenderness after consuming L-Carnitine. Researchers suggest that L-Carnitine has a protective effect against muscle damage and pain after training.

In Summary

L-Carnitine is a nutrient that has many promising applications. It supports a very basic, essential function in the cell—a role that we all depend on to function properly. On top of that, L-Carnitine has been shown to help boost weight loss results and promote the breakdown of fat. It also helps enhance exercise performance by increasing stamina and delivering oxygen to the muscles. Even after your workouts, your body continues to benefit from L-Carnitine as it helps speed up muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness. Research also points to L-Carnitine’s potential as a supplement for those who are looking to keep their glucose levels and blood pressure in check. Moreover, L-Carnitine benefits the heart by helping reduce the risk of heart disease. Veering away from physical benefits, supplementing with L-carnitine may also improve brain function. Its positive impact on cognitive function has been demonstrated among both normal adults and those who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Best L-Carnitine Supplement Philippines

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