In 2022, 2.5 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight, including over 890 million adults who are classified as obese. This corresponds to 43% of adults that are overweight. To put things into perspective, just 30 years ago, only 25% of adults were overweight.[1] At this rate, experts predict that one billion people will be obese by 2030.[2]
This is a burden that simply cannot be sustained on a global healthcare level. As such, researchers are pouring billions of dollars into pharmaceutical solutions to the growing obesity problem.
What’s overlooked, though, are the important lifestyle interventions that can be implemented (proper nutrition, physical activity, quality sleep, stress management, and supplementation). These options cost far less than and come with significantly fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals.
Today, we’ll look at one of the premier supplements to support stim-free weight loss, and it offers a number of other benefits! Here is how l-carnitine benefits your body and mind.
What is L-Carnitine?
Carnitine is a compound derived from amino acids that plays a critical role in fat oxidation (fat burning). It is naturally produced within our bodies, and it can also be obtained from common protein sources, including red meat, poultry, dairy, fish, and avocado.
How does carnitine support healthy fat metabolism?
Long-chain fatty acids require an “intracellular taxi” to enter the mitochondria where they can be oxidized (“burned”) for energy (ATP) production.
Carnitine is the taxi that shuttles fatty acids into the mitochondria and supports the body’s ability to burn fat for fuel. Supplementation with carnitine has also been found to alleviate markers of muscle damage and free radical formation which accompany decreased muscle soreness.*
Finally, carnitine supplementation has been found to support healthy blood flow and oxygen supply, which aids nutrient delivery, muscle pumps, and exercise performance as well as fostering greater muscle recovery.
L-Carnitine Benefits for Body and Mind
Helps Reduce Belly Fat
Due to its role in helping the body to burn fat for energy, L-Carnitine has thoroughly investigated for its potential benefits in regards to weight loss and weight maintenance. It just so happens that L-carnitine can be helpful to those looking to shrink their waistline measurements.
In fact, a 2021 literature review evaluated the effects of L-carnitine on women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disorder. The authors found that the women who took the stim-free fat loss supplement showed reductions in body weight, hip circumference, and waist circumference.[3]
A separate meta-analysis concluded that l-carntine offers a “...modest reducing effect on body weight, BMI and fat mass, especially among adults with overweight/obesity.”[4]
Supports Brain Health
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) is an “enhanced” form of l-carntine that contains an acetyl group. This allows it to readily cross the blood-brain barrier (BRR) and offer neuroprotective, neurotrophic and antioxidant properties.
It supports the production of acetylcholine (the learning neurotransmitter), which is involved in memory, learning, and the mind-muscle connection. Other studies find that it also supports dopamine production by upregulating dopamine receptors.[6]
Animal studies find that l-carntine increases synaptic neurotransmission in the brain and consequently improves learning capacity.[7] It even helps “clean up” waste metabolites in the brain that can lead to cognitive decline, including amyloid-beta plaques.[8]
Supports Healthy Blood Glucose and Insulin Levels
L-carnitine may reduce insulin resistance by removing harmful lipids from cells, mending cell membranes, and reducing accumulated acyl CoA derivatives and/or their metabolites.[3,9]
It has also been found to reducing fasting blood glucose levels and HbA1c (a long term marker of cardiometabolic health).[10]
Supports a Healthy Mood
Not only can carnitine benefit cognitive performance and long-term brain health, it may also be able to improve mood and support mental health. In fact, ALCAR was found to be as effective as certain prescriptions and better tolerated for certain indivdiuals.[11]
Supports Sexual Health
Last, but not least, among the myriad benefits of l-carnitine is its support of sexual health for both men and women.
A meta-analysis found that 1-3g per day of l-carntine supplementation for 2-6 months improved sperm motility and morphology (the size and shape of sperm) in men with fertility issues.[12]
Another review found that L-carnitine supplementation improved sperm motility and concentration.[13]
For women with PCOS, research finds that supplementing with 3,000mg L-carnitine in addition to metformin and clomiphene-citrate had higher ovulation and pregnancy rates than the women who took the two prescriptions without L-carnitine.[14]
The Best L-Carnitine Supplement
1UP L-Carnitine 3000 is the #1 non-stimulant fat burning energy supplement for men and women looking to help shed unwanted pounds, boost workout performance, and support healthy metabolism.*
It can be taken anytime of day to support bodily carnitine stores and help the body’s natural fat burning mechanisms. 1UP L-Carnitine 3000 can be used standalone and it can be stacked with your favorite pre workout, thermogenic fat burner, or clear protein powder for enhanced performance and results.
References
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
- Askarpour, M., Hadi, A., Miraghajani, M., Symonds, M., Sheikhi, A., & Ghaedi, E. (2019). Beneficial Effects of L-Carnitine Supplementation for Weight Management in Overweight and Obese Adults: An Updated Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Pharmacological Research, 104554. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104554
- Liao, D., Liu, X., Yuan, X., Feng, P., Ouyang, Z., Liu, Y., & Li, C. (2021). Clinical evidence of the effects of carnitine supplementation on body weight, glycemic control and serum lipids in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gynecological Endocrinology, 38(2), 110–115.https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2021.1988559
- Talenezhad N, Mohammadi M, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Salehi-Abargouei A. Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss and body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 randomized controlled clinical trials with dose-response analysis. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020 Jun;37:9-23. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.03.008. Epub 2020 Apr 18. PMID: 32359762.
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1082097/full
- Singh S, Mishra A, Srivastava N, Shukla R, Shukla S. Acetyl-L-Carnitine via Upegulating Dopamine D1 Receptor and Attenuating Microglial Activation Prevents Neuronal Loss and Improves Memory Functions in Parkinsonian Rats. Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Jan;55(1):583-602. doi: 10.1007/s12035-016-0293-5. Epub 2016 Dec 14. PMID: 27975173.
- Kobayashi S, Iwamoto M, Kon K, Waki H, Ando S, Tanaka Y. Acetyl-L-carnitine improves aged brain function. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010 Jul;10 Suppl 1:S99-106. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2010.00595.x. PMID: 20590847.
- Dhitavat, S., Ortiz, D., Shea, T.B. et al. Acetyl-l-Carnitine Protects Against Amyloid-Beta Neurotoxicity: Roles of Oxidative Buffering and ATP Levels. Neurochem Res 27, 501–505 (2002).https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019800703683
- Abolfathi M, Mohd-Yusof BN, Hanipah ZN, Mohd Redzwan S, Yusof LM, Khosroshahi MZ. The effects of carnitine supplementation on clinical characteristics of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Jan;48:102273. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.102273. Epub 2019 Nov 29. PMID: 31987257.
- Fathizadeh H, Milajerdi A, Reiner Ž, Kolahdooz F, Asemi Z. The effects of L-carnitine supplementation on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. EXCLI J. 2019 Aug 19;18:631-643. doi: 10.17179/excli2019-1447. PMID: 31611746; PMCID: PMC6785772.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395614000454?via%3Dihub
- Salas-Huetos A, Rosique-Esteban N, Becerra-Tomás N, Vizmanos B, Bulló M, Salas-Salvadó J. The Effect of Nutrients and Dietary Supplements on Sperm Quality Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Adv Nutr. 2018;9(6):833-848. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy057
- de Ligny W, Smits RM, Mackenzie-Proctor R, et al. Antioxidants for male subfertility. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;5(5):CD007411. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007411.pub5
- El Sharkwy I, Sharaf El-Din M. l-Carnitine plus metformin in clomiphene-resistant obese PCOS women, reproductive and metabolic effects: a randomized clinical trial. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2019;35(8):701-705. doi:10.1080/09513590.2019.1576622
