Since Dr. Ximu recommended L-carnitine, a weight-loss nutrient, on Hunan TV's "Encyclopedia of Everything" program, L-carnitine for weight loss has become a hot topic. Everyone is asking: Is L-carnitine effective for weight loss? How effective is L-carnitine for weight loss? What are the side effects of L-carnitine? Many beauty-conscious women have taken advantage of this trend and purchased weight-loss products containing L-carnitine. Below, the editors at Aimei.com will analyze whether L-carnitine is as miraculous as claimed, tell you about its side effects, and teach you precautions for using L-carnitine for weight loss, based on user experiences and collected information.
L-carnitine is an amino acid widely distributed in the liver, especially in the heart and skeletal muscles. Most of the carnitine required by the body comes from meat and dairy products in the diet. In addition, the body can synthesize some from lysine and methionine. L-carnitine is also required for the synthesis of substances such as vitamin C, B6, and niacin.
L-carnitine can burn excess body fat for energy. It can reduce weight and body fat content, thus having a weight loss effect. If the body lacks L-carnitine, it will cause fatty acid metabolism disorder, leading to two consequences. (1) It will cause insufficient energy supply to muscles, resulting in muscle fatigue and related heart diseases; (2) It will cause lipids to accumulate in muscle fibers and liver, resulting in obesity, fatty liver and other diseases. Obese people who do not exercise enough can consume the fatty acids accumulated in their bodies by regularly supplementing with L-carnitine and maintaining exercise, thus achieving the effect of weight loss.
Why should we consume L-carnitine?
L-carnitine is not found in fruits, vegetables, or other plants, so strict vegetarians are deficient in it. L-carnitine is found in the mitochondria of muscle cells and plays a fundamental role in the process of oxidizing fatty acids into ATP for energy. L-carnitine promotes ketone production, which conserves glucose, glycogen, and protein, thus preventing muscle degradation. L-carnitine secretion varies with exercise intensity. During high-intensity training, it helps protect the body from the adverse effects of hyperammonemia. While L-carnitine alone may not help reduce fat, it can affect the body's fat metabolism, causing fat to be burned at a rate greater than muscle loss, and increasing endurance during dieting.
