Your Body Needs Carnitine.
Here’s Why
Carnitine is essential for good health.
Carnitine is an important nutrient that your body needs to stay healthy.
Fat in the diet is a key source of fuel for metabolism. But some common forms of fat, known as long-chain fatty acids, need help getting into the mitochondria.
Carnitine plays a vital role in metabolism, which is the process your body uses to convert food into energy. Cells must produce energy to survive and do their jobs.
Carnitine acts like a “shuttle” by guiding long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are used to produce energy. Cells in your muscles, heart and liver need carnitine, in particular.
Every cell has a “powerhouse” known as the mitochondria. That’s where it burns fuel from food to generate energy.
Carnitine also plays the role of scavenger by helping to eliminate byproducts of metabolism.1
Where does carnitine come from?
Find out what happens if your carnitine levels are too low.
Sources
- Longo N, Frigeni M, Pasquali M. Carnitine Transport and Fatty Acid Oxidation. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016;1863(10):2422-2435. doi:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2016.01.023
- Dahash BA. Carnitine Deficiency. StatPearls [Internet]. Updated August 7, 2023. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559041/.