Super L-Carnitine


$29.99

Each tablespoon (15cc) of Super L-Carnitine Formula contains:
L-Carnitine 500 mg
Pyridoxine HCI 5 MG
Chromium Polynicotinate 50 mcg

Carnitine is similar to choline and a close cousin to the amino acids. However, unlike amino acids, L-carnitine is not used for protein synthesis. Carnitine was given "B vitamin" status because it has characteristics of the B-complex group (it contains nitrogen and is highly water-soluble). Additionally, carnitine is not a vitamin since it can be biosynthesized. {Note: A vitamin by definition is a substance, which is essential to the body but cannot be produced by the body and must therefore be obtained in the diet}. Carnitine, like many biological molecules, is available in two forms: L-carnitine and DL-carnitine. These two forms, or isomers, are mirror images of each other. However, only the L-isomer is physiologically effective. DL-carnitine is a competitive inhibitor of L-carnitine in several metabolic processes. Only L-carnitine is found in natural foods (see "Dietary Sources of Carnitine").

Origin and Biosynthesis
Carnitine was first isolated in 1905. Researchers, however, have just recently discovered L-carnitine's extensive metabolic attributes and its nutritional importance.

L-carnitine is a nonessential nutrient, however it can only be manufactured in the presence of methionine, lysine, vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, and iron. The nutritional status of the individual, therefore, greatly influences the body's ability to manufacture carnitine. The primary function of carnitine is to facilitate the transport of fatty acids from the cell's cytoplasm across the mitochondrial membrane to the interior of the mitochondria where oxidation occurs. Without carnitine as a carrier, the fatty acids are unable to penetrate the membrane of the mitochondria which results in a decreased rate of fat utilization and energy. L-carnitine also helps to remove the by-products of fatty acid metabolism and other toxic compounds from within the cells.

Exogenous carnitine can be obtained in one of two ways:
1. L-carnitine is normally obtained from dietary sources. Foods derived from animals are generally rich in L-carnitine, whereas plant foods and vegetables contain little or none. Meat is by far the richest source of L-Carnitine as is demonstrated on the following list:
Total Content of L-Carnitine mg / 100 grams Raw Food *A vegetarian diet is typically low in L-carnitine and in the amino acids needed for its biosynthesis (Llysine and L-methionine).

2. L-carnitine can also be obtained through dietary supplementation. Supplemental Lcarnitine is usually available in a concentrated liquid form, or as part of a lipotropic complex (dosages may vary).

Supplemental L-Carnitine and Athletic Performance
The results of recent research demonstrates the beneficial effects of supplemental L-carnitine when used prior to strenuous physical activity. In a pilot study involving college students, subjects receiving 300 mg doses of L-carnitine experienced dramatic increases in aerobic capacity as determined by the MaxVO2 (maximal volume of oxygen consumed).

L-Carnitine and Cardiovascular Disease
As previously mentioned, L-carnitine's primary role in the body is to transport fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane for beta oxidation. The ability of Lcarnitine to improve blood lipid profiles (LDL/HDL) is pronounced.

For example: When given to subjects suffering from hyperlipidemia, 900 mg per day of supplemental L-carnitine reduced blood triglycerides from an initial value of 440 mg/dl to 186 mg/dl after eight weeks of treatment.

Treating individuals with Type II and Type IV hyperlipoproteinemia with three grams of supplemental L-carnitine per day for 40 days resulted in substantial decreases in plasma triglycerides as well as a decrease in the ratio of total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol.

L-Carnitine has also been shown to significantly lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol in individuals receiving hemodialysis (the process of removing blood for purification before returning it to the body). Additionally, L-Carnitine has been shown to reduce free fatty acid levels in the arteries by two to three fold.

L-Carnitine Side Effects and Toxicity
Carnitine is completely safe, with the possible exception of mild diarrhea at very high doses. The Life Sciences Research Office of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), under contract with the Bureau of Foods at the Food and Drug Administration, published a comprehensive review entitled "Health Effects of Dietary Carnitine" in 1983. They reported that in studies where 1 to 15 grams of L-carnitine were given as a normal supplement, the only side-effect was transient diarrhea. [NOTE: Large amounts of most substances will induce diarrhea due to an increase in osmotic pressure in the bowel].

The lethal dosage of carnitine in mice has been determined to be 8.9 grams per kilogram body weight when given by subcutaneous injection (under the skin). For a 60 kilogram person, this would be equal to approximately 540 grams, or well over one pound! No oral lethal dosage has ever been reported. This may be contrasted to aspirin, whose oral lethal dosage in mice is 1.1 gram per kilogram body weight. In humans, the oral consumption of 20 grams of aspirin is potentially lethal. Carnitine, therefore, is not only safer than aspirin, it is in fact one of the least toxic substances on earth.

Suggested use: Take one (1) tablespoon for every 45 kg (100 lbs.) of body weight. Total dosage to be split before and after each exercise session. Use Super L- Carnitine in conjunction with a lipotropic formula.