Carnitine is involved in the processes that allow us to use long-chain fatty acids to obtain energy, therefore it plays a very important role for our body.
Any carnitine deficiency can lead to feeling physically and mentally fatigued but the carnitine deficiency can be easily compensated also by administering supplements.
Index
- Because our body needs carnitine
- Causes and symptoms of carnitine deficiency
- Carnitine: what it is, where it is found and how to integrate it
Because our body needs carnitine
Carnitine is a molecule involved in the metabolism of long-chain fatty acids, thanks to which our body is able to obtain energy from some lipids.
Long-chain fatty acids, introduced into the body through food, are stored in the lipid tissue and mobilized to produce energy in the form of ATP (acronym for Adenosine triphosphate).
The process through which our body can obtain energy from fatty acids is called beta oxidation of fatty acids and takes place in the mitochondria, cellular organelles that represent the body’s energy center.
During beta oxidation, carnitine plays a fundamental role as it allows the passage of long-chain fatty acids from the cytoplasm to the mitochondrial matrix where oxidation occurs and, consequently, the production of ATP.
Possible carnitine deficiencies therefore determine a lower ability of the tissues to use long-chain fatty acids as fuel for metabolic processes.
Causes and symptoms of carnitine deficiency
Any deficiencies in carnitine can occur due to a poor dietary intake, alterations related to the absorption of this molecule in the intestine, or due to renal and hepatic dysfunctions or, again, due to deficiency of the enzymes that are used to synthesize this molecule.
Carnitine deficiency can occur for example in people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, since they may consume few foods of animal origin (or not consume them at all) or, more generally, take up little protein (and therefore few amino acids).
Since carnitine is involved in the use of long-chain fatty acids, the deficiency of this molecule can alter or compromise our body’s ability to derive energy from the fats consumed in the diet and stored in the lipid tissue.
In case of carnitine deficiency, one could perceive greater physical fatigue, excessive mental fatigue and a reduction in attention and memory.
To make up for the lack of carnitine it is possible to intervene by correcting the diet or resorting to the use of food supplements.
Carnitine: what it is, where it is found and how to integrate it
Carnitine is a molecule involved in the metabolism of long-chain fatty acids and can be exogenous or endogenous, therefore produced by our body or taken through food and supplements.
Carnitine was first isolated from a beef extract in 1905 thanks to the work of W. Gulewitsch and R. Krimberg. Subsequently M. Tomita and Y. Sendju identified its chemical structure and today we know that in addition to carnitine, there are two pharmacologically active derivatives: acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine.
From a chemical point of view, carnitine is an amino acid derivative that our body can obtain from two amino acids, lysine and methionine. The process by which the human body produces carnitine is enzymatic and can occur in the liver, kidney and musculoskeletal system.
In addition to endogenous carnitine, carnitine is also found in our body which comes from the diet. Carnitine is in fact present in all foods of animal origin and in some plant foods including avocado and Tempeh.
There are also dietary supplements based on carnitine which, as we have seen, can be administered to compensate for any deficiencies.
The intake of carnitine through supplements and pharmaceutical preparations can be useful to counteract physical and mental fatigue and the feeling of fatigue, as well as to improve cognitive functions such as memory, attention and concentration, and to restore heart function.
On the market there are numerous preparations based on carnitine which can be of animal or plant origin.
The administration of this molecule is safe and free of side effects at the recommended dosages.
