L-Carnitine and Fat Loss: the Truth

L-Carnitine has been marketed for years as a weight loss (fat burning) supplement.  I remember seeing ads for it in bodybuilding magazines back in the 80's.

Here are the facts:

L-Carnitine is a nutrient the body uses to metabolize fat.  It is crucial in trasnporting fatty acids to cells, where they can be used as fuel.


Sounds great so far, right?

But there are a few things to consider:

1.  Our bodies naturally extract all the L-Carnitine we need from our diet (dairy, meat, fish, poultry, etc).
2.  Unless one is deficient in this nutrient (due to disease, etc), there are no proven health benefits to supplementing L-Carnitine.  The body simply excretes the excess (translation: expensive urine). 
3.  There is no scientific evidence to prove L-Carnitine helps with weight loss.
4.  Many of the "diet drinks" which contain this amino acid are loaded with sugar!

Conclusion:  L-Carnitine supplementation isn't necessary or helpful for fat loss. 

If you are really looking to lose fat I'd recommend a diet and exercise program like Truth About Abs.

References:

University of Maryland Medical Center

Vanderbuilt University: L-Carnitine