What is it?
L-carnitine, also known as levocarnitine, is an amino acid-like compound that plays an important role in helping break down fatty acids for use as energy.
L-carnitine is commonly taken for a variety of health conditions such as heart, kidney and liver disease.
How does it help improve / prevent me from getting arthritis?
L-carnitine is a powerful antioxidant.
Antioxidants inactivate harmful free radicals in your body which can cause disease.
Free radicals are constantly being formed in your body through processes like exercise or inflammation. You may also be exposed to free radicals in the environment from sources such as cigarette smoke and pesticides.
The exact role of free radicals in arthritis is not fully understood.
It is thought that free radicals damage or kill chondrocytes, the cells responsible for making sure joint cartilage remains healthy.
L-carnitine has been shown to significantly improve body mass index (BMI) when combined with low calorie diets.
L-carnitine has also been shown to inhibit metalloproteinases (MMPs), proteins involved in the destruction of cartilage.
Am I getting this already from my diet?
L-carnitine is produced by your body, but you can also obtain small amounts by eating animal products like meat or fish.
Vegetarians, vegans or people with certain genetic issues may be unable to produce or obtain enough L-carnitine.
Most people do not produce or consume enough L-carnitine to be beneficial for arthritis.
Has it been tested?
- A 2017 analysis comparing 20 natural supplements for osteoarthritis found that L-carnitine had a large effect in reducing pain in the short term (≤3 months)
- A 2020 analysis comparing 33 natural supplements for osteoarthritis found that short term (<10 months) supplementation with L-carnitine led to significant improvements in pain, stiffness and physical function in patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis
We only use the best available evidence in our analysis. Click here to learn more.
How much do I need to take?
Clinical trials have studied taking 750-1000 mg/day of L-carnitine for 8-12 weeks.
In some cases, L-carnitine has been shown to decrease pain and/or disability in fewer than 10 weeks of supplementation.
Does it have any side effects?
In clinical studies, no major side effects have been found when taking L-carnitine.
However, those with hypothyroidism or a history of seizures may need to take special precautions when taking L-carnitine.
As with any supplement, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider before adding L-carnitine to your diet.
Is there anything else I need to know?
L-carnitine supplements are popular in the athletic community for their fat burning properties and their ability to improve fatigue, muscle soreness and recovery.
L-carnitine supplements synthesized in a laboratory are vegan since they aren’t obtained from an animal source and contain no animal by-products.
Avoid using D-carnitine and DL-carnitine as these forms might block the effects of L-carnitine and cause loss of muscle tone or muscle weakness
Where is the best place to buy L-carnitine?
For the UK & EU, our L-carnitine product recommendation is ‘Acetyl L-carnitine’ from simplysupplements.com – each tablet contains 500mg of high-strength vegan L-carnitine! We recommend taking 1-2 tablets daily for at least 10 weeks.
For the USA, our L-carnitine product recommendation is ‘ L-carnitine 500mg’ from NOW supplements – each tablet contains 500mg of high-strength L-carnitine! We recommend taking 1-2 tablets daily for at least 10 weeks.
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