How important are carnitine amino acids? Fun Fact: The human body contains 22 amino acids although two are very rare. It’s important to make sure you’re getting enough of all amino acids including Carnitine. This one is important for fatty acids, brain function, and dietary supplements that are sometimes used for weight loss. The body makes this amino acid using two other aminos, so it’s important for your body to have enough of them as well. The two main types of amino acids are essential and non-essential. Both are important for the body’s functions. However, while essential amino acids (EAAs) must be consumed from foods, non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) is produced naturally by the human body.
It’s important to consume enough carnitine like other amino acids in the body. You can get the highest amount of food like meat, chicken, fish, and milk. You can also get amino acids from food like grains, vegetables, and fruits, although the amount is smaller. As always it’s important to make sure you’re consuming a healthy and well-balanced diet in order to maintain good health and help fight off illness/disease. If you eat high-carnitine foods you can also boost your intake of the amino acid and improve overall health.
What Exactly Is Carnitine?
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of this particular amino acid. L-carnitine is an amino acid that exists in the natural world. The “L” indicates a product that’s made from the original amino acid and is available in a dietary supplement.
There are various functions of this amino acid including improved brain function and weight loss. There are many bold claims made about this amino acid. However, it’s important to check out the scientific studies to find out so you can separate fact from fiction.
Another issue is that it’s important to note that food is always the best source of nutrients. For example, you might be able to get certain health benefits from L-carnitine supplements. However, it’s always best to get the amino acid from real food whenever possible. This, in turn, will help to produce the most health benefits.
It’s critical to note that carnitine is available in both food and supplements. The main function of all macronutrients is to provide the body with energy. L-carnitine also helps with this goal. It makes energy by moving fatty acids to the stuff within human cells known as “mitochondria.”
What are they all about? Think of them as engine cells. They burn fat in order to make energy the body can use. This can help you get through the day whether you’re at work, school, gym, home, and so on.
This amino acid is made from two other amino acids: Methionine and Lysine. It’s critical to make sure you’re getting enough of these aminos in order to ensure you’re also getting enough Carnitine. One of the most effective ways is to eat a healthy/well-balanced diet. This provides you with all the nutrients you need including aminos.
In order to achieve that goal, make sure you’re consuming enough Vitamin C. This vitamin/antioxidant is critical for good health and is needed to produce carnitine.
Health Benefits of Carnitine Amino Acids
Energy
We always need enough energy to get through the day. It turns out all macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) are providing energy. This holds true for carnitine since amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
How does carnitine help provide energy? It does that by moving fatty acids into human cells’ “engines” known as mitochondria. They get burned and turned into energy there. Where is the energy stored? Nearly all of the carnitine (98%) gets stored in muscles.
Heart/Brain Function
These are easily some of the most important organs in the human body. The heart works like an engine and the brain works like a computer. It’s critical to make sure these body parts are working effectively for different reasons. They include one’s day-to-day life.
However, another key factor is anti-aging. This involves fighting off “free radical” molecules that attack healthy cells. Keeping your cells as healthy as possible can help to maintain good health and possibly boost lifespan.
Anti-Aging
Today the anti-aging industry is worth about $50 billion worldwide. Many people are looking for the so-called “Fountain of Youth” in a tablet. However, it turns out that simply eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and sleeping enough sleep are some of the most effective steps you can take.
The amino acid carnitine might help with aging and fighting disease through cell function. Fun Fact: It’s estimated that the human body has over 37 trillion cells. So when these are functioning properly it can have a big effect on your health.
A related issue is we don’t have an unlimited number of body cells. So it’s important to take steps to keep them as healthy as possible. A healthy diet/lifestyle is critical for achieving that goal.
Weight Loss
More research is needed. However, it turns out when fatty acids get turned into energy, this can help to boost fat-burning and weight loss.
Top Foods for Carnitine Aminos
It’s important to note that food is always the best source of nutrients and is a better option than supplements. So when you get carnitine from the food you’re already picking a better overall source. However, you can also build on this foundation by increasing your intake through supplements.
The main issue with supplements is they’re more processed than whole foods. Make sure to pick high-quality supplements to get the best results.
Milk
This has about 2x more of the amino acid than fish. Milk is one of the “complete proteins.” In other words, it contains all 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) that humans must get from food/supplements. Besides milk, there are other healthy dairy products like yogurt, cream, and cheese. Make sure to go with full-fat options for the most nutrients.
Chicken/Fish
These protein sources provide much less of the amino acid versus pork/beef. However, you can still get a good amount of amino acid from poultry and fish. These are protein sources you should consider adding to your diet due to the health benefits. For example, both are a good source of protein and fatty fish are a good source of healthy fat.
Grains/Vegetables/Fruits
While you can get some carnitine from these foods the amount is much lower than animal-sourced foods. Still, since they provide other nutrients you should consider eating these foods for protein, fiber, vitamins/minerals, etc. However, you can also add some amino acids in the process.
Beef/Pork
These red meats are some of the best sources of amino acids. You actually get over 3x more in beef than pork. However, both meats are a good source of carnitine and protein in general. As always it’s important to consider the cooking method as well. It’s better if the foods are cooked through boiling, broiling, baking, grilling, etc. to provide the best source of carnitine amino acids.