What Do L-Carnitine Supplements Really Do?

Carnitine is another important nutrient that’s abundant in animal foods. Your body produces L-carnitine from the amino acid lysine, and while healthy people are typically able to synthesize enough, certain conditions — like pregnancy — may cause your body’s need for carnitine to exceed its ability to produce it. For this reason, carnitine is considered a conditionally essential nutrient.1

L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine are forms of carnitine found in dietary supplements. While your body abso...