Abstract
L-carnitine is a very popular food supplement due to its safety profile, antioxidant-type activity and suggested effects on energy metabolism pathways. L-carnitine participates in both fatty acid transport pathways and the export of acetyl groups out of the mitochondria. However, contradictory data exist concerning the pharmacological outcomes of L-carnitine treatment in diabetes mellitus, which is a highly prevalent metabolic disease characterised by hyperglycemia and associated with severe complications, including cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia. Recently, the L-carnitine-derived metabolites, acylcarnitines and trimethylamine-N-oxide, have been associated with increased cardio-metabolic risks. This review aims to highlight the possible risks and benefits of L-carnitine supplementation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 95-100 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes |
| Volume | 123 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords*
- diabetes
- food supplement
- L-carnitine
Field of Science*
- 3.1 Basic medicine
Publication Type*
- 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database
