This well-kept secret of gym junkies is getting trendy – Healthista’s Nutritional Director Rick Hay explains how carnitine can help you lose weight
Healthy foods, snacks and drinks have exploded on to the market and it’s left us feeling spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding what non-artificial energy bar or detox tea we are going to try next.
But how much do we know about trendy ingredients really? This is why we asked Healthista’s Nutritional Director Rick Hay to fill in the blanks on the most confusing super-nutrients of the moment. Today, he’s covering carnitine.
Rick Hay says: ‘Carnitine is generally used for fat burning and energy production. It is an amino acid which has been used in the sports world for many decades now.’
Carnitine can be manufactured in the body from dietary sources, especially animal-derived foods. However, people take it because they may not eat meat or they have stubborn fat stores and are looking for a metabolism booster.
It can be beneficial for those looking to lose weight, as it moves more fatty acids into your cells to be burned for energy. It therefore plays a critical role in energy production because it transports long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria (the powerhouses in all our cells where energy is produced) so they can be oxidized or ‘burned’ to create energy.
Carnitine may additionally have benefits for brain function; some studies suggest that taking carnitine daily helps reverse the decline in brain function associated with Alzheimer’s and other brain related diseases.
Carnitine comes in powder, capsule or tablet form and is best taken before a workout.
Rick Hay is an Anti-Ageing and Fitness Nutritionist with many years clinical experience in nutrition, naturopathy, botanical medicine and iridology. He specializes in obesity treatment and weight management. He writes a regular Natural Health and Fitness Blog for Healthista. Find out more at rickhay.co.uk. Follow Rick on Twitter @rickhayuk
Rick Hays book the Anti Ageing Food and Fitness Plan is available to buy on Amazon.
More from Rick Hay:
Anti Ageing Fitness Plan: Week 6
5 foods to keep your body young
5 foods to eat when you’re frantic
10 pre-exercise snacks that WON’T ruin your diet
FOOD is seven a day the new five a day?
HOW TO Choose a protein powder
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
