L-Carnitine Adds Energy

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L-Carnitine Adds Energy

 

 

Provided by HealthNewsDigest.com on 12/24/2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-CARNITINE NOW ADDING ENERGY TO FUNCTIONAL FOODS

Research Panel Announces L-Carnitine Is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)

FAIR LAWN, NJ (HealthNewsDigest.com)... Consumers are more knowledgeable than

ever about the function that their food plays in their health. Also known as

functional foods, items that offer a health benefit above and beyond their core

nutritional value have become very important to todays shopper. In fact, the

tenth annual Prevention magazine survey showed that more than three-quarters of

people surveyed (78 percent) buy foods fortified with vitamins and minerals.1

Ensuring safe and healthful ingredients is the driver for manufacturers in

selling functional fortified foods; this is where GRAS status comes into play.2

Any substance added to food products is subject to pre-market approval by the

Food and Drug Administration, unless its use has been generally recognized as

safe by qualified experts.3 The vitamin-like nutrient L-Carnitine

(ehl-car-nih-teen) is among the latest reviewed by an expert panel of scientists

and approved as safe for use in specific foods as a dietary source of the

nutrient.

What is L-Carnitine?

L-Carnitine is known as the -energy nutrient.- Healthy individuals generate it

in small amounts on their own and it can be found in food sources such as red

meats, lamb, venison and beef. There are, however, many people who limit these

food sources in their diet.

L-Carnitine Is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)

What does L-Carnitine do?

The primary role of L-Carnitine within the body is to facilitate energy

production from fat. L-Carnitine shuttles fatty acids into the mitochondria, the

powerhouse of the cell, where the fatty acids and other nutrients are broken

down or burned for energy. Thus, L-Carnitine is essential for the production of

energy from fat and several bodily functions may therefore be improved with a

healthy supply of the nutrient.

Why enrich foods with L-Carnitine?

The GRAS approval means food manufacturers can safely add L-Carnitine to energy

beverages, fruit juices, fruit-flavored drinks, nectars, protein bars and

supplements, health bars, (including breakfast, meal replacement, granola and

energy bars), meal replacements, herbal teas, imitation and soy milk, and

carbonated soft drinks. Enrichment permits up to 250 mg of L-Carnitine per

serving, which typically resembles the amount generally found in the diet.

There are several good reasons for adding L-Carnitine to foods. There are two

groups who may be particularly limited in their dietary intake of L-Carnitine

including those who strive to eat less saturated fat and therefore smaller

quantities of L-Carnitine-rich foods and those who follow a vegetarian diet. In

many cases, an enriched food source of the nutrient may be appropriate to help

close the gap.

Enriching healthful food choices with L-Carnitine also gives people an

alternative option to the already popular supplemental/pill form of L-Carnitine.

Brand name products that already feature L-Carnitine include SoBe energy juice

drinks and Hansens energy drinks.

L-Carnitine and dietary supplements

L-Carnitine is a very popular ingredient in dietary supplements, in the form of

tablets, capsules, liquid concentrates, powders and more recently, in beverages

and energy bars. In the current regulatory environment in the U.S., dietary

supplement ingredients, such as L-Carnitine, do not need GRAS

L-Carnitine Is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) 3

status or food additive approval. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on the

L-Carnitine doses allowed in supplements, as long as the dose used is safe.

Consequently, as compared to the levels permitted in conventional foods, higher

doses of L-Carnitine can be used in dietary supplements.

Why add L-Carnitine to dietary supplements?

In part, the rationale for adding L-Carnitine to dietary supplements is similar

to that outlined for conventional foods supplementing the typical American and

vegetarian diet, which may otherwise be at risk of reduced dietary intake of the

nutrient. In addition, extensive clinical research indicates that higher doses

of L-Carnitine, above levels normally obtained in the diet, confer additional

health benefits (i.e., helping maintain cardiovascular health, enhancing

exercise performance and post-exercise recovery and promoting a healthy weight

when combined with a balanced diet and exercise regimen). 5,6,7

Growing Awareness

A recent Multi-sponsors Survey showed that awareness among Americans has

increased from four to eight percent over the past year.8 The largest increases

were seen among women, college graduates, people in the western U.S. and those

dieting for health reasons; nearly half of survey respondents said they are

aware of the positive versatile applications of the nutrient.

Thirteen percent of adults aware of L-Carnitine associate it with a healthy

cardiovascular system, 11 percent with weight management/weight loss and 10

percent with increasing energy levels.

The increase in awareness may be due in large part to the growing base of

research, new L-Carnitine product introductions and increased media reporting

about the health benefits of the nutrient.

L-Carnitine Is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) 4

Lonza, Inc. founded the L-Carnitine InfoCenter to provide credible and reliable

information on

L-Carnitine for health professionals, educators and communicators. Lonza

manufactures pharmaceutical grade L-Carnitine, approved by an expert panel as

Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). Additional information can be found in the

Human Nutrition center at www.carnitine.com.

 

 

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