In contrast, a vegan diet provides about 1.2 mg carnitine. A typical omnivorous diet provides about 24 to 145 mg carnitine daily for a person weighing 165 pounds. Foods of animal origin provide most of the carnitine in American diets. The body needs about 15 mg/day of carnitine from a combination of dietary sources and endogenous synthesis. Excess plasma carnitine is excreted in urine. Most of the remainder is stored in the liver and kidney, and circulating plasma contains only about 0.5% of the body’s carnitine. About 95% of total body carnitine is stored in heart and skeletal muscle. Ĭarnitine is concentrated in tissues that oxidize fatty acids as a dietary fuel. Carnitine also helps transport some toxic compounds out of the mitochondria. It is an essential cofactor that helps transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria so that they can be oxidized to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Ĭarnitine plays a critical role in energy production. Carnitine is a conditionally essential nutrient because the requirements for carnitine exceed an individual’s ability to synthesize this nutrient only under certain conditions (e.g., premature birth or kidney disfunction). Carnitine is also synthesized endogenously in the liver, kidneys, and brain from the amino acids lysine and methionine. Carnitine is naturally present in many foods-especially foods of animal origin-and is available as a dietary supplement. IntroductionĬarnitine, derived from an amino acid, is the generic term for several compounds, including L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, and propionyl-L-carnitine. For a general overview of Carnitine, see our consumer fact sheet on Carnitine. This is a fact sheet intended for health professionals.

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