Increasing carnitine consumption around the world these days is merely part and parcel of the never-ceasing drive to live a healthy life. We can’t blame the common person: he or she reads the news regarding the recent findings about carnitine benefits, and as sure as we’re standing here, he or she will head out for the nearest carnitine supplements store to get bottles and bottles of this substance. But is this current frenzy justifiable?
One of the major reasons why people consume carnitine supplements is to help them achieve their weight loss goals: as stated in research studies, carnitine aids the body by enhancing metabolism (and thereby speeding up the burning of fat). Such an overall effect is already good for people who normally lead generally sedentary lives (such as those who work at an office cubicle), but imagine how carnitine benefits exponentially grows when you use the supplement to compliment an already well-designed exercise regimen. The positive health effect can be astounding.
Recently, a couple of friends tried out this whole carnitine fad. One is a real estate agent who is often running around town speaking with clients or real estate sellers. The other is an accountant who spends her days crunching numbers and typing data into the computer. Both are middle-aged women. Upon learning about carnitine benefits to health and as an aid in losing weight, these two begin taking capsules of the more expensive form of carnitine, which is acetyl carnitine. After a few months, the real estate agent significantly lost about 30 pounds, and she attributes this achievement to the carnitine supplementation. The other one, however, almost did not lose any and at times even gained a pound or two. So where is the rub?
The fact is, carnitine is not an active cure-all—it merely exists to help us out. As we have always said in the past, taking or ingesting the substance in supplement form by itself is only winning half the battle—the other half means you will still have to work on it. And you have to work on it hard. Like most things in life, success in this area excludes the taking of a short cut.
The problem, however, is that health shops or those who sell carnitine do not actually quiz you or screen you concerning your use of the substance. They’re just too happy to make the sale, and for good reason: while the normal or more popular form of carnitine (L carnitine) is fairly average in cost, the acetylated (and presumably better absorbed) form (acetyl carnitine) costs more. And of course you are not making a one-time purchase—this is something you will have to consume for months in order to have any significant positive effect. Therefore, each sale is supposedly the beginning of repeat sales.
Therefore, the next time you rap on the counter to purchase a bottle of carnitine, make sure you understand completely what you are getting into.
