Carnitine should be considered a nutritive substance

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Z Ernahrungswiss 1982 Dec;21(4):257-65 and a recipe for albondigas soup.

Study title and author:
Carnitine in human nutrition.
Bach AC.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6758382

The human body needs carnitine to be able to utilize long-chain fatty acids for energy production.
                                                                                                                                          Books:

Bach states that: "A diet rich in meat supplies a lot of carnitine, while vegetables, fruits, and grains furnish relatively little". He also notes "that the diet of the adult human need not necessarily furnish carnitine..... if it is sufficiently rich in lysine and methionine" (found in eggs and fish), and that "carnitine should be considered a nutritive substance".

For mothers with new born he advises: "dietary carnitine is more important during the neonatal period. The transition from fetal to extrauterine life is accompanied by an increased role of lipids in meeting energy needs. This change is accompanied by a rise in the body of the levels of carnitine, which is mainly supplied in the maternal milk".

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Recipe of the day

Albondigas Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup of ground almond
1 pound ground beef                                                                                    Food Mall: Ground Beef

1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 raw egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A dash of cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.

2 Prepare the meatballs. Mixground almond into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.