L-carnitine reduces the risk of death by 27% in heart attack victims

This paper was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2013 Apr 15. pii: S0025-6196(13)00127-4

 

Study title and authors:

L-Carnitine in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Dinicolantonio JJ, Lavie CJ, Fares H, Menezes AR, O'Keefe JH.

Wegmans Pharmacy, Ithaca, NY. Electronic address: jjdinicol@gmail.com.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23597877

This paper evaluated the effects of L-carnitine compared with placebo or control subjects on heart health and death rates in patients who had had a heart attack. The paper was a  meta-analysis of 13 controlled trials which included 3,629 subjects.

The analysis found:
(a) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 27% reduction in all-cause death rates.
(b) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 65% reduction in ventricular arrhythmias (life threatening abnormal rapid heart rhythms).
(c) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 40% reduction in the development of angina.
(d) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 15% reduction in heart failure.
(e) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 22% reduction in myocardial reinfarction (recurrence of heart attack).

This study reveals that L-carnitine is associated with a reduction in death rates in heart attack victims.

The richest food sources of L-carnitine are beef, lamb and pork (beef contains 81 mg per serving). Foods of plant origin have little or no L-carnitine, (avocados are one of the highest at 2 mg per serving).

Red meat as a treatment for heart failure, angina and weight loss

This paper was published in Current Drug Metabolism Volume 12, Number 7, September 2011 , pp. 667-678(12)

Study title and authors:

L-Carnitine - Metabolic Functions and Meaning in Humans Life.

Pękala J, Patkowska-Sokoła B, Bodkowski R, Jamroz D, Nowakowski P, Lochyński S, Librowski T.

Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland. stanislaw.lochynski@pwr.wroc.pl.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21561431

In this review Pekala notes:
(a) L-carnitine is used for energy production by the human body.
(b) L-carnitine has been proposed as a treatment for many conditions, i.e. heart failure, angina and weight loss.
(c) Red meats, such as beef and lamb, are the best choices for adding carnitine into the diet. However good carnitine sources also include fish, poultry and milk.

Red meat may help people with intermittent claudication walk for longer and with less pain

This study was published in Circulation 1988 Vol 77, 767-773

Study title and authors:
Increases in walking distance in patients with peripheral vascular disease treated with L-carnitine: a double-blind, cross-over study
G Brevetti, M Chiariello, G Ferulano, A Policicchio, E Nevola, A Rossini, T Attisano, G Ambrosio, N Siliprandi and C Angelini
Department of Medicine, Second Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.

This study can be accessed at: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/77/4/767.full.pdf+html

The study evaluated the effects of L-carnitine in 20 patients with peripheral vascular disease.

The patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo or L- carnitine for a period of 3 weeks and were then crossed over to the other treatment for an additional 3 weeks. The effect on walking distance at the end of each treatment period was measured by treadmill test.

The study found:
(a) When assigned to placebo walking distance by patients was 174 meters.
(b) When assigned to L-carnitine walking distance by patients was 306 meters.
(c) Patients assigned to L-carnitine had fewer symptoms of "pins and needles", were less tired, and had less pain during walking compared to patients on placebo.
(d) Patients assigned to placebo had more lactate in their blood after exercise compared to patients assigned to L-carnitine. (Exccess lactate may lead to a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching body tissues).

The study demonstrated that L-carnitine, improved the walking capacity of patients with intermittent claudication.

Animal products like meat, fish, poultry, and milk are the best sources of carnitine. In general, the redder the meat, the higher its carnitine content. E.g. In 4 ounces of Beef steak there are 56-162 milligrams of carnitine, 1 cup of whole milk yields 8 milligams and chicken breast provides 3-5 milligams per 4 ounces. Conversely plant foods are poor providers of carnitine; 2 slices of whole-wheat bread only have 0.2 milligrams and 1/2 cup of asparagus yields just 0.1 milligrams.                                         

High fat diets boost the level of the crucial amino acid, carnitine

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol 45, 725-729 and a recipe for Puerto Rican beef.

Study title and author:
Effect of diet on plasma carnitine levels and urinary carnitine excretion in humans
G Cederblad

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ajcn.org/content/45/4/725.abstract

Books:

Carnitine has been shown to improve heart function and helps to treat peripheral arterial disease. Cederblad also notes that carnitine is essential for human energy production and can remove excess toxins from the cells.

The study examined the effects on carnitine levels in healthy men of either a high carbohydrate/low fat diet or a low carbohydrate/high fat diet. The two regimens contained the same amount of carnitine-rich food.

The study found:
(a) Carnitine levels increased significantly from the initial value on the low carbohydrate/high fat diet.
(b) Carnitine levels were significantly higher from day 3 on the low carbohydrate/high fat diet than the high carbohydrate/low fat diet.

The reasons that carnitine levels were higher in the low carbohydrate/high fat diet as compared to the high carbohydrate/low fat diet may have been:
(i) Absorption of dietary carnitine was increased by the high-fat diet.
(ii) Extra carnitine may have been synthesized by the body as a result of the high fat diet.

To conclude: Blood levels of the crucial amino-acid, carnitine, rose significantly in men following a low carbohydrate/high fat diet, while no change in carnitine levels were observed in individuals on a high carbohydrate/low fat diet.

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Recipe of the day

Puerto Rican Beef

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Ground Beef

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 bunch kale chopped
1 white onion sliced
1/2 of a green, red, and yellow bell pepper sliced
1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
3 sweet potatoes
1 ripe avocado

Instructions:
In a large skillet brown the ground beef. Add the bell peppers, onions, and olive oil and saute until the onions and peppers are tender. Add all of the spices and mix well. Add the kale and green olives, continue cooking stirring often until the kale is tender (about 4-5 minutes. Serve over mashed sweet potatoes with a side of sliced avocado. To quickly prepare the sweet potatoes, peel and quarter the potatoes and cook in a pressure cooker for 12 -14 minutes.

Puerto Rican Beef



Carnitine helps to improve heart function

This post contains a synopsis of a paper published in Giornale Italiano di Cardiologia (Roma) 2010 Sep;11(9):703-5 and a recipe for chicken lettuce wraps.

Study title and authors:
The "big heart" of carnitine
Gesuete V, Ragni L, Picchio FM.
U.O. di Cardiologia Pediatrica e dell'Età Evolutiva, Università degli Studi, Bologna. valegesuete@hotmail.it

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21348188

Gesuete notes that:
(i) fat is the primary energy source for heart muscle.
(ii) carnitine is essential for the heart and even partial deficiency could lead to organ dysfunction.
(iii) carnitine deficiency in children may lead to heart muscle disease.

Books:

Gesuete reports the case of a female infant referred to hospital at the age of 15 months with a 2-week history of dyspnea (shortness of breath & difficulty in breathing). The infant showed signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure.

Investigations showed the child had an enlarged heart and decreased heart function. Tests revealed a deficiency in carnitine.

She was treated with L-carnitine and her heart function clearly and rapidly improved while on treatment.

Meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products are the richest sources of L-carnitine, while fruits, vegetables, and grains contain relatively little L-carnitine.

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Recipe of the day

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
◦3 T oil of your choice

◦1 lb. chicken breasts or ground chicken

Food Mall: Ground Chicken

◦4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, chopped

◦1/2 onion diced

◦3 cloves garlic, minced
◦2 green onions, finely chopped
◦handful of cilantro, chopped
◦1 lemon, juiced
◦1/4 c fermented soy sauce
◦1 t chili garlic sauce
◦iceberg or bibb lettuce
◦1 avocado, sliced

Method:
Heat a saute pan with 2 T oil. Cut the chicken into the smallest pieces possible and add the pan. Don’t worry about overcrowding the pan, the chicken doesn’t need to brown, just cook it until it’s done all the way through.

While the chicken is cooking, add the lemon juice, chili sauce, fermented soy sauce, green onions and cilantro into a serving bowl.

Once the chicken is done, add it the bowl.

Add a few more glugs of oil to the saute pan and toss in the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl. Toss everything around to coat.

Remove the stem of your lettuce head with a knife (if you’re using iceberg, slice the head in 1/2, lengthwise). Peel the lettuce into individual “cups” and wash.

Pile the chicken into your lettuce cups and top with avocado.



Carnitine helps to treat peripheral arterial disease

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Clinical Drug Investigation Volume 21, Number 8, 1 August 2001 , pp. 555-561(7) and a recipe for New England chuck roast.

Study title and authors:
Efficacy of L-Propionyl Carnitine in the Treatment of Chronic Critical Limb Ischaemia

Authors: Signorelli S.S.1; Di Pino L.1; Costa M.P.1; Digrandi D.1; Pennisi G.1; Marchese G.1

Books:

1: Istituto di Medicina Interna ‘A. Francaviglia’, Servizio Autonomo di Angiologia Medica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/adis/cdi/2001/00000021/00000008/art00004
 
The objective of the study was to compare the therapeutic benefits of L-propionyl carnitine (LPC) with those of pentoxifylline in the clinical treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication.
 
The study found that both carnitine and pentoxifylline (Trental) relieved peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication symptoms, however:
(a) those taking the carnitine could walk a longer pain free distance than those taking pentoxifylline.
(b) those taking the carnitine had less pain than those taking pentoxifylline.
(c) ulcers decreased more with those taking the carnitine compared with those taking pentoxifylline.

Meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products are the richest sources of L-carnitine. Grains, fruits, and vegetables contain little or no carnitine.

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Recipe of the day

New England Chuck Roast

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Chuck Beef Roast

3 lb chuck beef roast

1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 onion -- cut into quarters
4 carrot -- cut into quarters
1 celery -- cut into eight chuncks
1 bay leaf
5 c water
1 sm cabbage -- cut into wedges

Instructions:
Sprinkle meat with seasonings. Place onions, carrots, and celery in crockpot. Top with meat. Add bay leaf, and water. Cover pot and cook on low 5-7 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat, turn on high. Add cabbage wedges, cover and cook on high 15-20 minutes or until cabbage is done.

Chuck Roast