Why are People Adding L-Carnitine to Their Coffee?
L-Carnitine is one of the latest trends in supplementing your daily cup of coffee. This article will go over precisely what L-Carnitine is, how it’s used in coffee and the alleged health benefits.
If you are an avid coffee drinker, you have probably heard of people adding supplements or other things to their coffee. At coffee stores, you might have even seen things that can be added to coffee that are advertised to have added health benefits. L-Carnitine may be one of them.
L-Carnitine is found naturally in some foods, but as a supplement, it is isolated to enhance its effects. Taking it as a supplement makes it much more powerful than simply eating food that it might be found in. So what exactly is it?
What Exactly Is L-Carnitine?
L-Carnitine is a molecule found naturally in your body. Some people are wary about adding L-Carnitine to their bodies because they have it confused with D-Carnitine which is toxic and should never be consumed in your coffee.
L-Carnitine can be completely isolated from D-Carnitine though which a zero prevents the chance of them being cross-contaminated. L-Carnitine can only be found in animals, but there are manufacturers and companies that make it vegan so that’s suitable for all people.
Unlike Vitamin A and Vitamin C, L-Carnitine is conditionally essential for health and not absolutely essential. This is because your body usually makes enough of it on its own. However, your body may benefit from having extra food and supplements.
Some studies have shown that L-Carnitine is important for heart and brain function. It’s also said to help you with muscle movement.
Benefits of L-Carnitine
There are only two primary FDA-approved supplements when it comes to L-Carnitine. In rare cases, people might have an L-Carnitine deficiency which means they will need to take supplements to get more of it into their body at higher doses. L-Carnitine deficiencies usually stem from a genetic disorder.
L-Carnitine can also be used to treat certain kinds of kidney disease side effects- not the kidney disease itself. Patients on hemodialysis often have some of their L-Carnitine removed and need to take supplements.
There are some health benefits that L-Carnitine claims to give. However, L-Carnitine has not been approved as a medical treatment for any condition. Studies and evidence are also limited. Consider talking to a doctor or medical professional if you want to use L-Carnitine to treat a specific health issue.
Here are some health benefits that studies have shown L-Carnitine to have:
Helps with Chest Pain
Since some forms of exercise cause chest pain, people take L-Carnitine before they work out to help reduce chest discomfort and to help improve exercise performance.
Congestive Heart Failure
L-Carnitine and coenzyme Q10 have been shown to be able to reduce the effects of congestive heart failure as well as improve your ability to exercise better if you have this heart condition.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PCOS can cause many issues for women when they are on their menstrual cycle or when they are trying to conceive. Additional L-Carnitine is given to some women who are trying to conceive and are having trouble.
Myocarditis
Myocarditis can cause inflammation and swelling of the heart. Some doctors prescribe L-Carnitine along with other medications to reduce the risk of death and to ensure the condition does not get worse.
Kidney Diseases
L-Carnitine is approved by the FDA to be given to kidney disease patients through an IV. There have not been studies done on the effects of supplements on kidney disease though. Some people believe that supplements can also work so they take them. More studies need to be done to know for sure though.
Why Add it to Coffee?
The main reason people are adding it to coffee is that they want one of the health benefits that it claims to give. Since extra L-Carnitine can only be given through injections and supplements, many people add it to their morning coffee to avoid having to use needles.
L-Carnitine is more useful when added to the body in the morning which is why people add it to their morning coffee rather than their nighttime tea or mid-day drink. Taking it with your coffee means it will be available all day to give you more energy.
Coffee has caffeine which gives you energy, but some people might also experience jitters or nervousness from drinking coffee. L-Carnitine can stabilize the caffeine which allows your body to have more energy but without anxiety or jitters.
There is also some evidence that says L-Carnitine can help you lose weight. This is because L-Carnitine takes energy from the fat you have stored in your body which allows you to gradually lose weight over time.
Some studies have also shown that L-Carnitine works more efficiently when introduced into the body in smaller amounts. If this is true, sipping it in your coffee is better than taking a large dose of a supplement.
L-Carnitine has promising effects when it comes to many things that people want including burning fat and more energy. It’s no wonder why so many people are adding it to their morning coffee to see if they can get some of the benefits that's advertised.
How to Add L-Carnitine to Your Coffee
If you want to add L-Carnitine to your coffee, it’s best if you buy it in powder form. Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the container and do not add more than the recommended dose to your coffee.
If you are doing it to perform exercise performance, make sure to take it about an hour before you want to work out.
Many companies have flavored and unflavored varieties of L-Carnitine powder depending on your taste preferences.
Parting Thoughts
Adding L-Carnitine to coffee has become popular with all the health benefits that it advertises. You can buy it in supplement powder form and add it to your morning coffee to see if any of the benefits work for you. Make sure to always check with your doctor if you have any questions.
