WHEN it was first discovered in muscle extracts in 1905, scientists called it L-carnitine, as carnis means flesh, or meat, in Latin. Due to its chemical structure that is similar to choline, one of the B vitamins, it was also referred to as vitamin B. Since L-carnitine can be synthesised from the essential amino acids lysine and methionine in the kidneys and liver, it sparked the argument amongst nutritionists that it should not be called a vitamin but be labelled an amino acid.
Irrespective of how L-carnitine is classified, its role in the human body was not fully understood until 1962, when two scientists demonstrated L-carnitine’s role in the breakdown of fats into energy. Energy is required for the building, repairing and renewal of cell membranes and cellular structures, for immune components to fight infection, as well as the functioning of vital organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs. A shortage of energy means poor body functions that can lead to diseases and ill health.
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