Energy balance
L-carnitine supplementation improves glucose disposal and insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, primarily by enhancing mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and reducing toxic lipid intermediates.
For T2D patients, L-carnitine supplementation may help improve how the body uses glucose and insulin sensitivity, particularly by aiding fat burning in the mitochondria. However, it may not significantly lower fasting blood sugar or HbA1c in all individuals, so it should be viewed as an adjuvant therapy rather than a primary treatment.
L-carnitine supplementation has an effect on glucose disposal... Carnitine-induced enhancement of non-oxidative glucose disposal was observed... L-carnitine administration resulted in higher whole body glucose uptake and glucose storage in both healthy controls and T2D patients
Why this rating
The paper is a review of multiple studies with mixed results; some show significant improvement in glucose disposal, while others show no change in fasting glucose or HbA1c.
Source
Role of carnitine and its derivatives in the development and management of type 2 diabetes
Judit Bene et al. · Nutrition and Diabetes · 2018
DOI 10.1038/s41387-018-0017-1
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