There are two types of carnitine deficiency: Primary carnitine deficiency A genetic disorder Usually develops by five years of age Symptoms include Disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) Skeletal-muscle weakness Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) Secondary carnitine deficiency Caused by other underlying conditions that decrease the amount of carnitine in the body that cause the body to: Increase the amount of carnitine excreted in urine Absorb less carnitine from food Chronic renal failure Use of certain antibiotics Certain medicines, such as valproate Liver disease Digestive disease that causes poor absorption Malnutrition Mitochondrial disease Certain metabolic disorders From Diet and Weight Loss Resources Image source: iStock Images
High doses may lead to digestive issues, such as diarrhea or upset stomach, due to their influence on gut microbiota and the bodys absorption processes
Additionally, carnitine may have neuroprotective effects and has been studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimers disease
BPC-157 , 15 : Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val BPC-157 ,
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.026, 92 MohammadiS.GhaderiS.FatehiF
In terms of safety and tolerability, the adverse events were primarily mild to moderate gastrointestinal reactions, with no reports of severe hypoglycemia or death