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14.10.2023

Metastudy of metastudies | Supplementing with carnitine improves cholesterol levels

A dozen meta-studies have now been published in which researchers have confirmed the beneficial effects of carnitine supplementation on cholesterol levels. In September 2023, Frontiers in Nutrition even published a meta-study that re-analyzed the results of 13 of these meta-studies. And this meta-meta study also came to a - albeit cautious - positive conclusion.

Study
Researchers from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran traced 13 meta-studies published between 2013 and 2020 on the effects of cholesterol supplementation on LDL, HDL and triglycerides. They aggregated the results and reanalyzed them.

The doses used varied from 0.72 and 2.4 grams of L-carnitine per day. The duration of administration ranged from 12-25 weeks.

Most meta-studies concerned specific groups of patients. There were studies with patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, end stage renal disease and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Results
The quality of the studies was not always good and so the researchers are cautious in making statements. The researchers are most certain about the effect of carnitine supplementation on 'the bad cholesterol' LDL. They are 'moderately' confident that L-carnitine reduces the concentration of LDL by about 5 points.

The researchers are less convinced of the effect of L-carnitine on triglycerides. Supplementation reduced the concentration of triglycerides by 3 points.

The researchers also found a slight increase in HDL due to supplementation, but the researchers estimate the quality of the evidence for this to be very low. So we'll just leave that there for now.

Conclusion
"Thus, L-carnitine supplementation can be recommended as an adjuvant antihyperlipidemic agent", the researchers summarize.

Source:
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022 Jul 11:1-18. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2096560.

More:
Carnitine makes type 2 diabetics healthier 25.06.2020

Archives:
Cardiovascular Health
L-Carnitine

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