engleski

Correlations between nutritional intake and serum lipids in healthy subjects: effects of L-carnitine supplementation.

Aim: Despite the efforts of health authorities, an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity remains the main public health problem. Since L-carnitine acts as a co-factor of the enzymatic system involved in a transport of long chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane, it was assumed that oral supplementation could result in increased oxidation of fatty acids and body fat/mass reduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between L-carnitine supplementation and changes in the level of blood serum lipid parameters in healthy subjects with sedentary lifestyle. Correlations between nutritional intake and blood lipid parameters were also analyzed. Methods: Thirty healthy students from University of Zagreb, Croatia, aged 18 to 33, with declared sedentary activities, were recruited for the study. They were randomly divided into two groups, one receiving 2 g/day of L-carnitine and the other receiving placebo for 2 weeks. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study, and then again on days 5, 10 and 15. Concentration of free fatty acids (FFA), carnitine, cholesterol (CH) and triacylglycerols (TG) was determined. Detailed nutritional intake was recorded and used for protein, carbohydrate, fat and total energy intake calculation. Results: After two weeks of supplementation, carnitine concentration increased in the blood serum of a treated group, but remained within reference values. Concentrations of FFA, TG and CH did not correlate significantly with the average nutritional intake, but did correlate with carbohydrate and total energy intake during the three days which preceded the blood sampling. No reduction in body mass index was detected.

nutrition; L-carnitine

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