Importance of L-carnitine

by Jennifer Viegas

If you look on the label of high-quality dog food, you might see the term “L-carnitine.” According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, this is a nutrient that helps the body burn fat into energy. Dr. Amy Dicke, a veterinarian in Dayton, Ohio, and a technical-services veterinarian for Iams, adds that “L-carnitine is a vitamin-like compound that can help with fat metabolism in the dog. L-carnitine helps dogs gain a desired body composition by promoting the loss of weight and fat while maintaining lean body tissue.”

If your dog is on the chubby side, you may want to consider purchasing a pet food containing L-carnitine to help get its weight back to normal. Dicke advises that the “diet should include special ingredients for weight loss, such as L-carnitine, and be fed in portions that deliver the calculated calories for weight reduction.”

Keep L-carnitine in mind for your own health too.

The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that it’s used to treat heart problems, issues related to diabetes, certain thyroid disorders and even male infertility. Our bodies produce L-carnitine, but deficiencies can lead to problems, hence the supplements in food, vitamin pills and certain prescribed medications.

Jennifer Viegas is the managing editor for The Daily Cat and has authored over 20 books on animal, science and nature topics

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