Carnitine Supplementation Reduces Increased Levels of Plasma Free Fatty Acids

Increased levels of plasma free fatty acids are a major factor in gestational diabetes.

29/08/05 The Swiss based company Lonza has announced that a new study observed that supplementation with L-Carnipure tartrate during pregnancy can significantly reduce the increased level of plasma free fatty acids, which is considered the main cause of insulin resistance, a major factor in gestational diabetes in pregnant women. This company-supported study conducted at the University of Vienna (Austria) has been published in Chemical Monthly 136, 1523- 1533 (2005).

Gestational diabetes, a disorder of metabolism that appears during pregnancy, affects about 5-10% of pregnancies. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 30% of women who suffered from gestational diabetes during their pregnancy will develop a manifest type 2 diabetes within the following years.

Already by the 12th week of pregnancy, plasma L-Carnitine levels are significantly decreased, with a further reduction up to birth. This reduction of total L-Carnitine is mainly caused by a significant decrease of free L-Carnitine levels, Acylcarnitine levels being almost unaffected. Similar low levels of free L-Carnitine are only found in patients with an L-Carnitine deficiency. Lower L-Carnitine plasma levels lead to a down-regulation of the expression of certain enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism, namely CPT1, CPT2 and CRAT. When the relative mRNA abundances of these enzymes are low, however, the plasma levels of free fatty acids increase. In this new study, L-Carnipure tartrate supplementation was found to increase the relative mRNA levels of said enzymes in pregnant women.

Overall, there is increasing evidence that L-Carnitine may play an important role during pregnancy, particularly in women following a meat-reduced or vegetarian diet in whom daily L-Carnitine intake may be too low to meet the increased needs during pregnancy. Due to its excellent safety profile, L-Carnipure supplementation may be appropriate for pregnant women to restore their L-Carnitine plasma levels and at the same time decrease plasma free fatty acids. Of course, pregnant women should always consult a physician before taking any dietary supplement.

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