by Jack Norris, RD
Carnitine is a non-essential amino acid found primarily in animal products. Carnitine isn’t part of proteins, but if you’re eating enough protein, your body should make what you need. While there is no reason for most vegetarians or vegans to be concerned with carnitine, there have been cases of vegans who do not thrive unless they are taking carnitine supplements.
A carnitine metabolic problem has been linked to migraines. If you are a vegan who started getting migraines after becoming vegan, you might consider talking to your health professional about carnitine supplementation. The average person consumes 100–300 mg of carnitine per day (Siebrecht, 2000).
A study from the Netherlands compared the serum and breast milk carnitine levels of 25 vegans to 25 meat-eaters (Juncker, 2023). Carnitine levels in breast milk didn’t differ between the two groups. The vegans had lower serum levels of free carnitine and acetylcarnitine and both diet groups had lower serum levels than what is normal for non-lactating women. Although there isn’t evidence that the lower serum carnitine levels among vegans are harmful, the authors suggested that lactating vegans increase their carnitine intakes.
Click here for more information regarding carnitine and sports nutrition.
Bibliography
Siebrecht S. L-Carnitine: physiological and pharmacological effects! Ann Nutr Metab 2000;44:79.