L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine

What is it?

L-Carnitine is an amino acid like substance the body synthesizes from the amino acid Lysine. The vitamins B-6, niacin, C, with iron and the amino acid methionine are required for production of carnitine in the body. The major dietary source of carnitine comes from animal meats, especially red meats (i.e. steak from cows, lamb and sheep). Carnitine has many functions in the human body, but is best known for its ability to shuttle long chain fatty acids across the membrane of cells so they can be burned (oxidized) for energy by the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are often referred to as the “power house” of cells where energy is produced. The actual process of how carnitine shuttles fatty acids to the mitochondria is fairly complex and detailed. Suffice to say, it involves several enzymes and steps before the fats you want to burn end up being utilized by the mitochondria. So, the carnitine shuttle system is essential for the body to be able to burn fats as energy, and this information can be found in any decent biochemistry text book.

What is it supposed to do?

As the above section mentions, carnitine is sold in hopes that it will help the body shuttle more fatty acids into cells to be used as energy rather than stored as abdominal blurring blubber. The idea is that taking in additional carnitine will supposedly help the body burn more fat for energy and make dieting more effective. Carnitine is also sold as a sports supplement for increasing energy and may have several medical uses. The concept is pretty straight forward, but does it actually work?

For more detailed information, including effectiveness, dosages, possible side effects as well as independent science based reviews of over 60 weight loss ingredients we recommend the well respected Will Brink’s supplement review module found in his complete Fat Loss Revealed program.

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Citrus Aurantium

Synephrine / Citrus Aurantium

What is it?

Synephrine is derived from Citrus Aurantium, a.k.a, bitter orange or zhi shi. Synephrine is quite similar in chemical structure to compounds such as ephedrine (see ephedrine/caffeine section for a description of ephedrine) and pseudo-ephedrine, which makes it a stimulant and beta agonist.

What is it supposed to do?

Companies selling synephrine generally make the claim it has the same metabolic effects as ephedrine and other beta agonists (i.e. increased metabolic rate, weight loss, etc.) but without the side effects of ephedrine. Although citrus aurantium extracts contain synephrine, they also contain other potentially active compounds such as N-methyltyramine, hordenine, octopamine, and tyramine.

The major claim by companies regarding synephrine is because the active compounds in citrus aurantium stimulate Beta-3 receptors, (but not the Beta 1, or Beta 2 receptors), the negative effects of ephedrine and other stimulants are avoided while an increased metabolic rate takes place.

Beta-3 receptors are concentrated in what is called “Brown Adipose Tissue” or BAT, which is more metabolically active than “regular” white fat and is involved in metabolic rate and other functions, though Beta-3 receptors are expressed in much smaller amounts in both muscle and white fat.

BAT differs from white fat not just in color. BAT has a large number of mitochondria (the part of the cell where energy is produced) that contain something called “uncoupling protein,” which can stimulate oxidative phosphorylization and thereby increase metabolic rate. BAT is present to oxidize lipids (i.e. burn fat) in order to produce heat and rid the body of excess adipose tissue (i.e. blubber, fat, lard, or what ever you want to call it).

Let’s get a little more technical: agonizing (stimulating) the beta-3 receptor found in BAT, activates adenylate cyclase, which increases intracellular concentrations of cyclic AMP and results in increase lipolysis and thermogenesis. Got all that? If not, don’t worry…For more detailed information, including effectiveness, dosages, possible side effects as well as independent science based reviews of over 60 weight loss ingredients we recommend the well respected Will Brink’s supplement review module found in his complete Fat Loss Revealed program.

Visit this site for further details:

www.fatlossrevealed.com/diet-ingredients