Question:
Now that L-carnitine is available in Canada, should I take it for my heart if I’m already taking Inno-Q-Nol™?
Dr. Know Answer:
That’s an excellent question, and I’ll start with the conclusion—yes. The reason why Inno-Q-Nol™ (CoQ10 ubiquinol) is so great for your heart is that it improves the efficiency of the energy-making process in our bodies. More specifically, ubiquinol improves the process of making energy that involves oxygen—called aerobic respiration or oxidative phosphorylation, and this is responsible for meeting up to 90% of our energy needs.
L-carnitine’s role in energy metabolism is to transport long fatty acids into the mitochondria, where ubiquinol has its action. Fat is the preferred fuel for mitochondria since it’s so energy-dense, so L-carnitine is the perfect complement to CoQ10/ubiquinol.
Even more, CoQ10/ubiquinol not only improves energy production when paired with L-carnitine, but may also theoretically help reduce the free-radicals produced during the energy-making process. Why? The process of producing energy requires electrons to be passed down a biological “wire” called the electron transport chain. If there is a shortage of CoQ10/ubiquinol (a break in the wire), it could result in electron leakage, which will go on to form free-radicals and, in turn, may eventually result in some negative consequences.
So while it’s great that L-carnitine is finally available in Canada, the best scenario would be to pair it with CoQ10/ubiquinol.