Simply put, the foods that provide the best sources of carnitine are all fish, meats, and dairy. Since you’re reading this article you’re probably interested in these sources as ways to boost your carnitine intake.
The most concentrated sources of carnitine are found in the red meats. Of these, it’s lamb and mutton that contain the highest levels. After the red meats, look to the white. Chicken and turkey have some of this nutrient, too, but not as much as red meats.
Below meat is dairy in terms of carnitine content. Eggs, milk, yogourt and cheese are your best bets here. You’d have to eat quite a bit more dairy, though, to match the amount you would get in meat. Even still, dairy provides a much greater source of this essential nutrient than anything you’ll find in any fruits or vegetables, which is zero.
Vegetarians and vegans in particular are obviously going to have problems getting enough carnitine if they can’t eat meat or dairy products. Tempeh and avocado contain some, but only in tiny amounts. If you want to eat according to the Paleo diet, you’d need far greater levels of this nutrient – on the order of 500 to 2000mg a day, AT LEAST, if you want to match the amounts we would have been eating naturally in the Stone Age.
The fact is that in today’s day and age, everyone needs to be taking some L-Carnitine supplements. Ingesting a mere 50mg a day is insufficient for meeting the body’s energy burning needs. While it’s possible to get more of this nutrient by consuming more red meat, this is the least desirable option, given the other nutritional complications that come with eating red meat.
The fact is that if you’re a strict vegetarian or vegan, you are going to be seriously deficient in carnitine. Even for the rest of us, though, the amount that our bodies produce is not enough. It’s going to be even lower if your body does not get enough vitamin B6, vitamin C or iron.
At the very least, we should be getting between 250mg and 500mg of this essential nutrient every day, according to Robert Crayhon, M.S. Doses of up to 2000mg/day are completely acceptable, and probably the only level at which you will begin to see and feel the noticeable benefits.
It’s worth taking the time to learn about the vitamins the body needs, but there’s no need to be intimidated by all the information out there. Get more easy to follow information and nutritional resources from the Vitamin Directory, your one-stop vitamin resource.