FYI
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Few people seem to realize that fats are
the primary fuel for the muscles, including the heart. Up to
70% of energy produced by the muscles comes from the burning
of fats. Carnitine is essential for the transport of
long-chain fatty acids; short and medium-chain fats are able
to pass through the mitochondrial membrane without needing a
transporter.
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Humans can synthesize a small amount of
carnitine from the amino acid lysine. Given sufficient
lysine and cofactors, we can synthesize some portion
(perhaps 25%) of the carnitine we need for optimal energy
production. The rest has to come from diet and supplements.
Meat, fish, milk, eggs, cheese and other animal products in
general contain preformed carnitine. Mutton and lamb are
particularly rich sources, followed by beef. Human milk also
contains relatively high levels of carnitine, since newborns
are at first incapable of producing it. Eggs are a poor
source of carnitine. Plant food contains at best only
negligible amounts of carnitine, with the exception of
somewhat higher levels in avocados and tempeh.
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Fat is not
automatically fattening. If fat is eaten with only small
amounts of carbohydrates, it will be used for energy.
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