Bone loss or bone thinning in post-menopausal women is a serious public health concern. The rapid bone loss that affects many post-menopausal women can lead to osteoporosis and the increased risk of fractures, especially in the hips, spine and wrists. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, roughly 8 million are women.

The researchers noted that while "drug therapies are available, women are interested in alternative/adjunct therapies to slow down the bone loss associated with ovarian hormone deficiency." L-Carnitine is an amino acid-like substance that occurs naturally in the body. It has been popular as a dietary supplement for many years, particularly for heart health and for post-exercise recovery. L-Carnitine is nesseccary for the transport and conversion of fat to energy. However, the production of l-carnitine declines with age. Some research has indicated that the decease is more pronounced in post menopausal women.

With this in mind, Florida State University researchers decided to see if what effect, if any, supplementing l-carnitine had on bone health using a rat model. In the study, 18 month-old rats were ovariectomized (ovaries removed) to simulate menopause. The rats were then divided into two groups and feed either a standard ad libitum ("at will") diet or the same ad libitum diet and were supplemented with l-carnitine for eight weeks. At the end of the eight week period bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Other markers of bone health were also tested. The researchers reported that the rats fed the l-carnitine had significantly higher bone mineral density, 6.3% higher, than the control group, which did not receive the l-carnitine. The researches also report a 72.8% reduction in tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), a marker of bone resorption (weakening). There where also significant reductions in two other compounds, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and collagen type-1 (COL) that are associated with bone turnover. ALP was decreased by 63.6% and COL was reduced by 61.2% compared to the control group.

The researchers concluded that "the findings suggest that carnitine supplementation slows bone loss and improves bone microstructural properties by decreasing bone turnover." L-Carnitine supplementation was recently linked to increased strength and endurance in centenarians, persons living to 100 years of age.

Learn more about l-carnitine here..

1. Hooshmand, S., A. Balakrishnan, et al. (2008). "Dietary l-carnitine supplementation improves bone mineral density by suppressing bone turnover in aged ovariectomized rats." Phytomedicine 15(8): 595-601.