The effect of L-carnitine, administered through intravenous infusion of glucose, on both glucose and insulin levels in healthy subjects.

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine on plasma glucose and insulin levels. Two parallel studies were set-up, of 40 and 20 healthy volunteers, respectively. Each group received 500 cc of 10% glucose or 5% glucose, to which were randomly added 4 g or 2 g of L-carnitine and administered a week apart. Results showed that L-carnitine was able to reduce the increase in glucose plasma levels induced by infusion of the glucose solution. This finding was not dependent on an insulin-dependent mechanism.