People mainly take Carnitine for energy, anxiety, skin & hair. Based on 15 first-hand reports and 269 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #714 of 1,974 overall.
Of reports that state an outcome, 61% are positive.
Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.
3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.
Conclusion: l-carnitine supplementation provides a modest reducing effect on body weight, BMI and fat mass, especially among adults with overweight/obesity.
PubMed 32359762 ↗Conclusion: The overall analysis including all trials showed that supplements provided moderate and clinically meaningful treatment effects on pain and function in patients with hand, hip or knee osteoarthritis at short term, although the quality of evidence was very low. Some supplements with a limited number of studies and participants suggested large treatment effects, while widely used supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin were either ineffective or showed small and arguably clinically unimportant treatment effects. Supplements had no clinically important effects on pain and function at medi
PubMed 29018060 ↗Conclusion: This guideline should enable addressing suboptimal and deficient status of a bundle of MNs in at-risk diseases. In particular, it offers practical advice on MN provision and monitoring during nutritional support.
PubMed 35365361 ↗Conclusion: The fact that alterations in mitochondrial metabolism may be found during pregnancy and early in the life of individuals who eventually develop ASD provides promise for early life predictive biomarkers of ASD. Further studies may improve the understanding of the role of the mitochondria in ASD by better defining subgroups and understanding the molecular mechanisms driving some of the unique changes found in mitochondrial function in those with ASD.
PubMed 38703861 ↗As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.
How often each side effect came up across all reports.
Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.
“The two supplements that made me notice my skin were carnitine and gotu kola.”
“Supps: - zinc - vitamin d - carnitine”
“Choline, Carnitine, Creatine, Glycine? Vegan diet has serious deficiencies”
“at least we know that carnitine may be helpful. Ketogenic diets that are high fat often involve decent amounts of carnitine”
“Maybe the carnitine, I wouldnt underestimate the later day stimulation”
User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate