From meat and exercise to intensive care: The nutritional component that surprised scientists

A study from Yale University found that L-carnitine, a molecule produced by the body and found in red meat and supplements, may worsen acute inflammation in mice by activating an inflammatory mechanism in immune cells. The researchers emphasize that the study examined the isolated component and does not indicate harm from consuming meat or supplements.

A new study from Yale University reveals that L-carnitine, a molecule produced by the body and also found in red meat and fat-burning supplements, may worsen acute inflammatory conditions. The researchers exposed mice to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial component that mimics sepsis, and found that blood levels of L-carnitine dropped. Surprisingly, administering carnitine back worsened the mice's condition. The discovered mechanism involves activation of the pyrin inflammasome, part of the cell's 'alarm system,' which triggers an inflammatory cascade including IL-17 and increases mortality. The findings may offer a new direction for sepsis research, a field where therapeutic progress is limited. The researchers found similar evidence in a model of rhabdomyolysis, a condition of muscle breakdown. However, the researchers emphasize that the study examined L-carnitine as an isolated component, not red meat or supplements, and that a significant inflammatory background is required for the effect to occur. They call for further research to understand the interaction between dietary components and a person's health status.