What Are Lipotropics?

Move over Nootropics there’s a new kid in town… 

In fact, lipotropics are nothing new, but these compounds are crucial for metabolism, helping transport and break down fat in the body1. They help catalyze the breakdown of fat cells during the metabolic process in the human body1. It does this by a lipotropic nutrient promoting or encouraging the export of fat, specifically from the liver1. They remove both excess fast and fat-soluble compounds from the liver, these include hormones and toxins.  Lipotropic compounds are a combination of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals; they come together to metabolize fat and give additional energy to the body3.

Without lipotropics or little of them, fats and bile can become trapped in the liver, causing severe problems such as cirrhosis and blocking fat metabolism1. Without lipotropics such as choline and inositol, the human body lacks essential compounds to perform vital processes. Choline is a major lipotrope that is crucial for fat metabolism, it is vital for proper liver function and detoxification2. Inositol exerts lipotropics effects as well; it is an ‘unofficial’ member of the B vitamins and has been shown to relieve stress, depression, and panic attacks2. Another important lipotrope is methionine; an essential amino acid in the human body2. When estrogen levels are high, the body needs more methionine; estrogens reduce bile flow through the liver and thus increase bile cholesterol levels2. Methionine helps deactivate estrogens and balance the levels within the liver; vitamins C, vitamin D, and NAC can help with this2.

But how do you know when you need or have low levels of lipotropics?

Congested liver function is a very common sign of this. This is caused by high-sugar diets; which are quite common in today’s environment. Other components include high levels of alcohol, excess sugar, lifestyle, stress, and lack of exercise; all these issues will impact the liver and potentially eliminate lipotropic compounds2. However, there are natural ingredients we can include in our diets that will enhance the lipotrope compounds in our bodies!  

1.     Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) – Essential amino acids are necessary for the body as they assist in muscle protein synthesis. BCAAs prevent muscle breakdown in the body; lipotropic compounds within the body can then attack the metabolism, breaking down fat into energy and removing fatty bile from your liver. BCAAs don’t directly impact lipotrope compounds in the body, they aid the pathway that helps make them catalyze the breakdown of fat cells easily3.
2.     L-Carnitine – L-carnitine is an amino acid that transports fatty acids into the mitochondria3. When the fatty acids are located in the mitochondria, the body burns through fatty cells as significant energy is released3. Thus, having more L-Carnitine in the bloodstream will help catalyze fat faster.
3.     Vitamin B-12 – Supports the normal functioning of the nervous system3. Helps the body perform its natural bodily processes, to its best.
4.     Vitamin B complex – Essential for glucose metabolism, breaks down protein, fats and carbs3. The vitamin B complex helps convert food into energy, which is essential for the lipotropic process3.

Ingesting these natural ingredients will help the lipotropics in the body, to perform efficiently and more effectively. Adding BCAAs and multi–B Vitamins daily could significantly boost your body’s metabolic rate over time. Heal your liver and detoxify your body the natural way!

For further questions about lipotropics, please reach out!

support@switchnutrition.com.au

Disclaimer: The above article is merely a guide and is in no way a recommendation or a treatment protocol for any health conditions or diseases. You should always consult with a qualified health care provider before changing your supplement, training or nutritional strategy. Supplementation should not be attempted by pregnant or breastfeeding women, anyone on prescription medication or children under the age of 15 unless advised by your qualified health care provider.

Referencing:

1What is a lipotropic? (2020) RN Labs. Available at: https://rnlabs.com.au/what-is-a-lipotropic/

2 Lipotropic (2021) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipotropic

3Rightweightcenter.com. Available at: https://www.rightweightcenter.com/blog/lipotropics-101-how-lipotropic-injections-can-kickstart-weight-loss-and-boost-energy