Sepsis is an immune response to infection that causes inflammation throughout the body and can progress to organ failure and death. A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in hospitalized patients with sepsis found that participants who received L-carnitine had lower blood markers of inflammation, a reduced risk of 28-day mortality and increased indicators of antioxidant defense.

L-carnitine is a nutrient that is made by the body and is found in some foods, mostly in meat. Stress can lead to insufficient carnitine production, so an extreme stressor like sepsis may increase the body’s requirements.

In the trial, 60 men and women received either 3 grams of L-carnitine per day or placebo for seven days. Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, which is also used in the assessment of inflammation), superoxide dismutase (SOD, an antioxidant made in the body), total antioxidant capacity and other factors were evaluated at the beginning and end of the treatment period.

Compared with levels measured at the beginning of the trial, CRP and ESR were significantly lower, and SOD and total antioxidant capacity were significantly higher after seven days in the group that received L-carnitine. These changes indicate a reduction in the inflammation that characterizes sepsis, as well as greater antioxidant defense. When compared with the placebo, improvements in CRP and SOD were greater among those who received L-carnitine. Fifteen deaths occurred during a 28-day period in the placebo group and seven occurred among the group who received L-carnitine.

“Most notably, the study observed a reduction in mortality after just seven days of treatment,” authors Mahdi Keshani and colleagues wrote. “These encouraging results highlight the potential benefits of L-carnitine supplementation as a therapeutic intervention in managing sepsis and offer promising prospects for enhancing patient outcomes in critical care settings.”