Taking supplements of L-Carnipure tartrate during pregnancy can significantly reduce the increased level of plasma free fatty acids that is considered the main cause of insulin resistance in pregnant women, shows a new study.Insulin resistance during pregnancy can lead to gestational diabetes, which affects about 5-10 per cent of pregnancies. According to the American Diabetes Association, about a third of women who suffered from gestational diabetes during pregnancy develop type 2 diabetes in the following years. Blood levels of the vitamin-like substance L-carnitine are already significantly reduced by the 12th week of pregnancy, and are reduced further before birth. Researchers at the University of Vienna have found that lower L-Carnitine plasma levels lead to a down-regulation of the expression of certain enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism, namely CPT1, CPT2 and CRAT. When the relative mRNA abundances of these enzymes are low, however, the plasma levels of free fatty acids increase. In the new study, published in the August issue of Chemical Monthly, (vol 136, pp1523-1533), taking a daily supplement of 2g of L-Carnipure tartrate produced by the Swiss company Lonza was found to increase the relative mRNA levels of these enzymes in pregnant women.
