Amaranth, finger millet and L-carnitine: A review on their potential role in management and prevention of various lifestyle diseases

Abstract

The problem of metabolic syndrome and obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide leading to several non-communicable diseases. The non-pharmacological therapeutic approach includes lifestyle modification, dietary intervention, weight loss and physical activity. Many functional foods and nutraceuticals have been beneficial until now. Treatment with L-carnitine, a nutraceutical, has shown a significant decrease in obesity, and glucose intolerance and showed beneficial effects in cardiovascular and fatty liver disease. Carnitine supplementation has shown improved exercise performance among athletes as it enhances lipid oxidation, fosters energy production and decreases lactate accumulation during exercise. Dietary carnitine is found primarily in animal and plant foods while its oral pharmaceutical dosage is available in liquid and pill form. The human body can synthesize it in the liver, brain and kidney from Lysine and Methionine amino acids in the presence of ascorbic acid, iron, vitamin B6 and niacin. This review has focused on the efficacy and health benefits of amaranth, a pseudo millet and finger millet in management of noncommunicable diseases as revealed by many vivo clinical studies. When lysine and methionine rich millets, for endogenous carnitine synthesis, were given to intervention group, for about 1-3 months, showed significant reduction in liver enzymes, blood sugar level and excess body weight of the diseased subjects compared to controls. Large-scale clinical trials, including minimally processed above mentioned millets, as nutraceuticals that could provide maximum therapeutic benefits to patients are highly needed.