Carnitine Molecule of the Month September 2003 The Importance of the Fatty Acid Transporter L Carnitine in Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Metabolism: The carnitine shuttle and fatty acid metabolism (practice) Khan Academy L Carnitine helps shuttle fatty acids into the mitochondria (the power plants of your cells) where they can be burned for energy. It's often used in fat metabolism and energy support formulas.