L-ornithine
Also called: Ornithine
An amino acid your body uses to clear ammonia, a waste product of protein. It's sometimes used for fatigue, sleep, and liver support.
Medical Disclaimer
Supplements can interact with medications and aren't right for everyone, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with a chronic condition. Ask your provider before you start.
Studied for
- Fatigue and exercise recovery (limited evidence)
- Sleep quality and stress (limited evidence)
- Liver support (mostly studied as LOLA, under medical care)
Found naturally in
- Your body makes it
- Meat, fish, and eggs
- Dairy
- Shijimi clams, a traditional source in Japan
Label red flags
- Muscle-building blends with many amino acids and no amounts listed
Check with a provider
- Liver or kidney disease. Use ornithine only under medical care.
- Gyrate atrophy, a rare inherited eye disease, where ornithine is harmful
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding (not well studied)
- Stomach upset or diarrhea can happen at higher doses
Usually found in sports and recovery formulas, amino acid blends, liver support formulas. Browse the Lesher Wellness store
Parts of the body it affects
Explore what each area does and the conditions that can affect it.
Liver
Your liver filters your blood, processes hormones and medicines, and makes bile to digest fat.
Muscles
Your muscles move and steady your body. Autoimmune muscle disease shows up as true weakness, not just soreness.
Illustrations: Servier Medical Art, CC BY 4.0
Ready to find the root cause?
Dr. Lesher is a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on autoimmune and chronic conditions in women. Since 2020, she's helped hundreds of patients stop managing symptoms and start healing.