Carnosine supplement by Ray Sahelian, M.D. health benefit of carnosine supplements

What you will find on this page:
Carnosine information
Mind Power Rx with carnosine - formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D. for mind, memory and mood support.
Eyesight Rx for healthy vision within hours or days.

Carnosine is a small molecule composed of the amino acids histidine and alanine. Carnosine is found in relatively high concentrations in several body tissues—most notably in skeletal muscle, heart muscle, nerve tissue and brain. The exact biological role of carnosine is not well understood, but many studies indicate that carnosine has antioxidant potential. Carnosine may also act as a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the nervous system).     Carnosine has been called a longevity nutrient since laboratory studies on tissues indicate that it can delay senescence and provoke cellular rejuvenation in cultured human fibroblasts. Carnosine has been called the anti-aging and anti-oxidant dipeptide. The exact role of carnosine supplementation in human health is not clear at this time but carnosine appears to be a promising nutrient with much potential. 

L Carnosine, 500 mg, 30 Capsules - Pharmaceutical Grade
Club Natural
L-Carnosine is a dipeptide composed of the covalently bonded amino acids alanine and histidine and is found in the brain, heart, skin, muscles, kidneys and stomach. L-Carnosine is naturally produced in the body by the enzyme carnosine synthetase.

L-Carnosine supports healthy aging and cellular rejuvenation by its effects on two mechanisms: Glycosylation and Free Radical Damage. Glycosylation is the oxidation of proteins by glucose resulting in cross-linking of proteins and which is implicated in loss of cell function, genome integrity and accelerated aging.  L Carnosine also protects the aging process of the brain by retarding lipid peroxidation and stabilizing cell membranes.

Is carnosine a naturally occurring suppressor of oxidative damage in olfactory neurones?
Rejuvenation Res. 2004 Winter;7(4):253-5.
Ghanbari et al. recently showed that neurones from olfactory lobes of Alzheimer's patients exhibit oxidative stress and it is well known that olfactory dysfunction frequently accompanies neurodegeneration. The olfactory lobe is normally enriched in carnosine, a relatively non-toxic (and sometimes abundant) dipeptide which possesses functions (anti-oxidant, antiglycator, scavenger of zinc and copper ions, toxic aldehydes and protein carbonyls) that are likely to suppress oxidative stress. It is suggested that carnosine's therapeutic potential should be explored in olfactory tissue. Should the peptide prove beneficial, olfactory carnosine administration could provide a direct route to compromised tissue, avoiding serum carnosinases.

Anti-crosslinking properties of carnosine: significance of histidine.
Hobart LJ. University of Health Sciences, Kansas City, MO
Life Sci. 2004 Jul 30;75(11):1379-89.
Carnosine, a histidine-containing dipeptide, is a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. There is evidence that carnosine prevents oxidation and glycation, both of which contribute to the crosslinking of proteins; and protein crosslinking promotes beta-amyloid plaque formation. It was previously shown that carnosine has anti-crosslinking activity, but it is not known which of the chemical constituents are responsible. We tested the individual amino acids in carnosine (beta-alanine, histidine) as well as modified forms of histidine (alpha-acetyl-histidine, 1-methyl-histidine) and methylated carnosine. beta-Alanine showed anti-crosslinking activity but less than that of carnosine, suggesting that the beta-amino group is required in preventing protein crosslinking. Interestingly, histidine, which has both alpha-amino and imidazolium groups, was more effective than carnosine. Acetylation of histidine's alpha-amino group or methylation of its imidazolium group abolished anti-crosslinking activity. Furthermore, methylation of carnosine's imidazolium group decreased its anti-crosslinking activity. The results suggest that histidine is the representative structure for an anti-crosslinking agent, containing the necessary functional groups for optimal protection against crosslinking agents. We propose that the imidazolium group of histidine or carnosine may stabilize adducts formed at the primary amino group.

Carnosine Helpful in Autism
From the day she was born, Betty seemed different from other infants. At an age when most infants enjoy interacting with people and exploring their environment, Betty sat motionless in her crib and didn't respond to rattles or other toys. It wasn’t too long before Betty was diagnosed with autism. Unfortunately, modern medicine has little to offer as a cure for this condition. But supplements may be helpful. Researchers at the Autism and Epilepsy Specialty Services in Lake Bluff, Illinois, investigated 31 children with autism in an 8-week, double-blinded study to determine if carnosine would result in changes. Carnosine is a natural substance composed of 2 amino acids. It is found in relatively high concentrations in several body tissues, muscles, and nerve tissue, including the brain. The exact role of carnosine is not well understood, but studies indicate that this nutrient has antioxidant potential and may also act as a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the nervous system). The children received 800 mg of carnosine a day and were compared with a group of children on placebo. After 8 weeks, children given carnosine showed statistically significant improvements on several tests including an improvement in vocabulary and recognizing a picture.
     Dr. Sahelian says: Carnosine, also known as L-carnosine, is sold in health food stores most commonly in capsules of 500 mg. It would be worthwhile to try 100 to 200 mg of this nutrient before breakfast and lunch for a few weeks under a pediatrician’s supervision.

Anti-crosslinking properties of carnosine: significance of histidine.
Life Sci. 2004 Jul 30;75(11):1379-89.
Carnosine, a histidine-containing dipeptide, is a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. There is evidence that carnosine prevents oxidation and glycation, both of which contribute to the crosslinking of proteins; and protein crosslinking promotes beta-amyloid plaque formation. It was previously shown that carnosine has anti-crosslinking activity, but it is not known which of the chemical constituents are responsible. We tested the individual amino acids in carnosine (beta-alanine, histidine) as well as modified forms of histidine (alpha-acetyl-histidine, 1-methyl-histidine) and methylated carnosine. beta-Alanine showed anti-crosslinking activity but less than that of carnosine, suggesting that the beta-amino group is required in preventing protein crosslinking. Interestingly, histidine, which has both alpha-amino and imidazolium groups, was more effective than carnosine. Acetylation of histidine's alpha-amino group or methylation of its imidazolium group abolished anti-crosslinking activity. Furthermore, methylation of carnosine's imidazolium group decreased its anti-crosslinking activity. The results suggest that histidine is the representative structure for an anti-crosslinking agent, containing the necessary functional groups for optimal protection against crosslinking agents. We propose that the imidazolium group of histidine or carnosine may stabilize adducts formed at the primary amino group.

Use of carnosine as a natural anti-senescence drug for human beings.
Biochemistry (Mosc) 2000 Jul;65(7):869-71.
Carnosine is an endogenous free-radical scavenger. The latest research indicates that apart from the function of protecting cells from oxidation-induced stress damage, carnosine appears to be able to extend the lifespan of cultured cells, rejuvenate senescent cells, inhibit the toxic effects of amyloid peptide (A beta), malondialdehyde, and hypochlorite to cells, inhibit glycosylation of proteins and protein-DNA and protein-protein cross-linking, and maintain cellular homeostasis. Also, carnosine seems to delay the impairment of eyesight with aging, effectively preventing and treating senile cataract and other age-related diseases. Therefore, carnosine may be applied to human being as a drug against aging.

Carnosine Animal Research
l Carnosine reduces telomere damage and shortening rate in cultured normal fibroblasts.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Nov 12;324(2):931-6.
Telomere is the repetitive DNA sequence at the end of chromosomes, which shortens progressively with cell division and limits the replicative potential of normal human somatic cells. l Carnosine, a naturally occurring dipeptide, has been reported to delay the replicative senescence, and extend the lifespan of cultured human diploid fibroblasts. In this work, we studied the effect of carnosine on the telomeric DNA of cultured human fetal lung fibroblast cells. Cells continuously grown in carnosine exhibited a slower telomere shortening rate and extended lifespan in population doublings. When kept in a long-term nonproliferating state, they accumulated much less damages in the telomeric DNA when cultured in the presence of carnosine. We suggest that the reduction in telomere shortening rate and damages in telomeric DNA made an important contribution to the life-extension effect of carnosine.

Dietary supplementation of L-carnosine prevents ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal injury in rats.
Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Feb;28(2):361-3.
The effects of dietary supplementation of L carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) on ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute renal failure (ARF) in rats were examined. Ischemic ARF was induced by occlusion of the left renal artery and vein for 45 min followed by reperfusion, 2 weeks after contralateral nephrectomy. Renal functional parameters such as blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine flow, urinary osmolality and fractional excretion of sodium were measured. Renal function in ARF rats markedly decreased at 1 d after reperfusion. Prior feeding of L carnosine-containing diet (0.0001 w/w%) for 2 weeks attenuated the ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal dysfunction. Histopathological examination of the kidney of ARF rats revealed severe renal damages, such as tubular necrosis, proteinaceous casts in tubuli and medullary congestion, which were also significantly suppressed by the dietary supplementation of L carnosine. These findings strongly suggest that Lcarnosine supplementation is useful as a prophylactic treatment in the development of the ischemic ARF.

Dose-dependent effects of L carnosine on the renal sympathetic nerve and blood pressure in urethane-anesthetized rats.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2004 Oct 21
The physiological function of carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) synthesized in mammalian muscles until recently has been unclear. Previously, we observed that intravenous injection of carnosine suppressed renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in urethane-anesthetized rats, and carnosine administered via the diet inhibited the elevation of blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive rats. To identify the mechanism, we examined effects of IV or intra-lateral cerebral ventricular (LCV) injection of various doses of carnosine on RSNA and BP in urethane-anesthetized rats. Lower doses of carnosine significantly suppressed RSNA and BP, while higher doses elevated RSNA and BP. These findings suggest that low-dose carnosine suppresses and high-dose carnosine stimulates RSNA and BP, that the SCN and histaminergic nerve are involved in the activities, and that carnosine acts in the brain and possibly other organs.

Influence of carnosine on the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin in rabbits.
Pol J Pharmacol. 2003 Nov-Dec;55(6):1079-87.
The aim of this study was to establish the effect of naturally occurring antioxidant carnosine on the doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity in a rabbit model. For this purpose, we evaluated the influence of DOX administration alone and in a combined therapy with carnosine on the hemodynamic parameters and on the degree of cardiac muscle cell alterations in rabbits. Thirty one chinchilla rabbits were divided into four groups. One group of rabbits was injected iv with DOX at a dose of 2 mg kg(-1) weekly for 7 weeks to induce congestive heart failure. Another group of rabbits received the same doses of DOX simultaneously with carnosine at a dose of 100 mg kg(-1) po daily for 9 weeks. Administration of carnosine started 1 week prior to the first dose of DOX and ended one week after the administration of the last dose of DOX. The control groups of animals received 0.9% NaCl and carnosine alone. The histopathological studies revealed smaller damage of cardiac muscle in rabbits which received DOX with carnosine in comparison to animals receiving DOX alone. Carnosine seems to be cardioprotective during DOX administration.

Carnosine History and Potential
Carnosine  (beta-alanyl-L-hystidine) was first isolated in 1900. Carnosine is a dipeptide pound in mammalian tissue, and in particular in skeletal muscle cells; it is responsible for a variety of activities related to the detoxification of the body from free radical species and the by-products of membrane lipids peroxidation. Carnosine protects cell membranes and helps the regulation of macrophage function. Carnosine could act as a natural scavenger of dangerous reactive aldehydes from the degradative oxidative pathway of endogenous molecules such as sugars, polyunsaturated fatty acids and proteins. Carnosine is a potent and selective scavenger of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes inhibits aldehyde-induced protein-protein and DNA-protein cross-linking in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, in cardiovascular ischemic damage, in inflammatory diseases.
 

Babizhayev MA, et al. Efficacy of N-acetyl- carnosine in the treatment of cataracts. Drugs R D 2002;3(2):87-103

Carnosine emails
Q. Dr. Kyriazis, a leading antiaging MD in the UK, based on his human trials of carnosine and current research states: 1)the current marketed dosing is based upon studies done with mice and cancer patients 2)dosage of 100-200mg are effective in humans while doses greater than 500 mg show adverse and reverse effects. Obviously there is a dosage transition area between 200 and 500. This doctor recommends ideally - 100 to 150 mg a day of carnosine.Your comment on this article would be highly apprecaited.
   A. Nobody knows for sure what the ideal dosage of carnosine is in humans, and every person is different, however as a general guideline, I believe the lower amounts are probably just fine and people can open a 500 mg carnosine capsule and take a portion of it.

Q. I just thought I would bring to your attention a website in which I feel is spreading misinformation about carnosine. Dr. E.K. Schandl is saying carnosine causes carnosinemia which is an inherited condition but to hear him tell it, supplemental carnosine causes an overload leading to this condition. I feel he is misleading people. He needs to be held accountable for his misleading statements that aren't really backed up by any scientific research. The only research he cites concerns people with the inherited condition. I wrote him about my concerns and he wrote back with a very insulting comment. He said he hopes I take all the carnosine I want in my lifetime. I was wondering if you knew of any avenue we could take to stop this man from deterring people from such a wonderful supplement.
   A. Although we disagree with his viewpoint on carnosine (we feel it is safe and beneficial in 100 to 250 mg doses taken a few days a week), we feel each person has a right to their own opinion and whatever they wish to say on their website.

Q. Would Carnosine in a liquid form be effective in the treatment of autism. Would carnosine tend to degrade into alanine and histidine - and/or would this be a benefit or problematic? What's the current thinking? Would a liquid form of carnosine still be of benefit to autism?
   A. We have not seen studies regarding the liquid form of carnosine, we don't see how it could have advantages over the carnosine capsules. In fact, a capsule can be opened and part of the carnosine used in water or juice.

Q. Some people (myself!) get an allergic response (sinus problems, skin rash) to oral carnosine at 500-1000mg, I could lower the dose but I'm curious why this happens (most people can take 1000mg for antiaging (antiglycation) effects). I'm not allergic otherwise to any food. I believe it's a histamine release but I find it strange. Hope to get a reply and keep up the good site!
   A. Carnosine converts into histidine which converts into histamine. Perhaps too high of a carnosine dose can shift the metabolic pathway towards histamine. I don't think more than 100 mg of carnosine is needed on a regular basis. Too much of a good thing can sometimes be harmful.