Carnosine

An Amino Acid

Description:

Carnosine is a combination of the two amino acids, alanine and histidine. It is naturally present in tissues, primarily muscle and brain, but its concentration falls with advancing age.

Plants/Foods:

• Fish
• Meat, especially red meat
• Poultry

Physiologic Functions:

• Antioxidant
• Glycosylator - prevents protein glycosylation
• Chelates heavy metals
• Stabilizes cell membranes
• Immune system stimulator
• Increases wound healing

Clinical Indications:

• AIDS
• Alzheimer's disease
• Atherosclerosis
• Autism
• Cancer prevention
• Cataract prevention
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Congestive heart failure
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Hepatitis C
• Hypertension
• Impotence
• Short term memory loss
• Obesity
• Peptic ulcers
• Parkinson's disease
• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
• Duchenne´s muscle dystrophy
• Fatigue
• MI prevention
• Muscular dystrophy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Myocardial insufficiencies
• Myotonic dystrophy

Signs and Symptoms of Deficiency:

• Muscle weakness
• Progressive muscle weakness

Causes of Deficiencies:

• Severe protein deficiency
• Genetic abnormalities
• Infants on carnosine-deficient formula
• Kidney patients undergoing dialysis
• Patients on liquid or TPN diets
• Pregnant women
• Premature infants on total parenteral nutrition
• Several neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy
• Starvation, especially kwashiorkor

Contraindications:

• None discovered to date

Toxicity and Side Effects:

• Large doses may produce gastrointestinal discomfort

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).