Carnosine is a small molecule composed of the
amino acids, histidine and alanine. It is found in relatively high concentrations
in several body tissues—most notably in skeletal muscle, heart muscle, and
brain.1 2
Carnosine has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual
health concern for complete information):
Who is likely to be deficient?
Carnosine deficiency may occur in severe protein deficiency and in certain severe genetic
disorders characterized by inborn errors in amino
acid metabolism.
How much is usually taken?
For eradication of H. pylori, the amount of the zinc carnosine complex used in research studies was
150 mg twice daily. Due to the lack of human clinical trials, recommended levels for other
applications are not known at this time.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
Due to the lack of human studies, side effects and interactions are not known.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with carnosine.
References:1. Quinn PJ, Boldyrev AA, Formazuyk VE. Carnosine: its properties,
functions and potential therapeutic applications. Mol Aspects Med
1992;13:379-444.
2. Bonfanti L, Peretto P, De Marchis S, Fasolo A. Carnosine-related
dipeptides in the mammalian brain. Prog Neurobiol 1999;59:333-53.