|
CARNOSINE
read Dr. Marios
Kyriazis' carnosine
article
Carnosine is a natural amino-acid that has been known about
for decades (please don't confuse it with L-Carnitine), but it is only through
recent Australian and British clinical and laboratory studies that the benefits
of carnosine have become better known.
Carnosine has a number of interesting actions, it is a potent
antioxidant, it helps to chelate ionic metals (i.e. flush toxins from the body),
it has immune boosting properties (aids wound healing) and is also known to
reduce and prevent cell damage caused by beta amyloid (the substance found in
the brain of Alzheimer disease patients). Carnosine helps protects neural
tissues by blocking and inactivating beta amyloid and therefore it could help
protect tissues against dementia.
From the anti-aging standpoint, there are some very
interesting carnosine actions, they are:
- Carnosine’s ability to help prevent
glycosylation- the
cross linking of proteins (and DNA molecules) caused by sugar aldehydes
reacting with the amino acids on the protein molecule and creating Advance
Glycosylation End-products (AGE’s). If you want to see protein cross
linking in action cut an apple in half and watch it turn yellow! Such anti-glycosylation
may be beneficial for diabetes, cataracts, neuropathy, kidney failure and
skin conditions, as well as “general” anti-aging properties.
- In 1999, Australian researchers confirmed that carnosine
increases longevity of human fibroblast cells in the laboratory. Carnosine
extended the Hayflick limit (the maximum number of times a cell can divide),
from a “normal” 50 by up to an additional 10 times! Although not enough
time has passed to test these results, carnosine may be a supplement of
choice for longevity.
- The Russians used Carnosine (in an eye-drop form) to help
treat glaucoma with considerable success. Carnosine may have important
anti-aging eye functions.
Carnosine supplementation is a relatively “new” area,
normal current anti-aging dosages are considered to be 50mg-100mg per day with
the usual occasional breaks. Such dosages have failed to produce any report of
serious side effects or contraindications to date.
HOME
|
