280. Carnosine Science: Is This The Next Taurine?
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I don't know.

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The information provided in this podcast episode is for entertainment purposes and is not medical advice. If you have any questions about your health, contact a medical professional. This content is strictly the opinions of Lucas Owen and is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The references, claims and scientific information linked to any products

are only applicable to those listeners who are based in the US. If you are outside the US, this information does not apply to you. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult with their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions.

Thank you for listening to the Boost Your Biology podcast. My name is Lucas Owen. I uncover the most cutting edge health information on the planet, ranging from hormones, nutrition, supplementation, fat loss, biohacking, longevity, wellness, and a whole lot more. Welcome to the Boost Your Biology podcast.

I truly do think that this is one of the most underrated supplements on the market. And not many people know about the major health benefits associated with this particular compound. So many of you love taurine and I'm a big fan of taurine, but I'm not actually talking to you about taurine. What I'm gonna do is actually share with you a dipeptide that contains the bond between beta alanine and L-histidine, which forms something called L-carnosine.

Now, L-carnosine, not to be confused with L-carnitine with a T.

L-carnitine with an S is an endogenously synthesized dipeptide consisting of the amino acids beta alanine and L-histidine. Now it is present in high amounts in the brain, the heart, the gastrointestinal tract and skeletal muscle. Now due to increasing muscle carnitine levels, it is particularly valuable as a dietary supplement for athletes to improve athletic performance.

Now, this is something that I've even personally noticed when I've used L-carnosine in pretty high dosages above, you know, 1000 milligrams, I've noticed a reduction in fatigue during exercise. Now, one thing that we need to understand is that L-carnosine is one of the reasons why most people respond really well to beta alanine. So

It is particularly valuable as a dietary supplement for athletes to increase exercise performance, but also possess an array of other benefits for individuals looking to optimize health and treat various conditions. So we can see L-carnosine can be broken down into beta alanine and L-histidine. And so it's a combination of beta alanine and histidine, which forms this carnosine supplement.

So it's a dipeptide containing of beta alanine and L-histidine. So what is making L-carnosine so popular? Well, carnosine has a number of beneficial effects such as increased exercise performance and muscle strength which I mentioned earlier

cognitive health and executive functioning, mental health such as depression, blood glucose management and glycemic control, sleep support, age related diseases such as type two diabetes,

and neurodegenerative diseases. Looking at its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It has antihypertensive effects. It has action as an immunomodulating agent and also possesses wound healing properties.

So here are some snapshots of research. This study here was titled, a preliminary randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of L-carnosine to improve cognition in schizophrenia. So they're looking at how

L-carnosine can actually minimize the negative effects in schizophrenia. This next study here was titled, "Carnosine Supplementation Improves Glucose Control in Adults with Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes, a Randomized Controlled Trial." And what they noted was that, "Carnosine supplementation decreased blood glucose at the 90 minute mark and 120 minute mark after a glucose tolerance test and also total glucose under the curve."

This next study here was titled Anti-Hyperlipidemic Potential of Dietary Supplementation with Carnitine in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats. And basically what they're saying is that

Carnicine is an agent that can reinforce muscle cells by different mechanisms of action. And athletes and elderly may use carnicine to improve their strength and resistance, such as athletes, and to counteract the weakness and fatigue syndrome, reducing the risk of bone fracture.

This next study here was titled Effects of Carnicine and Histidine Containing Dipeptides on Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress, a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. So what they noted here was that carnicine supplementation may reduce inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers and potentially modulate the cardiometabolic risks associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and lipid peroxidation.

I mean, L-carnosine has some really powerful effects in the human body. This next study here was titled Effective L-carnosine in Patients with Age-Related Diseases, a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. So they're looking at the unique benefits of L-carnosine

showing improvements in blood sugar, reductions in issues with memory and improvements in overall health. This next study here was titled L-carnosine combination therapy for major depressive disorder, a randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial. And they noted that L-carnosine treatment over six weeks

showed significant and rapid onset improvement in Hamilton depression rating scale. And treatment with L-carnosine seems to be well tolerated with no serious adverse effects. So that is pretty phenomenal. This study here was titled, "Carnosine Small But Mighty Prospect of Use as Functional Ingredient for Functional Food Formulation." So basically they're looking at how carnosine

through its reduction of oxidative stress decreases neurological symptoms, negative consequences of therapy and improves cognitive function of the brain in patients. So we can see that it's a metabolic like nutrient, assisting in general metabolism.

This next study here was titled, "Effects of Carnicine or Beta-Alanine Supplementation on Markers of Glycemic Control and Insulin Resistance in Humans and Animals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." And basically what they said, "We included all available human and animal data to provide the most comprehensive assessment to date of the effects of Carnicine and Beta-Alanine supplementation

on glycemic control and insulin resistance. Our main findings show that supplementation improves glycemic control across a range of disease types in humans. So such as type one diabetic children, type two diabetic adults and rodents. So that's phenomenal stuff. This study here was titled, "The therapeutic potential of carnosine

or anserine supplementation against cognitive decline. And they said that carnosine anserine was administered for 12 weeks at a dose of one gram per day and improved global function or global cognitive function, whereas no effects were detected on depressive symptoms.

So we're seeing some pretty remarkable effects there. This next study here was looking at how L-carnosine can affect neurotransmitters. L-carnosine has notable implications on normalizing GABA, dopamine, glutamate, histamine, and acetylcholine levels in the brain, comparatively to taurine, but possibly even better in that regard. So we can see here how

The L-carnosine has some pretty powerful neuroprotective effects, you know, assisting with metabolic support for neurons. So minimizing lactate buildup, pH buffering in cells with high metabolic flux, and so on and so forth. This is the most bizarre or I guess interesting finding about L-carnosine. It prevents the conversion of dopamine into norepinephrine.

So this study here was titled, "Inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase by carnosine." So they're basically looking at how carnosine significantly inhibited the enzyme that's responsible for converting dopamine into norepinephrine or epinephrine. So this is where if some people feel like they're getting too tense or nervous or anxious on too much, when they have too much norepinephrine, this is where L-carnosine can be really potentially effective in that regard.

So you're probably wondering now whether or not it should be with or without food. L-carnitine is best taken without food and away from meals to avoid nutrient blocking. Since it's a dipeptide, L-carnitine may compete for absorption via peptide and amino acid transporters if taken with food. So long story short, there is avoid taking L-carnitine with food. It should be away from food. So best on an empty stomach fasted in the morning.

Now, how does it actually work? Well, L-carnosine has a well demonstrated multimodal mechanism of action that includes a detoxification of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, the downregulation of the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, the inhibition of aberrant protein formation and the modulation of cells in the peripheral macrophages and brain immune systems. So we can see how it has a multimodal effect.

In terms of side effects, it's generally well tolerated with minimal side effects. However, rare side effects include skin changes, appetite and weight fluctuation, GI distress, drowsiness and vivid dreams. In regards to dosages, L-carnosine supplementation and research ranges from about 500 milligrams all the way up to 200.

Drum roll please, 12 grams per day. So that's from 500 milligrams all the way up to 12 grams per day for the duration of one day to 12 weeks. One study used 15 milligrams per kilogram and 30 milligrams per kilogram for their dosing, which provides more specific guidance per the individual. So pretty drastic dosage range like what we see with taurine, glycine, creatine,

Pretty interesting stuff there.

So in summary, L-carnosine is a critical endogenous molecule whose supplementation has robust benefits, including performance enhancement, detoxification, anti-inflammatory properties, metabolic health, and cognitive capacity. Now, interestingly, it has been shown to decrease the conversion of dopamine into norepinephrine and thus demonstrate adjuncting benefits to dopaminergic medications. Although obviously you need to consult with your healthcare professional first.

before making any changes to your lifestyle or routine. So L-carnosine, definitely consider looking into L-carnosine supplementation if you're looking for an energy kick, reduction in fatigue and buffering lactic acid buildup during your workout. So that wraps up today's podcast. If you did find this episode helpful, please consider leaving a review. Thank you very much for tuning in. I look forward to seeing you in the next podcast.

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