L-Carnosine

Studies have shown that L-Carnosine is a major tool in the fight against aging and degenerative disease. L-Carnosine, when introduced into the body's cells, has been shown to rejuvenate the cells. In essence, it is working as an anti-aging agent from within our cell structure. L-Carnosine is found in all cells, but in higher quantities in the muscles, heart, kidney and brain cells.

As we age, optimum conversion from dietary sources becomes inefficient and this is believed to be one of the primary factors leading to the aging process. The human body has an optimum span of over 120 years, but few people live beyond their 80's.

A Prime Rejuvination Agent

In studies, the longer living animals had more L-Carnosine present in their cells.

Decades of research on human cells and the well-defined pattern in the growth, development and aging of them, was referred to as the "Hayflick Phenomenon". Placed in a growth vat with a fluid rich in essential nutrients, cells from young donors will quickly begin to reproduce, forming colonies, which fill the vat and then stop reproduction, to prevent starvation. If half of these cells are removed from the container, the remaining cells will begin growing again to fill their environment. But this process only goes on so far.

At each round of division, the cells are aging or becoming "senescent". Senescent cells stop producing the right proteins from their DNA, losing the functions for which they were designed. The appearance of the cell culture takes on a degraded texture. Eventually, after about 60 divisions, the cells will stop reproducing and are just alive, inactive and waiting for death. This is the same process that happens in aging and deterioration of the skin.

L-Carnosine Rejuvenates Cells

Cultures of old, dying (senescent) cells cannot be mistaken for younger cells, which are uniform in appearance and line up in parallel arrays. Senescent cells exhibit a grainy appearance and take on peculiar shapes and sizes. They lose the ability to organise themselves in a regular pattern. These striking changes are called the senescent phenotype.

L-Carnosine has been shown to rejuvenate old, dying cells quickly restoring the juvenile phenotype (McFarland GA et al. 1999; McFarland GA et al. 1994). The scientists raised lung and skin cells in one of two standard cell culture mediums, then kept half of the cells in the original medium, and transferred half to the same medium supplemented with L-Carnosine. The results were vivid and amazing. The cells in L-Carnosine not only had from 1 - 7 more population doublings, the cells lived up to two thirds longer than the standard medium cells!

Furthermore, adding L-Carnosine to the cell medium made the cells younger! Scientists described the results as "striking effects on the cell morphology" (shape and structure). The cells grown in L-Carnosine-supplemented medium looked the same as they did when they were young even over time, yet the ones raised in the regular medium became damaged and irregular and finally broke apart.

The scientists took the old, damaged cells from the standard medium and put them into the L-Carnosine supplemented medium and this process was reversed by taking the L-Carnosine supplemented cells and putting them in ordinary medium. The once L-Carnosine treated cells rapidly degenerated into what would be a normal state, but the damaged, old cells from the normal medium were made younger again by the L-Carnosine.

"These cells showed a remarkable rejuvenation, with regard to their morphology... and finally reached ages significantly greater than the control culture from which they were derived."

Scientific experiments have since repeated, confirmed and expanded on the original results. They have shown that they could take regular cells, observe them age and put them in the L-Carnosine, observe them grow younger and switch them back and watch them age again. They propose that L-Carnosine is integral to cellular organization and function, optimising longevity.

Clinically Established General Properties and Actions of L-Carnosine

Senile cataracts in 96 seniors, who had them for 2-21 years improved greatly by using L-Carnosine eye drops 3-4 times per day. Positive results were seen in over 80% of the cases. L-Carnosine was also seen to improve general eyesight. Corneal ulcerations and erosion from viral and bacterial sources also improved greatly
It inhibits the activity of MAO B (monoamine oxidase B) which is an enzyme involved in breaking down some brain messengers (such as dopamine and serotonin). MAOB activity is known to increase production of the free radicals. Deprenyl, a drug used to treat people with Parkinson's disease, works by inhibiting L-Carnosine enhanced memory functions of the brain cells and stopped the over stimulation of certain receptors...which in situations such as stroke can inhibit oxygen to the brain cells leading to cellular death
As people age, their rate of tearing down old, defective cellular proteins (proteolysis) slows down, which interferes with cellular function. L-Carnosine maintains proteolysis at more youthful levels in old cells. It also reacts with abnormal proteins, making it easier for the body to rid itself of them. In the first tests, it was noticed that one of the batches of normal medium cells had become contaminated with cancer cells. It was growing rapidly. When L-Carnosine was added to this dying population, the cell cultures became free of cancer cells! They tried it against seven different human cancers and every one showed the same result. It seems that as beneficial as L-Carnosine is to normal cells, it was selectively toxic to human cancer cells!
L-Carnosine enhances various aspects of immunity and protects cells against damage from a variety of toxins produced in the body as a part of normal metabolism such as the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde; the cancer-causing glycation product methylglyoxal hypochlorite, a deadly substance made by cells of the immune system to kill off invading pathogens, but also toxic to the body's own cells; formaldehyde' and the amyloid beta-peptide, which forms the seed of the plaques associated with Alzheimer's. L-Carnosine also prevents the development of amyloid into full-fledged plaques
L-Carnosine protected cellular DNA better than any other antioxidant (Vit E, Vit C, NAC etc) under the stress of toxic levels of oxygen. In fact it was the only substance, which did. L-Carnosine is a highly versatile antioxidant capable of neutralizing a large range of free radicals (superoxide, singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and both peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals). Further, it has indirect antioxidant powers through chelation of pro-oxidant metals and the prevention of the destruction of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. These qualities give it a place in mercury and other heavy metal detoxification
L-Carnosine also protects against the formation of Advanced Glycation end products (AGE's), proteins warped by sugar (glycated). When a protein becomes glycated, it results in the loss of that protein's function, loss of flexibility, atherosclerosis, abnormal cellular signalling, inflammation, the complications of diabetes, and aspects of the aging process

How much L-Carnosine should be used as a health supplement?

To be effective, the consensus is a maintenance amount of half a gram a day (500mgs). One gram daily is advised in times of extra need, such as an elderly person with health problems, or for an initial period of a few weeks to build up depleted reserves in the body. There are no adverse affects beyond typical adaptation effects as any excess is expelled naturally.

Caution: Start at one capsule daily and if getting strong reactions, like marked sleeplessness or nausea, reduce dose to half or even a quarter of a capsule daily until adapted and gradually raise dose to 3 capsules daily (489mg) or double this in times of need as detailed above.

General Properties Of L-Carnosine As Shown By Scientific Studies

Protection of skin: helps prevent skin collagen cross-linking which leads to loss of elasticity, wrinkles.
Cell Rejuvenation: fantastic ability to rejuvenate cells approaching old age, restoring normal appearance and extending their lifespan.
Wound Healing: rejuvenates connective tissue cells and therefore improve wound healing.
Brain Protection: protects the microvas culature of the brain from the development of plaque that can contribute to senility and Alzheimer's disease.
Antioxidant: helps to eliminate the most destructive of free radicals, the hydroxyl radical, as well as super oxide, singlet oxygen, and the peroxyl radical.
Improved Calcium Response: helps the heart muscle to contract more efficiently through improvement of calcium response in heart myocytes.
Cellular DNA Protection: protects the cells DNA from damage that accumulates with age.
Anti-Carbonylation: Carbonylation is a pathological step in the deterioration of the body's proteins with age and L-Carnosine is the most effective anti-carbonylation agent yet discovered. L-Carnosine helps to prevent loss of elasticity, wrinkles, and loss of the extracellular matrix

L-Carnosine occurs naturally in the body and food chain. Nerve and muscle cells contain high levels of L-Carnosine. You are born with high levels in your body but unfortunately it decreases with age leaving you vulnerable to illness and the effects of aging. The good news is that you can now replace L-Carnosine naturally with a daily supplementation.

Other effects of L-Carnosine that have been observed and studied

Lowers blood pressure
Improves immune function
Reduces incidence of peptic ulcers
Converts body fat into energy
Improves anaerobic athletic performance
Protects the body against alcohol damage
Ameliorates congestive heart failure
Acts as a zinc and copper regulator in nerve cells, helping to prevent overstimulation by these neuroactive minerals/trace elements