carnosine and beta-alanine

Hey guys . I have been doing some research on carnosine ( beta-alanine converts to carnosine) The consensus appears to be that carnosine has amazing rejuvenative powers ! Some sources claim that in rat studys subjects with low carnitine had 40% less hair as the rats aged!

Just curious as to whether people were aware of this supplement and what your thoughts are!



http://www.aor.ca/html/products.php?id=40

thelibrarian - Nice find!

I've heard also that beta-alanine is better an more economical than carnosine but I didn't know about the hair connection.

Where did you read this? I'm not seeing anything about the hair connection online. It would make sense if amino acids would play a part though...

Hi thelibrarian,

Thanks for the info about beta-alanine. I didn't realize that and looks like I'll be able to save some money.

I take carnosine. I don't take it everyday though so I can't comment on results. I also have that article printed out about the mice. Here's the link and some quotes

http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1109394

"Similar anti-senescence effects have now been demonstrated in mice. A Russian study tested the effect of carnosine on life span and indicators of senescence in senescence-accelerated mice. Half the mice were given carnosine in their drinking water starting at two months of age. Carnosine extended the life span of the treated mice by 20% on average, compared to the mice not fed carnosine"

"Carnosine distinctly improved the appearance of the aged mice, whose coat fullness and colour remained much closer to that of young animals. Significantly more carnosine-treated mice had glossy coats (44% vs. 5%), while significantly fewer had skin ulcers (14% vs. 36%). However, carnosine did not affect the loss or texture of hair. "

Here is a good article that I also printed previously about a possible synergy between carnosine, ALA/ALC and this is mostly the reason why I take these 3

http://www.mybiopro.com/Press_Alpha_Lipoic_Acid_Research.aspx?ID=johnjosepho

"a team of scientists describes the powerful synergistic abilities of lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine to significantly combat aging. Together, these two nutrients are shown to help combat diabetes, maintain proper cognitive function, support heart health, support energy production, protect the body from radiation and chemical toxins, and maintain immunity. And, when combined with carnosine, a powerful trio for longevity is created."

thelibrarian,

I thought you might be interested in this article/study about Ubiquinol.



"As one can clearly see by the three still photos, the mouse receiving no CoQ10 suffered severe aging consequences, whereas the mouse receiving conventional CoQ10 suffered noticeable, but not as harsh degenerative changes. The mouse receiving the new form of CoQ10, on the other hand, appears to be very healthy. As a whole, the group who received the new form CoQ10 aged 40% slower than the group receiving conventional CoQ10 and 51% slower than the group receiving no CoQ10."

http://www.smartbodyz.com/Coenzyme-Q10(Co-Enzyme-Q-10)Side-Effects-Benefits-BioActive-Phenomenon50mg.htm


CoQ10 also lowers Lp (a) so that's all I needed to know to add this to my longevity regimen, lol. I'm very happy with CoQ10 ... I can tell a big difference when I take it and is definitely worth the $7 per month taking it.

cool.

is there a dosage for humans they're clear about?

What's the impact on us growing hair though?

thanks JDP for coq10 info ( sorry it has taken me so long to respond!- do you have children?

I have been taking 200mg a day of ubiquinol. With the beta-alanine and ubiquinol additions to my regime I have gone to a whole new feeling of well-being!

thanks for the tip!

Your welcome thelibrarian.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I know if I had children I'd rarely be here, lol. I do have a bunch of nieces and nephews that I look after often and it's definitely a handful, lol.



I'm curious, which beta-alanine are you using and at which dosage?

I ordered this beta-alanine and I haven't noticed a difference or any tingling like they say.

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/NWF217/ItemDetail?n=

I've been taking 2 - 6 grams per day multiple times per day. Although, maybe it was the occasional carnosine that I previously took of why I can't tell a difference.


Oh, about the ubiquinol, yeah, it's good stuff. I noticed right away when I first starting taking it that my energy levels went way up! I also don't get the afternoon tired feeling like I use to. I've been taking 50 mg of this per day.

http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origins-Ubiquinol-50-mg-60-Softgels/8211?at=0

I've also bought the swansons ubiquinol as it should be the same. They are both made by Kaneka. Kinda like krill oil how it's cheaper if you buy the Swansons brand. That way I can save a couple bucks.

hey JDP,

Here is the beta alanine I am taking. I use the powdered form. I take about 6 grams.





http://www.sndcanada.com/interactive_beta_alanine

Hello,

I take beta-alanine for bodybuilding purposes and it certainly is effective for that. As for hair, I have not yet noticed a positive effect, but have only been taking it for ~1 month. I will report back after another month or so!

RB

Jdp-

You are taking your ubiquinol after meal right? Does it need any other supplement together to enhance its absorption?Like Omega 3 ?

anyone take l-Cysteine?

it seems to get some great reviews....

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-L-Cysteine-500-mg-100-Tablets/538?at=0

Ok, got some beta-alanine yesterday. Took two capsules. overall felt pretty good. Noticed I didn't seem to be able to go to sleep but didn't mind it though, I guess a feeling of more energy. Woke up early as well and wasn't tired.

Anyone notice similar/other effects?

Yes, it affect carnosine levels which in turn should give you energy. I only take it morning, pre-workout, and post-workout and avoid taking it before bed.

Did you get the BA tingle? Most users experience a tingle/slight itch the first few doses (just means its working). How many mg (or g) per capsule? Generally 3-5g separated into 3 doses is recommended.

I was in a hurry so I took the beta-alanine with a Red Bull and also 2000 mg of niacin, so yeah, I got a tingle. The tingle of MY LIFE!

Niacin used to be good for me, but I think the vaso-effect somehow now allows more dht to the hair. I even used to use it topically and it had a good effect (darkens hair and makes you look like you have a tan all day) DO NOT GET IN EYES.

You mean "paraesthesia"?

Nah, I didn't notice anything yet, but took it this morning and am looking forward to the benefits. Will probably stick to am doses so thank you for the info on that. Is there anything you're adding to you hair stack along with this?

Right now, I'm doing Ubiquitol, Beta-Ala and buckwheat, juicing and garlic 1x a day.

I've been taking Jarrow's L-Carnosine (for cataracts) now for a couple of months and have not noticed anything different in terms of hair, energy level, weight...or eyesight. The only reaction I had was that the first few days I took it, I had a slight stomach ache right afterward (Jarrow instructs you to take it on an empty stomach). I will probably drop this supplement when my bottle is out. If anyone has any good results with it or beta-alanine in the future, I will reconsider.

Ok, so day three of Beta-Al. I did get the tingle, maybe takes a few days to ramp up. Similar to a niacin flush, but nowhere near as bad.

What is this stuff doing again?

Noticed that I wake up in the middle of the night, don't need as much sleep and am not tired from this effect, which is really cool.

This and that crazy Aajonus Vonderplanitz rotten meat diet, and I'm on my way to becoming a vampire...

FWIW, since I've lowered the amount of supplements I take I can now tell a difference with beta alanine. I still have to check my carnosine supplements that I have on hand but I'm sure it's the same.

It appears my skin gets smoother while taking it. Since carnosine/beta alanine act as a heavy metal chelator, I'm guessing the reason for the smoother skin is it's helping with hyaluronic acid.

hope this helps

Life Sci. 2004 Jul 30;75(11):1379-89. Related Articles, Links
Click here to read
Anti-crosslinking properties of carnosine: significance of histidine.

Hobart LJ, Seibel I, Yeargans GS, Seidler NW.

Department of Biochemistry, University of Health Sciences, 1750
Independence Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64106-1453, USA.

Carnosine, a histidine-containing dipeptide, is a potential treatment
for Alzheimer's disease. There is evidence that carnosine prevents
oxidation and glycation, both of which contribute to the crosslinking of
proteins; and protein crosslinking promotes beta-amyloid plaque formation.
It was previously shown that carnosine has anti-crosslinking activity, but
it is not known which of the chemical constituents are responsible. We
tested the individual amino acids in carnosine (beta-alanine, histidine) as
well as modified forms of histidine (alpha-acetyl-histidine,
1-methyl-histidine) and methylated carnosine (anserine) using
glycation-induced crosslinking of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase as
our model. beta-Alanine showed anti-crosslinking activity but less than
that of carnosine, suggesting that the beta-amino group is required in
preventing protein crosslinking. Interestingly, histidine, which has both
alpha-amino and imidazolium groups, was more effective than carnosine.
Acetylation of histidine's alpha-amino group or methylation of its
imidazolium group abolished anti-crosslinking activity. Furthermore,
methylation of carnosine's imidazolium group decreased its
anti-crosslinking activity. The results suggest that histidine is the
representative structure for an anti-crosslinking agent, containing the
necessary functional groups for optimal protection against crosslinking
agents. We propose that the imidazolium group of histidine or carnosine may
stabilize adducts formed at the primary amino group.

Here's an interesting testimonial

"I take this [Histidine] and Glycine to stop hair loss and thicken my aging hair"

http://www.iherb.com/Twinlab-L-Histidine-500-mg-60-Tablets/2348?at=1

I just came across this thread searching beta alanine on google. I just read a study where d-carnosine BUT NOT l-carnosine "...reduces the development of inflammation and tissue injury associated with spinal cord trauma."

Thought I'd share it and see what thoughts are on D vs L-carnosine, and the implications on beta alanine supplementation vs straight d-carnosine in light of this finding?

01-13-12

Data detailed in "Administration of carnosine in the treatment of acute spinal cord injury" have been presented. "L-Carnosine is an endogenously synthesized dipeptide composed of beta-alanine and L-histidine. It acts as a free radical scavenger and possesses antioxidant properties," scientists in Messina, Italy report (see also Spinal Cord Injury).

"L-Carnosine reduces proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), interleukin (IL)-1, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in different experimental settings. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of L and D-carnosine on the animal model of spinal cord injury (SCI). The spinal cord was exposed via a four-level T5-T8 laminectomy and SCI was produced by extradural compression of the spinal cord at level T6-T7 using an aneurysm clip with a closing force of 24 g. Treatment with D-carnosine (150 mg/kg administered i.p., 1 h and 6h, after SCI), but not L-carnosine significantly decreased (a) the degree of spinal cord inflammation and tissue injury (histological score), (b) neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity), ?? nitrotyrosine formation, inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and Hsp70 expression, (d) proinflammatory cytokines, and (e) apoptosis (TUNEL staining, Fas ligand, Bax, and Bcl-2 expression). Furthermore, D-carnosine (150 mg/kg administered i.p., 1 h and 6 h, after SCI) significantly ameliorated the loss of limb function (evaluated by motor recovery score). Taken together, our results demonstrate the strong difference between L-carnosine and D-carnosine," wrote Paola R. Di and colleagues, Institute for Cancer Research & Treatment.

The researchers concluded: "The result strongly suggests that D-carnosine treatment reduces the development of inflammation and tissue injury associated with spinal cord trauma."

Di and colleagues published their study in Biochemical Pharmacology (Administration of carnosine in the treatment of acute spinal cord injury. Biochemical Pharmacology, 2011;82(10):1478-89).

For additional information, contact R. Di Paola, IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Via Palermo CDa Casazza, 98100 Messina, Italy.

Keywords: City:Messina, Country:Italy, Region:Europe, Biochemistry, Central Nervous System.

This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2012, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.

To see more of the NewsRx.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.newsrx.com .

2007 NewsRx.com. All Rights Reserved.Copyright 2012, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com

Anyone have any updates on carnosine?

Beta-alanine makes my scalp, forehead, eyebrows, and neck tingle. The parasthesia is especially intense at my temples, forehead and eyebrow area. I wonder why I get this localized sensation when beta-alanine should be effecting my entire system. The feelings are so much less pronounced in other areas. Any ideas?

CS or others. Is Beta-Alanine safe to use alone or do I need to supplement with copper? Would raising Carnosine raise my NO to much and create iNOS?

Biffy wrote:CS or others. Is Beta-Alanine safe to use alone or do I need to supplement with copper? Would raising Carnosine raise my NO to much and create iNOS?

I've taken both for different periods.

In my experience would choose Carnosine (take at least a 1,000 mg at a time).

Beta Alanine can effect levels of zinc and copper. Carnosine can as well. I suggest to take reasonable levels of both.
I take 15 mg of zinc (1 mg of copper).

From an anti-aging perspective carnosine is #1.

It will work even better when mixed with Lipoic acid.