| Carnosine (or L-carnosine) is a protein molecule composed of two amino acids (beta alanine and histidine). It is a dipeptide amino acid commonly found in human and animal brain and muscle tissue. Unlike other amino acids, as an antioxidant, L-carnosine has the ability to keep working even when cells are attacked by free radicals, preventing further or complete damage.
As we all know, anti-aging mainly requires anti-glycation, anti-oxidation and collagen synthesis. Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with unpaired electrons, only the electrons that exist in pairs are stable, so free radicals attack DNA and enzymes in cells. DNA and enzymes are the core existence in cells. Once affected by free radicals, oxidative damage will be formed. Excessive free radicals can affect a large number of cells, causing unpredictable damage and causing many diseases in addition to aging. Glycation is the reaction of sugar and collagen under specific conditions to produce brown-black macromolecules. After glycation, the whole protein is brown and black, which will directly lead to dark yellow skin. Glycation can also easily cause an inflammatory response. The end products of glycation are called AGEs.
Carnosine is an effective inhibitor of AGEs. It can replace collagen and react with sugar when glycosylation occurs, thereby inhibiting the final production of AGEs and solving the problem of anti-glycation. A double-blind randomized clinical trial in 2016 showed that users who took carnosine had lower blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which can also be said to protect against diabetes to some extent. Carnosine has impressive antioxidant properties and is widely used as a free radical scavenger. As an anti-aging active ingredient, carnosine is expected to be used in cosmetics.
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