Common Uses: Gastric conditions, inflammation, skin health, taste disorder
Zinc carnosine encourages mucosal repair and gastric healing through anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective mechanisms.
Traditional Use:
Zinc and carnosine have been used for various purposes throughout history. Zinc is known for its use in treating wounds and eye ailments. It was first recognized as a metal in 1374. Carnosine was first identified in 1900 and has been used for over two decades in Japan as an anti-ulcer treatment and tissue repair.
Research Overview:
Zinc carnosine is a compound of zinc and carnosine in a 1:1 complex, with carnosine enhancing zinc absorption. It is not a traditional antacid or antisecretory medication; nonetheless, it is beneficial in preventing and treating gastric mucosal injury due to itscytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity.
A controlled study published in theJournal of Digestive Diseases and Sciences evaluated the effectiveness of Zinc carnosine in protecting against gastric mucosal damage in animal models. The findings revealed that Zinc carnosine had aprotective effect on the gastric mucosa. These results suggested that zinc carnosine may have cytoprotective properties and may help protect against gastric mucosal injury.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, investigator-blinded trial published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology evaluatedzinc carnosine's use in treating ulcerative colitis. The results demonstrated that the group treated with zinc carnosine had improved clinical symptoms compared to their baseline.71% of the treatment group also achieved clinical remission, suggesting that zinc carnosine may repair damaged mucosa. Therefore, researchers concluded that adding zinc-carnosine to a treatment plan for ulcerative colitis.
Interesting Fact: Zinc can be found in many foods such as meat, shellfish, legumes, and eggs.
Sources:
Arakawa, T., et al. “Effects of Zinc L-Carnosine on Gastric Mucosal and Cell Damage Caused by Ethanol in Rats. Correlation with Endogenous Prostaglandin E2.”Digestive Diseases and Sciences, vol. 35, no. 5, May 1990, pp. 559–66.PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540402.
Boldyrev, Alexander A., et al. “Physiology and Pathophysiology of Carnosine.”Physiological Reviews, vol. 93, no. 4, Oct. 2013, pp. 1803–45.journals.physiology.org (Atypon), https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00039.2012.
Efthymakis, Konstantinos, and Matteo Neri. “The Role of Zinc L-Carnosine in the Prevention and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Mucosal Disease in Humans: A Review.”Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology, vol. 46, no. 7, Aug. 2022, p. 101954.ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinre.2022.101954.
Hewlings, Susan, and Douglas Kalman. “A Review of Zinc-L-Carnosine and Its Positive Effects on Oral Mucositis, Taste Disorders, and Gastrointestinal Disorders.”Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 3, Feb. 2020, p. 665.PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030665.
Itagaki, Munenori, et al. “Efficacy of Zinc-Carnosine Chelate Compound, Polaprezinc, Enemas in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.”Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, vol. 49, no. 2, Feb. 2014, pp. 164–72.PubMed, https://doi.org/10.3109/00365521.2013.863963.
Nielsen, Forrest H. “History of Zinc in Agriculture.”Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), vol. 3, no. 6, Nov. 2012, pp. 783–89.PubMed, https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.002881.
