Reducing the Effects of Aging

By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

You’ve seen the ads – ripped men with six-pack abs flexing their enormous muscles and touting the benefits of this or that supplement. What you might not know, however, is most of these muscle-building formulas contain a common nutrient. And researchers are discovering that the benefits of this nutrient go far beyond body building.

Recent studies show that this supplement boosts immunity, reduces inflammation, promotes wound healing, protects against ulcers, cataracts and Alzheimer’s disease, and may even guard against cancer. It works on so many fronts that some scientists regard it as one of the most important supplements for longevity.

So what is this “wonder” nutrient? Carnosine – a powerful antioxidant found in meat and fish. The trouble is, even if you eat lots of meat (not something I’d recommend), your natural carnosine levels decrease with age. This reduction could be one of the major reasons older people experience a decline in muscle mass, strength and function.

The "IT" Nutrient

Carnosine, sold in supplement form as L-carnosine, is an amino acid made naturally in the body. What makes it so special is that it helps protect against glycation, one of the two main processes that cause the breakdown of the body. Recent studies show that glycation works together with oxidation to create free radicals, those destructive molecules that damage healthy cells. While oxidation is a result of oxygen use in the body, glycation is driven by the body’s use of sugar.

Here’s what happens: The glycation process attacks proteins in the body and converts them into Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). As AGEs accumulate throughout the body, they generate more free radicals that break down tissues in the body, resulting in damage to the skin, eyes, nervous and circulatory systems, and the vital organs. The result is the wrinkled skin, mental decline and other symptoms of aging. And since our carnosine levels decline with each passing year, there’s nothing to stop the destruction.

Time to Rewind

Although none of the research on carnosine shows that it can reverse damage done by glycation, studies have found that this amino acid can slow the glycation process in laboratory animals. In one study, carnosine improved lifespan, brain function and physical appearance. Of course, no one knows if these results will translate to people, but the research is promising. Initial laboratory studies have shown that carnosine can extend the life of human cells.

Along with thwarting glycation, L-carnosine supplements also combat cellular damage by helping the body rid itself of toxic metals, a process known as chelation. Excessive levels of pro-oxidative metals, such as copper and zinc, and toxic heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and nickel, have been linked to a host of illnesses, including Alzheimer’s, autism, Parkinson’s, dementia, ADHD, and schizophrenia. Supplementing with carnosine may help protect against these disorders because it helps keep these substances from accumulating in your system.

In experiments, treatment with carnosine was found to reduce or completely prevent cell damage caused by beta amyloid plaque, the substance found in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. Carnosine blocks and neutralizes beta amyloid, so it protects neural tissues against diseases such as dementia.

L-carnosine supplementation also protects the eyes. Recently, eye drops containing the nutrient accelerated the healing of bacterial infections of the eye. Then there are cataracts. Carnosine eye drops have been shown to delay visual aging in humans in 80 to 100 percent of the cases studied. In some cases, the cataracts went away permanently with regular use of the drops.

But that’s not all. German scientists report that supplementing with L-carnosine alters glucose metabolism and can reduce the risk of developing diabetes. And if the disease does develop, it is milder and comes on later in life.

Buff and Beautiful

On a purely superficial level, a preliminary trial involving 20 volunteers between the ages of 45 and 70 reported that 25 percent of the participants noticed firmer skin after taking carnosine for just a few months. Skin aging is caused by the accumulation and cross-linking of proteins that cause wrinkles and the loss of elasticity. Carnosine not only prevents this protein damage, it rejuvenates connective tissue cells – which results in a firmer, younger-looking complexion.

While taking L-carnosine supplements can foster a healthy complexion from the inside out, you can also get this nutrient in topical forms. Regular use of carnosine skin creams may help prevent and treat the appearance of tough, leathery skin and improve your overall skin condition,. It can also help prevent future signs of skin aging.

But L-carnosine won’t just help you look younger, it just might help you feel younger too. Another 25 percent of the people participating in this study reported better sleep, increased mental clarity and, best of all, a boost in their libido.

One Last Thing ...

Now that many people are cutting down on their meat consumption – the main dietary source of carnosine – supplementation is especially important. The normal dose for anti-aging benefits is 100 to 200 milligrams each day. Clinical trials show that L-carnosine is extremely safe without any serious side effects or contraindications. Just make sure you don’t take doses over 500 mg. since there have been some reports of muscle twitching with dosages of over 1,000 mg. per day.

One more ting – don’t confuse L-carnosine with L-carnitine, which is a supplement used to protect the heart and help stabilize blood sugar. These supplements are in no way related and serve entirely different purposes in the body.

This Just In ...

When it comes to cholesterol, how low is too low? While most doctors think that lower is better, new research out of Tufts University has found that people who have achieved very low LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by using a statin drug like Lipitor or Zocor may be at a slightly higher risk of developing cancer.

The Tufts team reviewed 13 studies involving more than 41,000 people on statin drugs and discovered that, for every 1,000 patients with low LDL levels, there was one additional case of cancer compared with the same number of people with higher cholesterol. Although it’s not a huge risk, it’s just another reason to avoid statin drugs if you can.

If your LDL levels are 130 or below, adopt a low-fat diet, start exercising and try taking arjuna. This traditional Ayurvedic herb is a powerful vasodilator that significantly improves heart function. It also lowers cholesterol. One investigation divided 105 patients into three groups who took either arjuna, vitamin E or a placebo. While no changes were seen in the vitamin E and placebo groups, those taking the arjuna had a 12.7 percent decrease in total cholesterol and a 25.6 percent reduction in LDL.

If you’re in the market for an effective arjuna supplement, look for a product that contains one percent arjunolic acid. The typical dose to reduce cholesterol levels is 500 mg. three times a day. But, while arjuna is safe, it does work directly in the liver so talk to your doctor before taking this cholesterol-lowering herb.

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References:

Alsheikh-Ali AA, Maddukuri PV, Han H, et al. “Effect of the Magnitude of Lipid Lowering on Risk of Elevated Liver Enzymes, Rhabdomyolysis, and Cancer: Insights From Large Randomized Statin Trials.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2007;50:409-418.

Hipkiss AR, Brownson C. A possible new role for the anti-aging peptide carnosine. Cellular, Molecular and Life Science. 2000; 57(5):747-53.

Maichuk luF, Formaziuk VF. Sergienku VI. “Development of carnosine eye drops and assessing their efficiency in corneal diseases.” Vestn Oftalmol 1997;1:27-31.

Preston J et al. “Toxic effects of B-amyloid on immortalised rat brain endothelial cell: protection by carnosine, homocarnosine and B-alanine.” Neuroscience Letters. 1998; 242: 105-108.

Sauerhöfer S, Yuan G, Braun GS, et al. “L-carnosine, a substrate of carnosinase-1, influences glucose metabolism.” Diabetes. Published online on June 29, 2007.