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Zinc and L-carnosine are two ingredients that can provide potentially vital health benefits. While most people have heard of zinc as a nutritional supplement to support immune health, the use of supplemental L-carnosine is less well-known. Although zinc and L-carnosine can be taken individually, when combined as zinc L-carnosine, or polaprezinc, the complex has unique effects that further support gastrointestinal function.
When people think of zinc, they often think of immune function. And, broadly, this is a good association. However, zinc has multiple roles in the body, with enzymatic, structural, and regulatory processes.
While zinc is often described as being utilized in over 300 enzymes, the latest count suggests that zinc plays a role in upward of 2000. Enzymes are proteins that build up or break down the components our bodies need. Digestive enzymes are a more well-known example. Without enzymes, our bodies couldn't function. As such, it's not surprising that if zinc is in short supply during development, a child's growth can be stunted. Stunting is often used to measure the percentage of children deficient in zinc in a specific population.
Beyond its role in enzymatic function, zinc is also crucial for the structure of numerous proteins, many of which are used for regulating gene expression. With the addition of zinc, these proteins are stabilized, making them capable of performing their necessary task, including binding to deoxynucleic acid or DNA.
In addition, ionic zinc is a significant factor in regulating processes throughout the body. Zinc ions can promote or inhibit numerous biological functions. This regulatory function of zinc is the main pathway that supports the immune system. A recent review concluded that zinc plays a critical role in numerous functions on the cellular level, including cell activation, division, and development. Zinc also contributes to wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function, and the production of sperm. Neurologically speaking, zinc helps with mental development and memory enhancement.
Zinc plays a critical role in the human body. And one key role of zinc is its support for gastrointestinal function. Zinc's ability to improve childhood diarrhea cases is probably best known. Studies out of India have shown a 39% reduction in diarrheal episodes lasting longer than seven days in children when supplemented with zinc.
Zinc is also critical for reducing intestinal permeability, or the so-called leaky gut. Intestinal permeability is typically caused by inflammation. When present, this inflammation can lead to gaps between intestinal cells that are normally held tightly together. These gaps allow not-fully-digested food particles and other gastrointestinal contents to enter the body. These particles can then cause an immune response and further inflammation. Autoimmune conditions, including celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, all have correlations to increased intestinal permeability. Some researchers have even speculated that increased intestinal permeability is a cause or contributing factor to food allergies and adverse food reactions.
A practical example of how zinc supports the gut involves remission from inflammatory bowel disease patients. Increased intestinal permeability increases risks for relapse. Significantly, zinc supplementation alone has been shown to help reverse permeability, thereby decreasing relapse risks.
L-carnosine is a dipeptide, a combination of two amino acids, found naturally in the body. It was given the name carnosine (carnis in Latin means meat) due to its original discovery in meat. Most L-carnosine is found in the heart, muscles, and brain.
As a molecule, carnosine displays interesting biochemical effects in the body. Functionally, L-carnosine can act as a neurotransmitter. It appears to enhance energy production and immune function. It has potential anti-aging and longevity activity and can chelate heavy metals. Interestingly, in the brain, L-carnosine can also decrease glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter that is implicated in numerous mental health conditions.
Generally, research suggests that L-carnosine acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and inhibitor of protein aggregation. The latter effect may have relevance for dementia and Alzheimer's prevention since protein aggregates are thought to underlie the damage that causes dementia.
On its own, L-carnosine appears to have significant potential as a supplement. A small case study found benefits for multiple sclerosis. L-carnosine may also take placetake place besides 5-HTP, St. John's wort, and saffron as a natural treatment for helping depression. A clinical trial combining L-carnosine with standard antidepressant medications found rapid improvements compared to medication plus placebo. The authors called for further studies to explore the rapid antidepressant effect that L-carnosine appeared to provide. A similar study on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also suggests potential utility for improving ADHD symptoms.
The most well-documented potential benefits of L-carnosine are blood sugar control and athletic performance. A recent meta-analysis concluded that L-carnosine can improve blood sugar and insulin levels in humans. For athletic performance, L-carnosine or its precursor, beta-alanine, is often given to support carnosine levels throughout the body. Studies suggest that supplementation is potentially effective for improving athletic performance, typically measured as improved exercise capacity.
While zinc and L-carnosine stand out independently, an ionic combination of the two possesses some unique properties beyond their individual activities. Zinc L-carnosine is a chelate, a molecule of carnosine with two hydrogens removed and replaced by a zinc ion. The combination appears to have potent effects on healing gut mucosa.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin, are well known to damage the gut mucosa and cause gastrointestinal bleeding. In a small clinical trial, zinc L-carnosine was shown to block the majority of the intestinal damage from taking NSAIDs. In patients taking NSAIDs, intestinal permeability increased by three times, indicative of damage to the lining of the intestinal tract. In patients taking NSAIDS combined with zinc L-carnosine, intestinal permeability was unchanged, showing potent gastrointestinal protection.
Low-dose aspirin therapy is often prescribed as a treatment to prevent heart attacks. However, aspirin can still cause significant gastrointestinal irritation and bleeding even at low doses. In patients on low-dose aspirin with evidence of mucosal damage, zinc L-carnosine was shown to reduce lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. Considering how many people develop ulcers or gastritis from NSAIDs, zinc carnosine may be a simple but powerful tool to prevent damage.
In Japan, zinc L-carnosine is a prescription drug to help heal stomach ulcers. Typically caused by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), curing a stomach ulcer usually requires the elimination of the bacterium. Unfortunately, H. pylori is a notoriously tricky bug to eradicate, often requiring three or four medications for two weeks.
In an early trial, standard three-medication therapy for H. pylori was combined with zinc L-carnosine or placebo. In patients who received the zinc L-carnosine, 100% cleared the bacteria compared with 86% of patients in the placebo group. A separate trial that utilized different antimicrobials also found improved results with added zinc L-carnosine. Of patients taking zinc L-carnosine, 77% effectively cleared the H pylori infection; of patients given a placebo, only 58.6% had success.
Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune gastrointestinal condition. Inflammation in the large intestine can become so severe that tissue damage occurs, causing characteristic bloody diarrhea. The condition can be difficult to treat, with the main goal of getting remission of gastrointestinal ulcerations. In a small preliminary study of zinc L-carnosine enemas combined with standard treatment, 71% of patients had improvement or remission. In patients treated with standard therapy alone, only 10% improved or reached remission. Based on the large clinical response, additional studies are desperately needed to confirm the potential effects of zinc L-carnosine for ulcerative colitis.
While not well studied, a recent review concluded that zinc L-carnosine might also help treat stress-induced gastrointestinal problems based on existing evidence. These functional disorders are gastrointestinal complaints that don't show any imaging or laboratory evidence for an underlying disease process.
Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common, the most well-known example being irritable bowel syndrome. Considering the challenge in treating functional gastrointestinal complaints, human research could be invaluable to elucidate the full potential of zinc L-carnosine for their treatment.
Zinc and L-carnosine are two fascinating supplements on their own that have research-supported benefits. Combined, they form a unique complex that appears to work as a potent way to stimulate gastrointestinal healing. Some of the best evidence suggests benefits for helping to treat stomach ulcers and preventing intestinal damage from NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen. However, zinc L-carnosine may also be helpful for ulcerative colitis and other functional gastrointestinal complaints.
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By Dr. Scott Buesing, N.D.
