Carnosine

Carnosine is a naturally occurring peptide that plays many important roles in the human organism.

It is a dipeptide consisting of alanine and histidine and acts as an antioxidant in skin tissue, inactivating the products of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation.

It has one interesting additional property – according to the latest research, it is able to prevent protein glycation. You have probably never heard of it, so let’s break it down into simple terms.

Sugar is fuel for our cells, but too much for too long can be damaging. Molecules of glucose might bind to proteins, creating so-called Advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs are a common result of uncontrolled diabetes, although they tend to appear with age as well.

Collagen is particularly vulnerable to glycation because it is a long-living protein exposed to a lot of stress during its lifetime. Glycated collagen gradually loses its functionality and adds to skin aging. Studies suggest that carnosine is able to prevent this from happening – both as a nutritional supplement and in the form of 0,2% carnosine cream.

Carnosine is often added to anti-aging skincare products, where it improves the function of other active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and other peptides.