As the years go by, the pursuit of healthy aging becomes an increasingly important goal for many people. We all desire to maintain our vitality, well-being, and youthful vigor as we grow older. While genetics and lifestyle factors play significant roles in the aging process, emerging research is shedding light on the potential nutrition has for supporting healthy aging.
One fascinating compound that has garnered attention in recent years is carnosine, which has shown remarkable benefits in promoting longevity and combating age-related decline. Prepare to unlock the secrets to a vibrant and fulfilling life as we uncover the remarkable ways carnosine can help you age gracefully.
An Introduction to Carnosine
Scientifically speaking, carnosine is a dipeptide that is synthesized in the body from two important amino acids, beta-alanine and histidine. In more simple terms, carnosine is a naturally occurring compound that is found in various vertebrates such as humans, birds, and fish. In humans, scientists originally found carnosine in skeletal muscles, but today we know that this compound can also be found in other areas of the body such as the brain, heart, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tissues.
As you go through life, carnosine works hard to help the organs, tissues, and cells in your body battle against things like oxidative stress. However, as you age, the carnosine levels naturally found within your body begin to decline, leaving the door open for things like oxidative stress to damage a number of different areas within your body.
Carnosine and Your Health
Within your body, carnosine has the power to influence the health of numerous important organs and functions thanks to two special properties it has—antioxidant properties and anti-glycation properties.
The Antioxidant Properties of Carnosine
While oxidation is a normal and necessary process within the human body, oxidative stress can be damaging. This type of stress occurs when your body has an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. Both free radicals, which are unstable molecules, and antioxidants are naturally produced by your body; however, there are a number of environmental factors that can cause your body to produce extra free radicals which can quickly lead to these unstable molecules outnumbering the helpful antioxidants that combat them. When this happens, the cells and tissues within your body can be damaged. This can affect things like your brain function, cardiovascular health, immune system, and the way your body ages both internally and externally.
This is where consuming antioxidants through your diet can be a powerful tool. By providing your body with additional antioxidant compounds from your food and supplements, you are giving your body a leg up against the damaging effects of free radicals. As a result, you are also taking steps to support your body from the inside out so you can look and feel your best no matter how old you are.
The Anti-Glycation Properties of Carnosine
In addition to being an antioxidant, carnosine has also been found to have anti-glycation properties. In order to understand what that means, we’ll first need to understand what glycation is.
In your body, glycation, or non-enzymatic glycosylation, is a process during which excess sugar molecules like glucose attach themselves to things like proteins or lipids. As a result of this process, compounds called advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are formed within your body. With time, these AGEs can contribute to the age-related decline of things like your heart, your brain, and your skin. For example, when the excess glucose in your body attaches to collagen proteins through glycation, the resulting AGEs can cause those collagen molecules to go from bouncy and resilient to stiff and rigid. This can lead to physical signs of aging like sagging skin. Compounds like carnosine that have anti-glycation properties can help slow or even sometimes reverse this process and help protect your body in the long term.
As we mentioned earlier, while your body does have a natural supply of carnosine, that supply begins to dwindle as you age. This can leave your body more vulnerable to the harmful effects of things like oxidative stress and glycation. Thankfully though, not all is lost. There are many foods and supplements available today that are rich in this health-promoting compound.
Food Sources of Carnosine
It is interesting to note that carnosine is mostly found in meat, but it is also available in small amounts in cheese, milk, and eggs. This means that those who follow vegan diets may not get much carnosine from their meals. If that's you, don't fret though, there are all-natural, vegan-friendly supplements that can help you make sure your body is getting plenty of this important compound, but more on that in a minute.
For those looking to add carnosine-rich foods to your diet, here are some of the best sources to consider:
- Pork: Cuts like the loin and shoulder can give you 466 mg of carnosine in a 100-gram serving.
- Beef: The beef shin and top side cuts can give you 396 and 379 mg per 100-gram serving, respectively.
- Chicken: The best chicken cut for carnosine is the breast which provides you 290 mg per 100-gram serving.
- Turkey: The turkey breast and leg will give you 240 and 239 mg respectively per 100-gram serving
Other popular sources that offer smaller amounts of carnosine include duck, giant oyster, crab, and lobster.
Carnosine Supplements
For those who choose to eat a vegan or plant-based diet, you can still get your daily dose of this important compound by adding a natural carnosine supplement to your daily routine. There are a number of these helpful products on the market today, but before you run out and buy the first one you see on the shelf, remember that not all supplements are created equal.
In order to ensure that the product you choose is both safe and effective, you'll want to look for one that is back with third-party certifications, is well labeled, and only contains natural whole food ingredients. This way you can rest assured that you are giving your body the support it needs with a product that contains exactly what is on the label and doesn’t use hidden or synthetic ingredients that may do more harm than good.
Age Gracefully with Renew from New Earth
Renew is a vegetarian-friendly supplement that is formulated by combining carnosine with other natural antioxidants and whole foods like wild blueberries, green tea, and organic Wild Microalgae™, making it a unique combination of natural superfoods that work synergistically to support your body from the inside out and keep you looking and feeling your best.
The best part? You can put it to the test risk-free with our 60-day money-back guarantee.