Carnosine is a dietary peptide related marker that consists of histidine and beta-alanine. Carnosine is an incompletely digested peptide that is derived primarily from beef and pork.
Higher levels:
Higher levels can be due to deficiency of enzyme carnosinase or its cofactor, zinc. This analyte is a ß-alanyl dipeptide of histidine.
– Inherited carnosinase enzyme deficits lead to neurological development problems and sensory polyneuropathy.
– Breakdown of Carnosine requires a zinc dependent peptidase, which can be inhibited by high levels of the ”end product” beta-alanine. Zinc status should be checked (RBC Elements) since the peptidase activity is zinc dependent. The peptidase activity can also be inhibited by high levels of Beta-alanine, which can result from B-6 insufficiency, or abnormal intestinal flora.
– Beta-alanine can accumulate if deamination of beta-alanine to alpha-ketoglutarate is impaired due to B-6 insufficiency. Therefore, carnosine can accumulate as a result of high intake of carnosine containing meats (beef, pork, tuna and salmon) with insufficient zinc and/or B-6 availability.
– Beta-alanine can also be elevated as a product of gastrointestinal bacterial conversion of aspartate and/or breakdown of pyrimidines that are high in yeast. Thus beta-alanine can accumulate and inhibit hydrolysis of carnosine as a result of significant dysbiosis, or deficiencies of B-6 and/or zinc.
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