On your journey to healing your gut you may have stumbled across many well known foods which have great gut healing capabilities. Bone broth, collagen peptides, probiotics and resistant starch may all come to mind. However, there are also many gut healing foods which are often neglected or not so well known. Zinc Carnosine fits into this category. In light of this, we will discuss the Zinc Carnosine benefits for gut health backed by science. Lets begin.

Contents:

What is Zinc Carnosine? 7 Science-Backed Zinc Carnosine Benefits

1. Zinc Carnosine Helps With H.Pylori Treatment and Results
2. Zinc Carnosine Can Improve Exercise-Induced Gut Stress
3. Zinc Carnosine Can Reduce the Inflammation in Your Gut
4. Zinc Carnosine Helps to Maintain a Healthy Mucosal Lining
5. Zinc Carnosine Prevents Free-Radical Damage to Gastric Cells
6. Zinc Carnosine Can Directly Improve Ulcers and Colitis
7. Zinc Carnosine Activates Longevity Genes

Zinc Carnosine Safety, Side Effects and Interactions Final Thoughts on The Zinc Carnosine Benefits

What is Zinc Carnosine?

Simply put, zinc carnosine is an artificially produced supplement that is made up of zinc and carnosine. To make this supplement, the zinc and carnosine are bound together at a one to one ratio. Binding these two together creates a chelate compound. This supplement has been very popular in Japan since the mid-1990s as a treatment for gastric ulcers, gastritis, and other GI tract issues. Zinc is an important trace element that plays a role in over 300 different biochemical reactions. It plays a role in RNA and DNA synthesis along with tissue repair. Additionally, zinc also has antibacterial properties and can help with immune function, wound healing, intestinal inflammation, and more. Carnosine is the second half of the zinc carnosine supplement. It is a combination of beta-alanine, histidine, and amino acids. You'll find it in your brain and tissues, and it performs several important functions. It has powerful antioxidant properties, and scientists believe that carnosine is responsible for transporting the zinc carnosine supplement to the problem areas. You'll find zinc carnosine under a few different names including Z-103, zinc-l-carnosine, L-CAZ, Polaprezinc, and N(3 aminopropyl)-L-histidine. This combination has several powerful benefits for your gut health, and we'll go over the top seven in this article. We'll also talk about zinc carnosine's side effects, safety, and interactions. This will give a good overview so you can decide if this supplement is a good choice for you or not.

7 Science-Backed Zinc Carnosine Benefits for Gut Health

Now that you know what zinc carnosine is, we'll go over the seven biggest benefits of this supplement for your gut health.

1. Zinc Carnosine Helps With H.Pylori Treatment and Results

H. Pylori or Helicobacter pylori is a bacterial infection that centres on your stomach. It's a very common childhood infection. H. Pylori is also a common cause of peptic ulcers and other inflammatory issues in your digestive tract. Doctors estimate that this infection is present in more than half of the population around the world, though they may not experience any health issues or symptoms. Common symptoms of an H. Pylori infection include a burning sensation in your abdomen, nausea, appetite loss, and bloating or abdominal pain that gets worse as your stomach empties. Taking antibiotics and a zinc carnosine supplement can help get rid of an H. Pylori infection. Researches performed a randomised, parallel-controlled study that stretched across several clinics to test zinc carnosine's effectiveness against the H. Pylori bacteria. They split the participants into three groups for a two-week trial. Group A got 75mg of zinc carnosine with antibiotics twice a day. Group B got 150mg of zinc carnosine with antibiotics twice a day. Group C got antibiotics with no zinc carnosine twice a day. At the end of the trial, researchers monitored the participants on day 7, 14, and 28 to assess the treatment's effectiveness on their symptoms. The results showed that the groups who got the zinc carnosine supplement twice a day for 14 days showed fewer recurrences of their symptoms post trial. They also have a complete eradication of the H. Pylori bacteria four weeks after the end of the trial. The control group reported symptoms reoccurring after the trial.

2. Zinc Carnosine Can Improve Exercise-Induced Gut Stress

Did you know that exercise can have a negative impact on the bacteria levels in your gut? Exercise-induced gut stress is a very common issue among athletes during competitions and the training season. It's common for these athletes to experience fatigue, underperformance, mood swings and gastrointestinal issues and distress. These issues can get worse as the season goes on and the athlete competes more. A stress response in the body due to the amount of exercise you perform can throw off your bacterial levels in your gut. It can cause the levels of bad bacteria to rise, and this can lead to a variety of issues like upset stomach, bloating, abdominal pain, gas, and diarrhoea. Additionally, your body temperature rises when you exercise, and this can wreak havoc on your bacterial levels or throw them off. However, taking a zinc carnosine supplement each day can help fight this exercise-induced gut stress and balance the bacteria levels in your body. Several different studies proved that zinc carnosine is a powerful tool to fight the stress response that causes GI tract issues. In one study, scientists split eight participants into two groups. Over the course of the next 14 days, they took zinc carnosine supplements and measured their gut health. At the end of the trial, the control group reported no significant changes in their symptoms or heat tolerance. However, the group that got the zinc carnosine supplements reported a significant improvement in their symptoms and comfort level. They also reported a greater heat tolerance, and this reduced the chances of a bacterial imbalance in their GI tract.

3. Zinc Carnosine Can Reduce the Inflammation in Your Gut

Inflammation is a natural response in your body when your body detects what it thinks is a threat or infection. Normally, this inflammation is a good thing. However, when it lasts far longer than is normal, or if it flares up for the wrong reasons, this can lead to discomfort or issues with your GI tract. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) is a chronic condition that affects 10 to 15% of the world's population, and it's one of the leading GI problems. Constant inflammation can lead to several prominent health issues including abdominal pain, cramps, fever, weight loss, appetite loss, sudden onset diarrhoea, and iron deficiency due to bloody stools. These symptoms can come and go and vary in severity levels. They can also last for extended periods and cause damage to your intestinal lining. Zinc carnosine is an excellent option to help calm inflammation because it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that go straight to the source of the problem and work their way out. This can lead to extended periods between flares, and less severe symptoms. One study took 160 rats and gave the varying doses of zinc carnosine. One group got 3mg, the second group got 6mg, the third group got 30mg, and the control group got a saline solution. They monitored the rats at two, four, and six hours after they administered the supplement and compared the inflammation to the inflammation levels of the control group. The groups of rats who got the zinc carnosine supplements showed significant improvement in the inflammation levels in their digestive tracts over the control group who got the saline solution. The zinc carnosine travels to the damaged and inflamed lining and works to repair the tissues and reduce the inflammation.

4. Zinc Carnosine Helps to Maintain a Healthy Mucosal Lining

Your mucosal lining covers all of your organs and forms a protective barrier between your organs and the stomach acid or bacteria present in your organs. This lining is comprised of one or two layers of epithelial cells that coat a layer of soft connective tissues. In your digestive tract, there is also a thick layer of mucus that prevents the stomach acid from eating holes in this lining, but it can get dangerously thin. If you have a thin mucosal lining, you can experience several health issues. One of the main health problems is ulcers, and ulcers are painful sores in your mucosal lining. Other problems include thinning walls that bleed easily, inflammation and deep scarring, or pitting in the lining. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBD can contribute to this problem. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications can help to repair your mucosal lining, and zinc carnosine supplements will also encourage tissue repair. This supplement can also help control your inflammation levels when you finish your antibiotics. One clinical study involving rats with damaged mucosal linings split the rats into four groups. The first group was the control group who got a saline solution throughout the study. The second group got 20mg of zinc carnosine. The third group got 40mg of zinc carnosine, and the final group got 80mg. Over the course of a two-week trial, researchers monitored the rats. At the end of the trial, the researchers found that the groups of rats who got the higher doses of zinc carnosine had reduced inflammation and a significant reduction in their ulcer size. The control group had little change, and the group with the lowest dose had some change, but not a lot.

5. Zinc Carnosine Prevents Free-Radical Damage to Gastric Cells

A free radical is an atom or a group of atoms that have an unpaired (odd) number of electrons. They form when certain molecules and oxygen interact. Once these molecules form, they create and set off a chain of destruction that spreads to various parts of your body. The worst damage that these free radicals inflict is on the cellular level of your DNA or in the cellular membrane. This reaction can cause the cells to die. Free radical damage can work slowly over time, and there are both physical and mental issues that come with this damage. It can cause cardiovascular issues due to clogged arteries, Alzheimer's and other cognitive diseases, central nervous system diseases like Parkinson's, skin aging, and cataracts. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to reduce the damage the free radicals inflict on your body. Having a healthy diet coupled with taking zinc carnosine supplements can go a long way at negating the damage because this supplement has powerful antioxidant properties. Several different studies showed the effectiveness of zinc carnosine on oxidative stress in the body. One study with rats took 60 rats with cardiovascular issues due to free radical damage and split them into different groups. One group was the control group and got a normal diet with no supplements. The other group got 250mg of zinc carnosine every day for the duration of the trial. At the end of the trial, they measured the rat's cardiovascular issues to see how they compared. They found that the group that got the 250mg supplement each day had less damage to their cardiovascular systems.

6. Zinc Carnosine Can Directly Improve Ulcers and Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic disease that directly infects the large intestine. This disease causes the lining of the large intestine to get inflamed, and this inflammation can lead to small sores or ulcers in the lining. These ulcers are painful, and they produce a large amount of pus and mucus. This condition develops when your body mistakenly attacks the bacteria that lines your large intestine, causing inflammation. There are several signs of ulcerative colitis, and their severity levels vary from person to person. Some of the more common symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, fever, weight loss, anemia, and an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Less common symptoms include rashes, joint pain, joint stiffness, and eye irritation. While this disease may not ever go completely away, you can manage your symptoms. Medications, diet changes, and supplements can all help to reduce your symptoms and the chances of a flare. Several studies showcase this supplement's effectiveness. A randomised, double-blind placebo study placed 28 participants with active ulcerative colitis into two groups. One group got 150mg of zinc carnosine through an enema, and the other group didn't get this supplement. Each group of 14 participants got induction therapy prior to the start of the study. At the end of the study, the researchers measured the symptoms and inflammation levels of the participants' colons. They found that the group who got the 150mg of zinc carnosine showed improvement of their inflammation levels and discomfort levels. The group who got the placebo showed no improvement in their inflammation levels or discomfort. This indicates that a zinc carnosine supplement could help reduce any inflammation or discomfort associated with ulcers or ulcerative colitis.

7. Zinc Carnosine Activates Longevity Genes

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are focused groups of proteins that perform important functions in your body's ability to respond to various immune challenges, stress, and inflammation. They also help with a variety of "longevity" gene functions, and this includes activating them. The more active these genes are, the better it is for your body as a whole. They also work to stabilise any new proteins in your body and ensure that they work correctly. These longevity genes perform a variety of things in your body. They help to keep your skin healthy by restoring collagen levels and elasticity. They go to areas of your body that have inflammation or issues and help to balance them out, and they also encourage good bacteria growth. You can boost your body's levels of heat shock proteins in several ways. The first way is making sure that you have healthy levels of good bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. A healthy diet can help encourage these levels. Other ways include exercise, sauna therapy, cold showers, and taking a supplement of zinc carnosine. An Australian study took 84 participants and placed them in a 12-week controlled trial. The goal of the trial was to see how effective zinc carnosine is on these longevity genes. The participants got a zinc carnosine supplement each day of the trial, and the researchers monitored their inflammation levels and immune challenges. At the end of the study, they found that the participants had reduced levels of inflammation. They also found evidence that the zinc carnosine increased the levels of HSPs in their systems as well. This is promising, but further studies are necessary for concrete evidence.

Zinc Carnosine Safety, Side Effects and Interactions

Zinc carnosine is widely considered to be a generally safe supplement to take on a regular basis. It's always a good idea to consult your physician before you start or stop any supplements or medications. Also, it's a good idea to start with a lower dose and slowly work your way up to a higher dosage so you can see how your body reacts to it. Additionally, side effects are rare and vary in severity levels. Common side effects include stomach cramps, indigestion, and nausea, but they tend to go away. The more severe and rare side effects include anemia and decreased white blood cells, and persistent stomach upset or disorders. As for drug interactions, zinc carnosine works well with most over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Again, your physician will be able to tell you if this supplement will interact well with your current medications or if you should consider alternative treatments. Zinc does compete with the copper levels in your body, so prolonged supplementation with zinc carnosine can lead to lower amounts of copper. You can fix these lower levels with another supplement and continuous monitoring.

Final Thoughts on the Zinc Carnosine Benefits

Zinc carnosine has several big health benefits with very few side effects or interactions, and this is why it's popular with so many people around the world. Perhaps you could benefit from taking this supplement and letting it boost your body's systems.