L- Carnosine

Thanks for stopping by Carrie!

In reference to L- Carnosine here is our experience. I first found about this supplement through Austism research while looking for things to restore brain function. All the research I have found on Pubmed and through Dr. Chez and a few others, showed this to be a very safe supplement to try. Original does with Autistic children were showing to be 400 mg -2x a day. It is also of benefit if the child is already receiving Vitamin E and Zinc supplement in small doses. As it is believed to help make the absorbtion/action of carnosine better. Children with Autism have shown both cognitive and speech improvement in the majority of the cases. So I decided to try this supplement. I started out with 250 mg one time a day. All went well, then after several days 250 mg - 2 x a day. (with meals breakfast and dinner) We all noticed more babble from Jesse. This was exciting of course. So after a week I upped the dose to 400 mg in the AM and 250 mg at dinner. The reaction was not too bad, but Jesse did seem a bit agitated at times and frustrated. This leveled off some so I went ahead and upped the dose again to 400 mg in both AM and PM. Well, this put Jesse over the edge in agitation. He still slept well, and wanted to be happy, but he couldn't stop tapping and sit still for long without tapping on something, or fidgeting and occasionally whining. So I gave it a week to see if he would settle in, But he did not. So I decreased the dose gradually back to a where he seemed happiest and still cognitively improving. This dose turns out to be 250 mg 2 x a day for him. Within 5 weeks on L-Carnosine Jesse started showing interest in the bathroom. Walking in out at times. (we tried to potty train him for 8 years and finally gave up) Well I noticed that each time he was walking in and out the bathroom that shortly thereafter he would have a BM. So I started putting him on the potty each time he went in the bathroom. Usually within 2 - 5 minutes he will have a BM on the potty now.

We now can say that 95% of the time, Jesse has BM's on the potty now. I and others also have noticed since Jesse has been on L-Carnosine that he is more aware of many things cognitively. Including when I leave to go somewhere. He now shows emotion and will sometimes cry, until I explain to him that I will be back shortly. Also he does not like wet diapers, he will complain immensely about them, but this we have not mastered number 1 on the potty yet. He only knows after he has gone and not before. (unlike the BM's) He also now relays his hunger pains when he has them with actions of getting his bowl from the table and or tapping on the table yelling at us. He has never done these things since he started losing skills when he was 8 years old. So these are good things seeing more activity in his brain and associating it with the proper things. We are still praying for speech recovery in time.

Jesse has been on L- Carnosine since January 19th 2007. Witihn 5 weeks we started changes and still do see new things happening. Here is some overview about L- Carnosine below and a few web links as well.

Carnosine, or L-carnosine, is an amino acid made naturally in the body, which was discovered more than 100 years ago. It is thought to be a powerful anti -aging supplement, with benefits that researchers have only recently begun to explore. Carnosine helps protect the body from glycation, one of the two main processes that cause symptoms associated with the breakdown, or aging of the body. Recent studies have indicated that glycation works together with oxidation to create free radicals, the destructive oxygen atoms that damage other healthy cells in the body. While oxidation is a result of oxygen use in the body, glycation is driven by the body’s use of sugar. The glycation process attacks the proteins in the body and converts them into Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). As AGEs accumulate throughout the body, they generate more compounded free radicals that break down tissues in the body, resulting in damage to the skin, eyes, nervous and circulatory system, and vital organs. The result is the wrinkled skin, mental decline, and other complications often associated with aging.

Carnosine supplements also combat cellular damage by helping the body rid itself of toxic metals, a process known as chelation. Excessive levels of pro-oxidative metals, such as copper and zinc and toxic heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and nickel, have been linked to a host of illnesses, including Alzheimer’s, autism, Parkinson’s, dementia, ADHD, and schizophrenia. Supplementing with carnosine may help protect against these disorders, because it helps keep these substances from accumulating in your system.
L-carnosine has been shown to slow the glycation process in laboratory rats. In one study, carnosine was found to improve the rats’ lifespan, brain function, and physical appearance.

Do not confuse L-carnosine with L-carnitine, a supplement used to protect the heart and help stabilize blood sugar. These supplements are in no way related and serve entirely different purposes in the body.

http://www.nutritionreview.org/library/autism.carnosine.html < an excellent article