Blood-sugar trials
Trial- Dose
- 2 g
- How often
- Daily
- How long
- 12–14 weeks
30 adults with overweight or obesity (de Courten 2016) and 49 with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (Hariharan 2024): small, inconsistent effects on glucose and insulin.
Human studiesAntioxidant dipeptide (dietary supplement)
Carnosine
L-carnosine, beta-alanyl-L-histidine
- Common dose
- 1–2 g daily (trials)
- Cycle
- Continuous
- Form
- By mouth
A two-amino-acid peptide (beta-alanine joined to histidine) that the body makes and stores mainly in muscle and brain; it’s also in meat and fish. It helps buffer acid in muscle, and in lab studies it acts as an antioxidant and blocks sugar damage to proteins.
Evidence. Small randomized trials in adults, mostly 1–2 g a day by mouth for 6 to 14 weeks: blood-sugar results in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes were mixed, a 49-person trial found no heart or blood-vessel benefit, and a 299-person endurance trial was mostly negative. Carnosine isn’t approved as a medicine anywhere; a zinc compound of it, polaprezinc, has been approved in Japan for stomach ulcers since 1994.
What it’s used for
None of these uses is approved. Uses tested in people come first, then claims that rest on animal studies or user reports.
- Blood sugar in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
- TrialMixed: 1–2 g daily for 12–14 weeks lowered fasting or post-glucose-drink sugar in small trials (30–54 people); a 49-person trial found no change in blood pressure, lipids or arteries.
- Exercise performance and endurance
- TrialMostly negative: in 299 adults, 2 g daily for 12 weeks didn’t change grip strength, gait speed or most endurance tests; small gains appeared only in some age and sex subgroups.
- Heart failure
- TrialUnconfirmed: in an open-label trial of 50 people with heart failure, 500 mg daily for 6 months improved walking distance, peak oxygen uptake and quality of life vs standard care.
- Memory and thinking
- TrialUnproven: no cognitive benefit in a 49-person diabetes trial, and only some executive-function measures improved in 75 adults with schizophrenia. Memory gains in older adults came from anserine–carnosine mixes.
- Depression and OCD, added to antidepressants
- TrialSmall positive trials: added to citalopram (58 adults, 6 weeks) or fluvoxamine (44 adults, 10 weeks), symptom scores fell more than with placebo. Both come from one Tehran research group and haven’t been replicated.
- Autism and ADHD in children
- TrialMixed: small placebo-controlled trials in children reported gains on some rating scales but not others. Not approved for any age; Vial Guide doesn’t show children’s doses.
- Anti-aging and sugar damage to proteins
- AnimalUnproven: it blocks glycation and oxidative damage in lab and animal studies, and one diabetes trial saw lower blood AGE markers, but no human study has measured aging.
- Cataracts (as N-acetylcarnosine eye drops)
- TrialUnproven: a 2017 Cochrane review found no convincing evidence that N-acetylcarnosine drops, a related compound, reverse or slow cataracts; its two trials (114 people) couldn’t be reliably assessed.
Trial: tested in people, with the result. Animal: cell or animal studies only.
Every compound’s uses, by body system: evidence map, and by condition: conditions A to Z.
Status
- Approval
- Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. Sold in the US as a dietary supplement, which doesn’t need FDA approval. A zinc compound of carnosine, polaprezinc, has been approved in Japan for stomach ulcers since 1994.
- US compounding
- FDA lists L-carnosine in Category 3, nominated without adequate support, for both pharmacy compounding (503A, list updated May 14, 2026) and outsourcing facilities (503B, March 2025), so it isn’t under evaluation for either bulks list.
- European Union
- No marketing authorization as a medicine; sold in food supplements, and listed in CosIng as a skin-conditioning cosmetic ingredient.
- United Kingdom
- No marketing authorization (MHRA); sold as a food supplement ingredient.
- Canada
- No marketing authorization as a drug; no product lists it as an active ingredient in Health Canada’s Drug Product Database.
- Australia
- No marketing authorization as a medicine was found, and it isn’t named in the Poisons Standard (October 2026).
- Sport (WADA 2026)
- Not banned in sportNot named on the 2026 list. It’s a normal part of meat and fish sold as a dietary supplement, not an unapproved drug of the kind S0 covers. Beta-alanine, which raises muscle carnosine, isn’t listed either.
Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026. Status outside the US checked October 7, 2026 against EMA, MHRA, Health Canada and TGA records. By country: EU, UK, Canada, Australia. Status of every compound.
How it works
Carnosine is a dipeptide of beta-alanine and histidine, stored mainly in muscle and brain. In muscle it helps soak up acid during hard exercise; in lab and animal studies it also binds metals, mops up reactive oxygen and aldehyde molecules, and slows glycation, the sugar damage that forms AGEs (advanced glycation end products). In human blood an enzyme, serum carnosinase, quickly splits it into its two amino acids, so after a dose blood levels rise briefly or not at all.
AnimalMainly from cell and animal studies; not shown in people.
Not known
Whether enough intact carnosine reaches muscle, brain or blood vessels after a dose to act there, and which effect, if any, explains the small changes seen in trials, is unknown.
Protocol
Trial
de Courten 2016; Hariharan 2024
2 g daily for 12–14 weeks in adults with overweight, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Trial
Houjeghani 2018
1 g daily (two 500 mg capsules) for 12 weeks in type 2 diabetes.
Community
Supplement labels: 500 mg 1–3× daily (500–1,500 mg a day).
- Frequency
- 1–3× daily (by mouth)
- Route
- By mouth (capsules or powder)
- Cycle
- Taken daily without breaks in trials of 6 weeks to 6 months; no cycling has been studied.
Continuous, shown over 26 weeks
Common protocols
The ways Carnosine is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.
Type 2 diabetes, lower dose
Trial- Dose
- 1 g (two 500 mg capsules)
- How often
- Daily
- How long
- 12 weeks
Houjeghani 2018, 54 adults: fasting glucose, HbA1c and triglycerides fell more than on placebo.
Heart failure add-on
Trial- Dose
- 500 mg (dissolving tablet)
- How often
- Once daily
- How long
- 6 months
Lombardi 2015, 50 adults, open-label vs standard care: walking distance and quality of life improved.
Supplement labels
Community- Dose
- 500 mg
- How often
- 1–3× daily
- How long
- No set length
The usual capsule size and label directions; not tested as such in trials.
Taking it
Where it goes
Swallowed as capsules, or powder stirred into water. Trials gave 0.5–2 g a day, sometimes split into two doses.
If you miss a dose
No published guidance. Skip the missed dose and take the next one as usual; don’t double up.
What to expect
- First 1–4 hours
Blood carnosine peaks within an hour and is mostly gone by 4 hours; in many people it doesn’t rise measurably at all.
Trial - 12–14 weeks
In diabetes trials, glucose fell modestly in some (fasting glucose 13.1 mg/dL lower than placebo in Houjeghani 2018); a 49-person trial saw no change in blood pressure, lipids or blood vessels.
Trial - 12 weeks
In 299 adults, 2 g daily didn’t change grip strength or walking speed overall; small gains appeared only in some age and sex subgroups.
Trial
Side effects and what to do
Headache, nausea or tingling after large single doses (15 g: 10 of 13 people; 10 g: 3 of 15)
All mild to moderate in the dose study. Trials use 0.5–2 g a day.
Lower blood pressure for several hours after single doses of 4 g or more (4 g: about 9/11 mmHg)
Watch for light-headedness, especially with blood pressure medicines.
More side effects than on placebo in a schizophrenia trial (30% vs 14% reported any)
Other trials at 2 g daily reported no significant side effects. Stop if symptoms persist.
Stop and get medical help
Stop and get medical help for fainting, a severe headache, chest pain, or swelling of the face, lips or throat.
Can it cause …?
The side effects people ask about most, answered one by one. Each answer says where it comes from.
- Headache
- TrialHeadache was the commonest side effect in a dose study, where side effects hit 10 of 13 people at 15 g; trials of 2 g daily reported few side effects.
- Nausea or vomiting
- TrialNausea or vomiting was the second commonest side effect after single doses of 6–15 g in a 16-person dose study; trials of 2 g daily reported few side effects.
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Not reportedNot reported in 12–14-week trials of 2 g daily. In a 25-person trial in Gulf War illness, diarrhea linked to irritable bowel decreased.
- Dizziness
- TrialSingle doses of 4 g or more lowered blood pressure for up to 8 hours, with one case of low blood pressure; dizziness wasn’t reported separately.
- Acne, rash or skin changes
- TrialTingling (paresthesia) and one case of flushing followed single doses of 6–15 g in a 16-person study; trials of 2 g daily reported few side effects.
- Anxiety, low mood or irritability
- Not reportedNot reported as a side effect; in small add-on trials in depression and OCD, symptom scores improved more than on placebo.
- Low or high blood sugar
- TrialSmall trials found modestly lower blood sugar in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, with no low blood sugar reported. Untested with insulin or sulfonylureas.
- Fast heartbeat or blood pressure changes
- TrialSingle 4–15 g doses lowered blood pressure for up to 8 hours (4 g: about 9/11 mmHg), not heart rate; 2 g daily for 14 weeks changed neither.
- Liver strain
- Not reportedLiver blood tests and liver scans didn’t change vs placebo in a 49-person trial of 2 g daily for 14 weeks.
- Kidney problems
- Not reportedKidney function didn’t change in 12–14-week trials, including 40 people with diabetic kidney disease, in whom a urine marker of kidney injury fell.
- Cancer risk
- Not reportedNot reported in trials lasting up to 6 months, and no study has looked at cancer risk.
- TirednessTrouble sleepingHair lossWater retention or swellingJoint or muscle painMore hunger
- Not reportedNot reported in 12–14-week trials of 2 g daily (40 and 49 adults), which found it well tolerated.
Trial: reported in human studies. Not reported: studied in people and not reported. A side effect that hasn’t been reported can still happen, especially with long or high-dose use. Any of these across every compound: the side-effect finder.
Who should avoid it
No product label covers carnosine, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Most important first.
- People with low blood pressure
- TrialSingle doses of 4 g or more lowered blood pressure for up to 8 hours in healthy volunteers; use alongside blood pressure drugs hasn’t been studied.
- Anyone taking several grams at once
- TrialIn a dose study, 10 of 13 people had side effects after 15 g, mostly headache, nausea or tingling; trials of 1–2 g daily reported few.
- People on insulin or sulfonylureas
- PrecautionSmall trials found lower blood sugar; it hasn’t been tested with diabetes drugs that can cause low blood sugar.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- PrecautionNo human safety data exist; trials excluded pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- Anyone relying on supplement labels
- PrecautionDietary supplements aren’t approved or checked by FDA before sale, so the dose and purity on the label aren’t verified.
Interactions
No interaction studies have been published, and no product label lists any. Small trials added it to antidepressants (citalopram, fluvoxamine) and antipsychotics without studying interactions.
Trial: seen in human studies, or a group those studies left out. Precaution: follows from how it works or from a related drug, and hasn’t been tested. This isn’t a complete list: a pharmacist or doctor can check a specific medicine or condition. Every documented interaction, by medicine: drug interactions.
Special situations
What’s known about pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney and liver problems, age and surgery. Where nothing has been studied, the row says so.
- Pregnancy
- PrecautionNo human data; trials excluded pregnant women. Carnosine occurs naturally in meat and fish, but supplement safety in pregnancy hasn’t been studied.
- Breastfeeding
- PrecautionNo human data on supplements while breastfeeding; trials excluded breastfeeding women.
- Kidney problems
- TrialIn 40 adults with diabetic kidney disease, 2 g daily for 12 weeks didn’t change kidney function. Severe kidney failure hasn’t been studied.
- Liver problems
- PrecautionNot studied in people with liver disease; in a 49-person trial, liver tests and scans didn’t change on 2 g daily for 14 weeks.
- Older adults
- PrecautionNot studied as a separate group; trials included middle-aged and older adults but reported no age-specific safety data.
- Children and teens
- TrialNot approved for any age. Small trials in children with autism, ADHD or diabetic kidney disease exist; Vial Guide doesn’t show children’s doses.
- Surgery and anesthesia
- PrecautionNo data. Large single doses lowered blood pressure for hours in one study; tell the surgical team about any supplements.
Trial: from human studies. Precaution: not studied, so the caution follows from how it works or from a related drug. Ages are given as approved or studied; this site never gives doses for children. Across every compound: pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disease, liver disease, older adults and surgery.
Tracking and pairing
Worth tracking
- Blood pressure (large single doses lowered it)
- Fasting glucose or HbA1c, if taken for blood sugar
Often paired with
Usually run on its own.
Human studies
5 key published human studies, with how many people took part. Animal studies aren’t listed here.
-
On carnosine, glucose 2 hours into a glucose test fell 1.6 mmol/L and total glucose exposure fell; insulin, body composition, and (vs placebo) blood pressure, artery stiffness, lipids, liver and kidney tests didn’t change.
- Design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in prediabetes or well-controlled type 2 diabetes (43 of 49 completed)
- Dose
- 2 g daily by mouth
- Length
- 14 weeks
Hariharan et al., Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2024, PMID 38172006; Saadati et al., Nutrients 2023, PMID 38004228
-
Fasting glucose fell 13.1 mg/dL, HbA1c 0.6 points and triglycerides 29.8 mg/dL more than on placebo; insulin, blood pressure and cholesterol didn’t change.
- Design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in type 2 diabetes
- Dose
- 1 g daily (two 500 mg capsules)
- Length
- 12 weeks
Houjeghani et al., Nutr Res 2018, PMID 29420997
-
No overall difference in grip strength, gait speed or most endurance tests; calf raises improved at 6 weeks in people under 40, and step counts at 12 weeks in men over 40.
- Design
- Randomized placebo-controlled trial in adults (usable 12-week data from 192)
- Dose
- 2 g daily in capsules
- Length
- About 12 weeks
O’Toole et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2026, PMID 42308284
-
Six-minute walk distance, peak oxygen uptake and quality of life improved compared with standard care alone.
- Design
- Randomized open-label trial vs standard care (no placebo) in stable chronic heart failure
- Dose
- 500 mg daily as a dissolving tablet, added to usual treatment
- Length
- 6 months
Lombardi et al., Nutrition 2015, PMID 25287762
-
Side effects in 0 of 16 at 4 g, 3 of 15 at 10 g and 10 of 13 at 15 g, mostly headache, nausea and tingling; blood levels peaked within an hour, and blood pressure fell for up to 8 hours.
- Design
- Open-label single-dose escalation study in healthy volunteers, with a 4-week sub-study in 4 people
- Dose
- Single doses of 4, 6, 10 and 15 g; 5 g twice daily for 4 weeks
- Length
- Single doses; 4 weeks
Ali et al., Nutrients 2025, PMID 40647235
Trials under way
Registered trials that are still running, or that finished without published results, most important first. Checked on ClinicalTrials.gov, October 7, 2026.
Carnosine 2 g daily vs placebo for 6 months in peripheral arterial disease (CIPHER, 144 planned); main outcome is six-minute walk distance
Recruiting; completion expected October 2028
Open-label safety study of 3 months of carnosine in 20 people with peripheral arterial disease
Status unknown; was due to finish in December 2024, no results posted
Carnosine capsules or carnosine-enriched chicken for 3 weeks and blood-vessel function (100 planned)
Status unknown; was due to finish in June 2024, no results posted
Every compound’s registered trials: trials under way.
Limits of the evidence
Human evidence is a set of small, mostly single-center trials of 0.5–2 g daily for 6 weeks to 6 months; the largest, 299 adults for 12 weeks, was mostly negative. Blood-sugar and mental-health findings are mixed or unreplicated. Most claimed actions (antioxidant, anti-glycation, brain protection) come from lab and animal studies, and a blood enzyme breaks down much of an oral dose in people. Use beyond 6 months and doses above 2 g a day are largely untested.
How it’s supplied
Capsules (usually 500 mg) or powder sold as a dietary supplement; trials used capsules or dissolving tablets. Taken by mouth, so there’s nothing to mix or draw up, and the calculator and dose log don’t apply.
Not mixed or injected. Zinc carnosine (polaprezinc) and N-acetylcarnosine eye drops are different compounds with their own studies.
Datasheet
- Half-life
- No reliable value has been published.
- Type
- Peptide, 2 amino acids
- Molecular weight
- 226.2 g/mol
- Formula
- C9H14N4O3
- Sequence
- (β-Ala)-H
- Storage before use
- Capsules or powder: sealed, dry and at room temperature, away from heat.
- After mixing or opening
- Keep the container closed and dry after opening.
- Molecule: PubChem CID 439224 (L-carnosine, CAS 305-84-0); UNII 8HO6PVN24W
- Storage: Community Common supplement-label practice; no approved drug label exists for carnosine
Every compound side by side: the half-life chart and the storage chart.
Identifiers
- CAS number
- 305-84-0
- UNII (FDA)
- 8HO6PVN24W
- PubChem CID
- 439224
- DrugBank
- DB11695
- ATC code
- None assigned
- Development codes
- L-carnosine; beta-alanyl-L-histidine
- Brand names
- Sold as generic dietary supplements; no drug product. The related zinc compound polaprezinc is sold as Promac in Japan.
- First described
- First isolated from meat in 1900, by the chemist Gulewitsch.
Every compound’s numbers: the identifiers table.
Product form and quality
Supplements usually come as 500 mg capsules or bulk powder, with no FDA check of content before sale. Zinc carnosine (polaprezinc) and N-acetylcarnosine eye drops are different compounds and aren’t interchangeable with it.
Cautions
- Sold as a dietary supplement: FDA doesn’t approve or check supplements before sale, so dose and purity aren’t verified.
- Much of an oral dose is broken down in the blood: in a 25-person study, only 8 people had a measurable rise in blood carnosine.
- Single doses of 4 g or more lowered blood pressure for hours in healthy volunteers; at 15 g, 10 of 13 had side effects such as headache, nausea or tingling.
- Benefits seen in small trials (blood sugar, add-on treatment for depression) haven’t been tested in large trials.
Questions
What is carnosine?
A two-amino-acid peptide (beta-alanine joined to histidine) that the body makes and stores mainly in muscle and brain; it’s also in meat and fish. It helps buffer acid in muscle, and in lab studies it acts as an antioxidant and blocks sugar damage to proteins.
How does carnosine work?
Carnosine is a dipeptide of beta-alanine and histidine, stored mainly in muscle and brain. In muscle it helps soak up acid during hard exercise; in lab and animal studies it also binds metals, mops up reactive oxygen and aldehyde molecules, and slows glycation, the sugar damage that forms AGEs (advanced glycation end products). In human blood an enzyme, serum carnosinase, quickly splits it into its two amino acids, so after a dose blood levels rise briefly or not at all. Whether enough intact carnosine reaches muscle, brain or blood vessels after a dose to act there, and which effect, if any, explains the small changes seen in trials, is unknown.
Is carnosine FDA-approved?
Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. Sold in the US as a dietary supplement, which doesn’t need FDA approval. A zinc compound of carnosine, polaprezinc, has been approved in Japan for stomach ulcers since 1994. FDA lists L-carnosine in Category 3, nominated without adequate support, for both pharmacy compounding (503A, list updated May 14, 2026) and outsourcing facilities (503B, March 2025), so it isn’t under evaluation for either bulks list.
What is the usual carnosine dose?
From human studies (de Courten 2016; Hariharan 2024): 2 g daily for 12–14 weeks in adults with overweight, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Houjeghani 2018: 1 g daily (two 500 mg capsules) for 12 weeks in type 2 diabetes. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.
How is carnosine taken?
By mouth: capsules (usually 500 mg) or powder sold as a dietary supplement; trials used capsules or dissolving tablets. There’s nothing to mix or measure with a syringe.
Who should avoid carnosine?
No product label covers carnosine, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. People with low blood pressure: Single doses of 4 g or more lowered blood pressure for up to 8 hours in healthy volunteers; use alongside blood pressure drugs hasn’t been studied. Anyone taking several grams at once: In a dose study, 10 of 13 people had side effects after 15 g, mostly headache, nausea or tingling; trials of 1–2 g daily reported few. People on insulin or sulfonylureas: Small trials found lower blood sugar; it hasn’t been tested with diabetes drugs that can cause low blood sugar. The “Who should avoid it” section lists 2 more groups.
How should carnosine be stored?
Capsules or powder: sealed, dry and at room temperature, away from heat. Keep the container closed and dry after opening. This is common practice; no product label covers it.
Is carnosine banned in sport?
No. Not named on the 2026 list. It’s a normal part of meat and fish sold as a dietary supplement, not an unapproved drug of the kind S0 covers. Beta-alanine, which raises muscle carnosine, isn’t listed either.
Has carnosine been studied in people?
Yes. The human studies section lists 5 published studies. The largest, from 2026, included 299 people. No overall difference in grip strength, gait speed or most endurance tests; calf raises improved at 6 weeks in people under 40, and step counts at 12 weeks in men over 40.
How long has carnosine been studied in people?
Trial 6 months: 500 mg daily, open-label, in a 50-person heart failure trial. Placebo-controlled trials ran up to 14 weeks; the largest had 299 adults for 12 weeks.
Does carnosine come in other forms, like a pill or nasal spray?
Trial Studied by mouth, as capsules, powder or dissolving tablets. N-acetylcarnosine eye drops and zinc carnosine (polaprezinc, a Japanese ulcer drug) are related but different compounds.
Can you drink alcohol while taking carnosine?
No study No data: no study has looked at alcohol and carnosine together.
Can carnosine be taken with semaglutide or tirzepatide?
No study No study has combined them, and no label lists an interaction. Carnosine’s small blood-sugar effect hasn’t been tested alongside GLP-1 drugs.
What happens if you take too much carnosine?
Trial No label or overdose reports. In a dose study, single doses of 15 g caused headache, nausea or tingling in most people, all mild to moderate. Call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222), or emergency services for severe symptoms.
Sources
- Hariharan et al., 14-week trial of 2 g carnosine in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, glucose results (Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2024) PMID 38172006
- Saadati et al., same trial, no effect on blood vessels, blood pressure, lipids, liver or kidneys (Nutrients 2023) PMID 38004228
- Houjeghani et al., 1 g daily for 12 weeks in type 2 diabetes (Nutr Res 2018) PMID 29420997
- O’Toole et al., 2 g daily for 12 weeks and physical endurance in 299 adults (J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2026) PMID 42308284
- Ali et al., dose-escalation safety and blood levels in 16 healthy volunteers (Nutrients 2025) PMID 40647235
- Everaert et al., carnosinase activity and blood carnosine after a dose (Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2012) PMID 22496410
- Li et al., review of polaprezinc, approved in Japan in 1994 (Exp Ther Med 2021) PMID 34721687
For the protocol details
- Lombardi et al., L-carnosine in chronic heart failure (Nutrition 2015) PMID 25287762
For how it works, who should avoid it and the limits of the evidence
- Boldyrev et al., physiology and pathophysiology of carnosine, review (Physiol Rev 2013) PMID 24137022
- Hsiao et al., carnosine and cognition and mental health, systematic review and meta-analysis (Nutrients 2026) PMID 42123986
For uses, the side-effect questions, special situations, trials, identifiers and status outside the US
- de Courten et al., 2 g carnosine for 12 weeks in 30 adults with overweight or obesity (Obesity 2016) PMID 27040154
- Hariharan et al., same trial, cognitive outcomes (Pharmaceuticals 2025) PMID 40430451
- Chengappa et al., L-carnosine for cognition in schizophrenia (Schizophr Res 2012) PMID 23099060
- Araminia et al., L-carnosine added to citalopram in major depression (J Affect Disord 2020) PMID 32063564
- Arabzadeh et al., L-carnosine added to fluvoxamine in OCD (Hum Psychopharmacol 2017) PMID 28485008
- Hisatsune et al., anserine–carnosine supplement and memory in older adults (J Alzheimers Dis 2016) PMID 26682691
- Chez et al., L-carnosine in children with autism (J Child Neurol 2002) PMID 12585724
- Ghajar et al., L-carnosine added to methylphenidate in children with ADHD (J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2018) PMID 29469593
- Siriwattanasit et al., carnosine in 40 adults with diabetic kidney disease (BMC Nephrol 2021) PMID 34174842
- Baraniuk et al., carnosine in Gulf War illness (Glob J Health Sci 2013) PMID 23618477
- Dubois & Bastawrous, N-acetylcarnosine drops for age-related cataract, Cochrane review (2017) PMID 28245346
- Guiotto et al., carnosine and related antioxidants, review including its 1900 discovery (Curr Med Chem 2005) PMID 16181134
- FDA bulk drug substances nominated for compounding, 503A categories (May 14, 2026) and 503B categories (March 21, 2025)
- PubChem CID 439224; FDA Global Substance Registration System (UNII 8HO6PVN24W); WHO ATC index (no entry)
- EU CosIng entry for carnosine (checked October 8, 2026)
- Health Canada Drug Product Database search (checked October 8, 2026)
- Australian Poisons Standard, October 2026 (no entry)
- ClinicalTrials.gov searches for carnosine (checked October 8, 2026)
Doses tagged Community come from public dosing guides and user reports, checked against at least two of them. Those sites aren’t named here because many of them sell peptides or earn commissions on them.