Does Carnosine Supplement Help with Blood Sugar and Cholesterol?
Effect of carnosine supplementation on lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, HbA1C and insulin resistance: A systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term randomized controlled trials.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers looked at 4 studies with 184 people to see if taking carnosine supplements helps with metabolic health markers. They found that carnosine lowered long-term blood sugar (HbA1C) but did not significantly change other markers like triglycerides, insulin resistance, or cholesterol.
Surprising Findings
Carnosine lowers long-term blood sugar but doesn't improve insulin resistance
You'd expect that if HbA1C drops, insulin sensitivity would also improve - but the study found no significant change in HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance. This disconnect is unexpected.
Practical Takeaways
If you have metabolic issues and are considering carnosine supplements, know that it may help with long-term blood sugar (HbA1C) but likely won't improve insulin resistance, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers looked at 4 studies with 184 people to see if taking carnosine supplements helps with metabolic health markers. They found that carnosine lowered long-term blood sugar (HbA1C) but did not significantly change other markers like triglycerides, insulin resistance, or cholesterol.
Surprising Findings
Carnosine lowers long-term blood sugar but doesn't improve insulin resistance
You'd expect that if HbA1C drops, insulin sensitivity would also improve - but the study found no significant change in HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance. This disconnect is unexpected.
Practical Takeaways
If you have metabolic issues and are considering carnosine supplements, know that it may help with long-term blood sugar (HbA1C) but likely won't improve insulin resistance, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels.
Publication
Journal
Complementary therapies in medicine
Year
2020
Authors
Weixia Peng, P. Mao, Lijun Liu, K. Chen, Yaqin Zhong, Wenping Xia, Qiaohong Guo, S. C. Tan, J. Rahmani, Hamed Kord Varkaneh, Peixiang He
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking carnosine supplements doesn't help lower fasting blood sugar in adults who have metabolic conditions like diabetes or prediabetes.
Taking carnosine supplements may help lower blood sugar levels in adults with conditions like diabetes or prediabetes, with research showing about a 1% drop in a key blood sugar marker.
Taking carnosine supplements doesn't seem to lower triglyceride levels in adults with metabolic conditions like diabetes or prediabetes - the research shows a tiny drop that could easily be just random chance.
Taking carnosine supplements doesn't really change how the body handles insulin in adults who have metabolic problems like diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Taking carnosine supplements doesn't change the amount of good cholesterol or total cholesterol in adults who have metabolic conditions like diabetes or prediabetes.