The Study
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.
This study is like a summary of 4 smaller experiments where people were given carnosine or a fake pill (placebo). By combining all 4 experiments together, scientists found that carnosine seems to help lower HbA1C (a blood sugar marker). But since there were only 4 small experiments and they didn't all agree with each other, we can say carnosine probably helps, but we're not 100% super sure.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
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.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 533 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Carnosine may help with long-term blood sugar control (HbA1C) but does not appear to significantly improve insulin resistance, triglycerides, or cholesterol levels in adults with metabolic disorders.
- 2- HbA1C reduced by 0.92%
- 3- Triglycerides not significantly reduced (-14.46 mg/dL, crossed zero)
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
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.
Taking 2 grams of carnosine every day for about 3 months might help overweight people have lower insulin levels and less insulin resistance, possibly because carnosine helps clean up harmful molecules that mess with how insulin works in the body.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.