WHAT IS ZINC CARNOSINE?
Elemental zinc is known to speed healing of mucosal wounds and damaged cells, particularly in the gut. Carnosine is a naturally-occurring dipeptide, comprised of the amino acids, beta-alanine and L-histidine. It is a strong free-radical scavenger capable of blocking free radical chain reactions, inhibiting cell damage. It is also essential for DNA and RNA polymerase activity to aid cell damage. Zinc carnosine was developed in an effort to provide a therapy that bolsters the ability of the gastric lining to repair and protect itself. A chelate of elemental zinc and carnosine in a 1:1 ratio, zinc carnosine entered the Japanese market as a pharmaceutical for ulcer treatment in the early 1990s and has been marketed there under the trade name Polaprezinc. GASTRIC MUCOSAL BALANCE: A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT ULCER DISEASE The digestive tract has a curious challenge. It must produce caustic matter (stomach acid, pepsin, enzymes, bile) capable of breaking down many different substances, includ
