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Study Finds Improvement in Diabetic Neuropathy Among People Given Carnosine and B Vitamins
A randomized, controlled trial resulted in improved symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, a condition that occurs when high blood glucose causes nerve damage, in people with type 2 diabetes who were given the nutrient carnosine along with three B vitamins for a period of 12 weeks.
Carnosine is a dipeptide that can be made in the body. Its various roles include that of an antioxidant. It also helps prevent glycation: the attachment of a sugar molecule to a protein, fat or nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) molecule, which damages tissue. “Carnosine is considered an ideal antioxidant with unique properties such as being nontoxic, water soluble, and heat inactive; additionally, it is a nutrient with neuroprotective properties,” authors Mahitab Hany Hamouda and colleagues wrote.
Compared with the beginning of the trial, neuropathy symptoms improved among participants who were given carnosine plus B vitamins for 12 weeks while no significant improvements occurred among the participants who received B vitamins alone. Nerve conduction study results confirmed improvement in the carnosine-treated group. Nerve growth factor, a protein that encourages the survival of nerve cells (also known as neurons) and may stimulate nerve regeneration, was significantly increased at the end of the trial among those who received carnosine.
The study included 60 men and women with type 2 diabetes and diabetic neuropathy. Thirty participants were given 500 mg carnosine plus 150 mg vitamin B1, 100 mg vitamin B6 and 1 mg vitamin B12 to be consumed twice per day. The remaining participants received twice daily B vitamins alone. Both groups consumed their assigned nutrients for 12 weeks. Questionnaires completed by the participants at the beginning and end of the study provided information concerning neuropathy symptoms. Nerve conduction studies were performed, and blood samples were analyzed for levels of nerve growth factor at these time points.
“To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to confirm the ability of carnosine in combination with vitamin B complex to alleviate symptoms of diabetic neuropathy as assessed with nerve conduction studies,” the authors announced.
The findings were published in the Fall 2024 issue of the American Diabetes Association® journal Clinical Diabetes.1
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Apply What You’ve Learned: Diabetic Neuropathy
- Diabetic neuropathy is caused by damage to the nerves that results from long-term increases in blood glucose (sugar) and triglycerides (fats). The condition can cause pain, numbness, sensitivity, muscle weakness or wasting, loss of temperature sensation and limited mobility.2
- Blood glucose control is a key factor in the prevention of neuropathy among diabetics. It is advisable for people with diabetes to consume regular, healthy meals that contain nonstarchy vegetables and protein and emphasize complex carbohydrates over refined carbohydrates. The American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Plate provides easy guidelines.3
- Acetyl-L-carnitine, lipoic acid and vitamin D may be helpful additions to the diets of people with diabetic neuropathy.4-6 Having your blood tested for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D will aid in deciding whether you need to add vitamin D to your diet and the amount of the vitamin needed.
- Regular exercise may help lower the risk of diabetic neuropathy. A study that enrolled 78 people with diabetes and no signs of neuropathy found that none of those assigned to regular treadmill walking developed motor neuropathy and 6.45% developed sensory neuropathy within four years, compared with 17% and 29.8% of a group not assigned to exercise.7
References
- Hamouda MH et al. Clin Diabetes. 2024 Aug 8;42(4):561-569.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Peripheral Neuropathy. National Institutes of Health. 2018 Feb. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/nerve-damage-diabetic-neuropathies/peripheral-neuropathy
- American Diabetes Association. What is the Diabetes Plate? 2020 Feb 20. https://diabetesfoodhub.org/blog/what-diabetes-plate
- Di Stefano G et al. J Pain Res. 2019 Apr 26;12:1341–1351.
- Hsieh RY et al. Nutrients. 2023 Aug 18;15(16):3634.
- Putz Z et al. Review Clin Ther. 2022 May;44(5):813-823.
- Balducci S et al. J Diabetes Complications. 2006 Jul-Aug;20(4):216-23.
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Support Brain Health and Cognitive Function
By Randy Stevens
Sage is an herb that has shown promise as part of a brain-supportive nutritional regimen. Sage supports brain function by reducing the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is involved in memory, learning and more. Sage also helps prevent the clumping of amyloid beta, a protein that forms plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, sage supports a healthy inflammatory response and provides other benefits.
Other possible additions to a brain health nutritional regimen include ashwagandha, blueberry extract, phosphatidylserine, pregnenolone, uridine 5’-monophosphate and vinpocetine. Combining sage with these nutrients may support memory and cognition and help protect against or slow cognitive decline.
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