Carnosine vs Cortagen
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
- Summary
- Carnosine is an endogenous dipeptide (beta-alanine + histidine) found in high concentrations in muscle and brain. It is a potent anti-aging molecule with broad spectrum antioxidant, anti-glycation, anti-carbonylation, and metal chelating properties, making it one of the most protective naturally occurring dipeptides.
- Cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation as a cardioprotective and vascular bioregulator. It stimulates repair of cardiac and vascular tissue, with demonstrated benefits for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiac aging.
- Half-Life
- ~1.5 minutes (rapidly hydrolyzed to beta-alanine and histidine by carnosinase in blood; tissue levels maintained via constant synthesis)
- Short peptide half-life; gene regulatory effects persist beyond peptide clearance
- Admin Route
- Oral, Topical
- SubQ, IM, Oral
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 1,000–2,000 mg
- 10 mg SC or IM daily
- Frequency
- Once to twice daily with meals
- Once daily
- Key Benefits
- Potent anti-glycation (prevents protein cross-linking/aging)
- Broad-spectrum antioxidant in muscle and brain
- Extends cell lifespan and protects telomeres
- Improves muscle performance and delays fatigue (pH buffering)
- Neuroprotective against Alzheimer's amyloid-beta
- Wound healing acceleration
- Anti-cataract properties (eye health)
- Improves diabetes complications via AGE prevention
- Chelates excess copper and zinc
- Cardioprotective — protects cardiac tissue from ischemic damage
- Promotes cardiac regeneration and repair
- Improves vascular endothelium function
- Reduces atherosclerosis progression
- Anti-aging effect on heart muscle cells
- Improves cardiac output and exercise capacity
- Reduces oxidative stress in cardiovascular tissue
- May reduce arrhythmia frequency
- Side Effects
- Very well tolerated
- Rare: mild GI discomfort at high doses
- No significant adverse effects in human studies
- Excellent safety profile
- Mild injection site reactions
- Rare: transient hypotension
- Rare: mild arrhythmia at initiation in cardiac patients
- Stacks With
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