Combination of Carnosine with Zinc protects the liver of hepatitis C patients

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes damage and scarring in the liver. Carnosine and Zinc have both been shown to reduce damage in the liver, scarring, and the death of liver tissue. In this new study 14 patients with chronic liver disease caused by the HCV were supplemented with a combination of Zinc-Carnosine daily for 6 months in addition to their usual medication. The addition of Carnosine with Zinc significantly reduced the level of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and decreased markers of liver inflammation (ferritin; a form of iron stored in the liver increases in the blood of patients with HCV). The study is published in the September 2007 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology.