L-carnosine is a dipeptide composed of the amino acids beta-alanine and L-histidine. It occurs naturally in muscle, brain and other tissues in high concentrations.

Carnosine helps inhibit glycation, a process by which excess sugar molecules bind to a protein or fat molecule. Over time, glycation affects essential proteins in your body and can contribute to various age-related factors, such as wrinkled skin.

In in vitro studies, L-carnosine reduced glycation, a process in which DNA and proteins are damaged by glucose. Glycation end products are highly reactive molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can further damage proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Accumulation of AGEs is associated with aging.