Carnosine (UK) vs Carnitine (USA)?- help a novice.

[Michael Dorsett Onken]

Rand61711 (rand61711 at aol.com) queried:
: Are Carnosine and Carnitine different, or it just the UK vs USA spelling?
: If different, where can a person get consumable  Carnosine and can it be
: normally 
: assimilated?     Any ideas at all would be appreciated.
:  
Carnitine and Carnosine are COMPLETELY different compounds.  Carnosine is
a dipeptide:  N-beta-Alanyl-L-histidine.  Carnitine is an amino acid
derivative: N,N,N-trimethyl-gamma-amino-beta-hydroxy-butyric acid.  There
is no relation between these compounds, except for their similar names.

As to consumable forms of Carnosine, most animals - including humans -
produce sufficient Carnosine in their muscles and nervous systems to
survive, so consumption seems unnecessary.


Mike