It is an approved drug requiring a medical prescription in Japan and South Korea where it is clinically used to treat gastric ulcers.
[3][9] Clinical studies have also shown its efficacy for oral mucositis, esophagitis, proctitis, taste alteration and dermatitis during and after radiotherapy.
[10][11] In the United States, zinc carnosine is regulated as a New Dietary Ingredient, where notification with the US-FDA is required.
[6] It exerts cytoprotection through regulating heat shock proteins and chemokines, and by stabilizing mast cells.
[10] It has a potential to stimulate Hsp70 expression, with overexpression of Hsp70 being found to prevent the development of inflammatory process in the large intestinal mucosa provoked by various damaging factors.
[10] It possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and genomic stability enhancement effects, thereby having potential in preventing gastrointestinal cancer development.
[19] According to the Japanese product monograph, safety in children below the age of 12, pregnant women and lactating women are not established (no experience in use); and the level of use in the elderly population is suggested and recommended at 100 mg zinc L-carnosine per day because of reduced digestive system function in the general elderly population; and those with poor liver functions should be under medical supervision.
[8] As a mitigative, supplementation of 2 mg/day copper as glycinate chelate safely increases Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase activity.