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Study · Randomized controlled trial · n = 25 · 2013

6 results

Carnosine treatment for gulf war illness: a randomized controlled trial.

Baraniuk JN, El-Amin S, Corey R, Rayhan R, Timbol C

Global journal of health science4 Feb 2013Cited by 75 (Europe PMC)

PMID23618477 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC4209301 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.5539/gjhs.v5n3p69 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-23618477
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Summary

About 25% of 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War veterans experience disabling fatigue, widespread pain, and cognitive dysfunction termed Gulf War illness (GWI) or Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI). A leading theory proposes that wartime exposures initiated prolonged production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and central nervous system injury. The endogenous antioxidant L-carnosine (B-alanyl-L-histidine) is a potential treatment since it is a free radical scavenger in nervous tissue. To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed. L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals. Outcomes included subjective fatigue, pain and psychosocial questionnaires, and instantaneous fatigue and activity levels recorded by ActiWatch Score devices. Cognitive function was evaluated by WAIS-R digit symbol substitution test. Carnosine had 2 potentially beneficial effects: WAIS-R scores increased significantly, and there was a decrease in diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome. No other significant incremental changes were found. Therefore, 12 weeks of carnosine (1500 mg) may have beneficial cognitive effects in GWI. Fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, activity and other outcomes were resistant to treatment.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study6

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. 6 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Gulf War illness, carnosine significantly increased WAIS-R scores.

    In plain wordsIn Gulf War illness, carnosine significantly improved cognitive test scores.

    Peptide
    L-carnosine
    Outcome
    IncreaseWAIS-R score
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals · 12 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Carnosine had 2 potentially beneficial effects: WAIS-R scores increased significantly, and there was a decrease in diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed.
    Summary · context
    L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals.
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Gulf War illness, carnosine decreased diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

    In plain wordsIn Gulf War illness, carnosine reduced diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

    Peptide
    L-carnosine
    Outcome
    DecreaseDiarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Gastrointestinal protection · Gastrointestinal
    Studied dose
    500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals · 12 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Carnosine had 2 potentially beneficial effects: WAIS-R scores increased significantly, and there was a decrease in diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed.
    Summary · context
    L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals.
  3. 03HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Gulf War illness, fatigue was resistant to carnosine treatment.

    In plain wordsIn Gulf War illness, carnosine did not improve fatigue.

    Peptide
    L-carnosine
    Outcome
    No significant changeFatigue
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Exercise and physical function · Whole body
    Studied dose
    500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals · 12 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, activity and other outcomes were resistant to treatment.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed.
    Summary · context
    L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals.
  4. 04HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Gulf War illness, pain was resistant to carnosine treatment.

    In plain wordsIn Gulf War illness, carnosine did not improve pain.

    Peptide
    L-carnosine
    Outcome
    No significant changePain
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals · 12 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, activity and other outcomes were resistant to treatment.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed.
    Summary · context
    L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals.
  5. 05HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Gulf War illness, hyperalgesia was resistant to carnosine treatment.

    In plain wordsIn Gulf War illness, carnosine did not improve increased pain sensitivity.

    Peptide
    L-carnosine
    Outcome
    No significant changeHyperalgesia
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Pain · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals · 12 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, activity and other outcomes were resistant to treatment.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed.
    Summary · context
    L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals.
  6. 06HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In Gulf War illness, activity was resistant to carnosine treatment.

    In plain wordsIn Gulf War illness, carnosine did not improve activity.

    Peptide
    L-carnosine
    Outcome
    No significant changeActivity
    Study

    n = 25

    Outcome group
    Exercise and physical function · Whole body
    Studied dose
    500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals · 12 weeksAs given in this study (human).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Fatigue, pain, hyperalgesia, activity and other outcomes were resistant to treatment.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    To determine if nutritional supplementation with L-carnosine would significantly improve pain, cognition and fatigue in GWI, a randomized double blind placebo controlled 12 week dose escalation study involving 25 GWI subjects was employed.
    Summary · context
    L-carnosine was given as 500, 1000, and 1500 mg increasing at 4 week intervals.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    27 Oct 2026, 18:20 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    27 Oct 2026, 16:32 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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