Anserine is a substance that combines two types of amino acids found in the muscles of red fish of those species that have high swimming ability: tuna, salmon, bonito. Anserine is thought to inhibit acidification due to hydrogen ions and lactic acid produced by strenuous exercise.
By extracting anserine from salmon muscle and studying its physiological role, it has been scientifically demonstrated that it has a fatigue-reducing effect. It has also recently been found to have many other physiological functions. Anserine lowers uric acid levels.
This raw material for the production of dietary supplements is the result of purifying Anserine from salmon extract to a high substance content of 30%.
Gout attacks are characterized by sudden and severe pain. Gout is caused by an accumulation of uric acid in the body. Uric acid is poorly soluble in the blood, so when the concentration of uric acid in the body remains high, it does not dissolve completely, but accumulates in the joints and crystallizes. When crystals are precipitated by some irritant, white blood cells recognize them as foreign substances and attack them. The result is inflammation and pain. The amount of uric acid that causes the dreaded gout can be found out by checking "serum uric acid levels" in a blood test. Serum uric acid levels are also included in the list of "specific medical examinations and specific medical guidelines" tests, commonly known as "metabolic screening," and the "hyperuricemia and gout guidelines" define 7.0 mg/dL as the upper limit of normal, and exceeding this value is defined as hyperuricemia.
It is well known that the higher the uric acid level, the more likely gout will develop. High uric acid levels are also associated with a number of other conditions, including kidney failure, urinary tract stones, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, impaired glucose tolerance and high blood pressure. A 2007 U.S. study found that elevated uric acid levels increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
The number of patients with gout has grown rapidly over the years and is estimated to be about 900,000 people in Japan. Serum uric acid levels are elevated in both men and women. Hyperuricemia (uric acid levels of 7.0 mg/dL or higher), which increases the risk of developing gout, is thought to affect one in four adult men, a figure that increases each year. In recent years, the peak age of onset of gout, which used to be in the 50s, has become younger at 30.Uric acid, which accumulates in the body and causes gout, is made from purines. Purine is produced from food and during cellular and energy metabolism. This purine is then broken down to its final metabolite (i.e., burned), uric acid. Uric acid is eliminated from the body as urine, feces and sweat.
A normal person produces about 700 mg of uric acid daily and eliminates the same amount from the body, so the amount of uric acid in the body is always kept constant (about 1,200 mg). However, if the body produces too much uric acid (overproduction) or excretes too little (underproduction) due to lifestyle habits, the uric acid reservoir can quickly exceed its limit and overflow. This condition is thought to occur when uric acid levels exceed the hyperuricemia threshold of 7.0 mg/dL and increases the risk of developing gout.
The main cause of elevated uric acid levels in the body is lifestyle. This can be caused by a variety of lifestyle factors, including excessive alcohol consumption, foods containing purines and fats, obesity, and stress. One of the best ways to reduce uric acid levels is to reduce the amount of purines in the diet. However, the amount of purines produced by the body far exceeds the amount received with food, so simply watching your diet is not enough. It's important to improve your lifestyle: drink plenty of water to help flush out uric acid, eat foods like hijiki and wakame seaweed, which alkalize the urine, and exercise in moderation to reduce stress.
Improving lifestyle, however, is not easy, especially for busy men between the ages of 30 and 50, who are at high risk of developing gout. This is why anserine is attracting attention as a new functional ingredient that can effectively control uric acid levels.
A number of studies have shown that anserine has different functions:
One of the most recent results of these studies was the discovery that salmon-derived Anserine has the effect of lowering uric acid levels. Currently, there is no other functional product that lowers uric acid levels.
Thirty-two people (22 men and 10 women, mean age 33) suffering from chronic fatigue and stress were divided into two groups, each taking either anserine 50 mg/day capsule or a placebo for 8 weeks, and were asked to complete a 5-point questionnaire about how they felt. The results showed that the group that took the capsules showed a significant reduction in fatigue after one week compared to the previous group. In studies like this, people taking placebos usually experience an improvement in symptoms because of a psychological effect commonly referred to as the placebo effect. Those who took the placebo tended to see a reduction in their scores after a week, but they did not show the same significant reduction in fatigue as the group who took anserine, indicating that anserine itself has an effect.
Further in studies of the effect of anserine on fatigue, seven healthy men (average age 38 years) were given 11 mg of anserine per kg of body weight, then asked to perform two leg lifts and electromyography measurements. The effect against fatigue was measured using the central frequency tilt during exercise, calculated from the electromyogram, and the degree of fatigue was assessed compared to the placebo. As a result, the MPF slope during the second exercise session was lower in those who took Anserine and there was a significant reduction in physical fatigue compared to those who took placebo.
Thirty adult men with elevated uric acid levels (6.5-8.0 ml/dL) were divided into two groups, and each group received either anserine capsules (containing 50 mg anserine daily) or placebo capsules for four weeks. In the group that took the anserine capsules, there was a trend toward lower uric acid levels from the second week of treatment.
In studies like these, people who take placebo usually experience improvement in symptoms because of a psychological effect, commonly called the placebo effect. The fact that Anserine significantly reduced uric acid levels compared to pre-treatment levels shows that there really is an effect of Anserine.
Anserine reduces uric acid levels by preventing the body from producing too much uric acid and helping to eliminate excess uric acid from the body.
Recommended intake: 50 mg/day.
Anserine is a type of imidazole peptide composed of two amino acids, beta-alanine* and methylhistidine**, linked together. It is found in the meat of migratory fish such as tuna and salmon, and it is thought that the ability of migratory fish to continue swimming is due to anserine's endurance-supporting effect. Anserine is thought to help break down lactic acid, relieve fatigue and prevent its accumulation. It also regulates the production of uric acid***, which is a waste product in the body, preventing its excessive production and promoting its elimination from the body.
Anserine is a substance of animal origin that was discovered in 1929 in animal muscle tissue. It is found in the tissues of animals where energy expenditure is high. In humans, pigs, cattle and horses, the proportion of carnosine is high in one group of imidazole peptides, while in rabbits and sheep the proportion of anserine increases and carnosine and anserine are almost equal, and in birds, such as chickens, the proportion of anserine is two to three times that of carnosine. In the case of large migratory fish species such as tuna, most contain anserine.
Anserine is thought to have an important physiological function as an antioxidant, protecting brain and muscle tissue during intense exercise and high oxygen consumption, and has anti-fatigue properties. It is also thought to have an important physiological function, and its antioxidant properties prevent aging.
Amino acids are important nutrients that form the basis of protein. Amino acids from food are synthesized in the body into proteins that are used to build skin, muscles and organs. Anserine, a small combination of these important amino acids, is a peptide that is considered a very effective fatigue reliever. Tuna and bonito are believed to be able to swim up to 60 km/h thanks to the high content of Anserine in their muscles. Anserine helps the body recover from fatigue by inhibiting lactic acid, which is formed when the body produces energy for movement. Our bodies need more oxygen than usual, especially when playing sports, and intense physical activity can lead to a lack of oxygen. Lactic acid is formed from glycogen**** in the muscles when there is a lack of oxygen, which facilitates the onset of fatigue. Regularly taking Anserine can help reduce the fatigue experienced on a daily basis.
Anserine has also been shown to help control uric acid levels. Uric acid, a waste product of the body's cells, is formed by the breakdown of purines***** the building blocks of nucleic acids found in beer and other foods. If too much uric acid accumulates in the body, it leads to gout******.Anserine prevents the formation of large amounts of uric acid by encouraging the body to convert uric acid back into purine before excess uric acid is formed. It also helps to eliminate excess uric acid from the body in the form of urine, feces, and sweat. This is especially important if you like to drink alcohol.
Purines are formed not only from food, but also during cellular metabolism and energy metabolism. This purine is then broken down to uric acid, which is the final metabolic residue.
The higher the level of uric acid, the more likely you are to develop gout, which can lead to kidney failure, urinary tract stones and complications of other lifestyle diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and hypertension. A 2007 U.S. study found that high levels of uric acid increase the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Another imidazole peptide that has a similar structure to anserine is carnosine, both of which are very useful for maintaining athletic performance. Imidazole peptides are also produced in our muscles and are responsible for reducing reactive oxygen species.
* Beta-alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid. It is formed in the body from peptide building blocks and other molecules.
** Methylhistidine is a type of amino acid found in muscle.
*** Uric acid is a substance called purine that is a product of body cell waste.
**** Glycogen is a substance used to temporarily store energy in the animal body. It consists of many units of glucose, a nutrient that is easily converted into energy, joined together.
***** Purine is a component of the cellular nucleus and is found in many foods. The word comes from the Latin word for purine nucleotide.
****** Gout is a general term for a group of diseases that cause acute arthritis due to hyperuricemia, high levels of uric acid in the blood. It is characterized by redness, swelling, and pain at the base of the toe joint and is accompanied by severe pain.
1] We compared anserine and carnosine levels in the skeletal muscles of mice with accelerated aging fed creatine at 10, 25 and 60 weeks of age and found that anserine and carnosine levels in the muscle increased at 25 weeks of age. There was also an improvement in muscle fatigue and muscle recovery. However, there was no improvement after 50 weeks. Creatinine supplementation may be beneficial for athletic performance and is thought to be associated with increased anserine and carnosine levels and a subsequent decrease in muscle fatigue and improved recovery.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18593282
2] In a study of exercise function in mice, swimming time and suspension time increased after anserine administration, and the increase in blood lactate levels, a measure of muscle fatigue, was inhibited.
