Scientists from Columbia University in the United States said that clinical experiments they conducted on mice and monkeys proved that taurine, also found in energy drinks, slowed the aging of these rodents and mammals and gave them a healthier life.
The researchers found that taurine levels drop significantly with age, but increasing it improves the mice’s health and prolongs their lives, in their experiment, according to British newspaper The Guardian.
It’s unclear whether humans would benefit in the same way, or whether the higher doses required are safe, but scientists have called for controlled trials in humans to verify this.
“Taurine abundance declines with age, and reversing this decline allows animals to live longer, healthier lives. These findings could also hold true for humans,” the Guardian said, quoting Dr. Vijay Yadav, study supervisor.
Yadav added: “It will probably be very difficult to know if humans will live longer, but at least we can check if they live healthier longer, which of course is the goal of medicine.”
The study indicated that mice that received “taurine” had denser bones, stronger muscles, better memory and younger immune systems, compared to those that did not receive the compound.
The study also found that in addition to improving their health, rats that took taurine lived an average of 10% longer than the group that didn’t.
After rats, scientists experimented with “taurine” with macaques and found that giving them a daily “taurine” pill improved their health, as it prevented weight gain, lowered blood sugar, and improved bone density and immune system.
According to the Mayo Clinic medical website, “taurine”, which contains similar chemistry to other amino acids, is an important substance in many metabolic processes that occur in the body.
Taurine is thought to have antioxidant properties, but little is known about the long-term effects of using the supplement.
Taurine is found naturally in meat, fish, dairy products and breast milk, and is also available as a dietary supplement.
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