According to research, the nutrient taurine, which is present in meat, fish, and dietary supplements, promotes health and lengthens life in a variety of animal species.
In all species, including humans, taurine levels decrease with age.
Increasing taurine to youthful levels extended life by over 10% and enhanced physical and mental health in experiments on animals in the middle of their lives.
Although taurine supplementation in humans has not been studied, researchers claim it may be an "elixir of life.".
Therefore, the team at Columbia University in New York advises against people purchasing taurine pills or energy drinks in an effort to live longer.
However, the most recent advancement in the search for anti-aging strategies is the animal research.
In order to examine the differences between young and old, this study first analyzed the molecules in the blood of various species.
Taurine was one of the molecules that underwent the most significant degradation, according to scientist Dr. Vijay Yadav. Levels were 80% lower in older people than in young people.
In plants, taurine is hardly present. Consequently, the nutrient either originates from animal protein in the diet or is produced by the body.
And over the past 11 years, the research team has worked to clarify its function in aging.
14-month-old mice, or about the age of 45 in humans, received a daily dose.
The findings, which were reported in the journal Science, revealed that male mice lived 10% longer than female mice did, and both groups seemed to be in better health.
Taurine-supplemented mice were healthier and appeared younger in all of the tests, according to Dr. Yadav.
"They had improved memory, a younger-looking immune system, increased bone density, and a leaner body composition. ".
Also observed in worms were increases in lifespan of 10-23 percent.
Then, after giving 15-year-old rhesus monkeys a six-month taurine course (which was too short to notice a difference in life expectancy), the researchers discovered gains in body weight, bone density, blood sugar levels, and the immune system.
Prof. Henning Wackerhage, a member of the Technical University of Munich's research team, said, "I thought this is almost too good to be true.". "Taurine somehow reaches the heart of aging. " .
But many of the major issues are still unresolved:.
- Would human subjects experience the same outcomes?
- If taurine is so beneficial to health, why do its levels naturally decline?.
- In what way does it delay aging?
- Does consuming taurine pose any risks?
According to a study done on 12,000 people, those who had higher blood levels of taurine were generally in better health.
They estimate that an extra seven to eight years of life would be gained if the findings from studies on mice were applied to humans.
But in order to determine whether there is any benefit, proper clinical trials must be conducted in which some participants receive the nutrient and others a placebo.
Taurine may not function properly due to differences in human biology or there may be an evolutionary reason for levels to decrease with aging. The available data suggests taurine is safe, and energy drinks have been available for decades.
Although taurine is a part of our diet, the amounts used in the experiments would be difficult to consume. Scaled up to humans, the equivalent dose from the animal experiments would be 3-6g (0.2oz) per day.
In order to avoid unduly influencing others, Dr. Yadav declined to say whether he personally chose to take taurine supplements.
Before advising the general public to go to the shelf in a grocery store and buy taurine, he said to BBC News, "Let us wait for the clinical trials to be finished. ".
Instead of rushing out to buy supplements, according to Prof. Wackerhage, there are already effective ways to extend your life.
Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a long, healthy, and happy life, he said. You should also exercise, of course.
The scientific study contends that taurine helps slow down cellular senescence, a characteristic of aging in which the body's cells cease to divide.
The nutrient also appeared to maintain the health of mitochondria, the cells' power plants.
But how it does any of this is still a mystery.
"A singular focus on increasing dietary taurine risks driving poor nutritional choices, because plant-rich diets are associated with human health and longevity," Joseph McGaunn and Joseph Baur, both from the University of Pennsylvania, said in a statement regarding the findings.
In order to improve human health and longevity, taurine supplementation should be used with caution, just like any other type of intervention. " .
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