Taurine is a nutrient that is produced in our bodies and found in many foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Taurine has many functions in our cells, such as helping with metabolism, antioxidant defense, cell signaling, and stem cell maintenance. Taurine also regulates many processes that decline with age, such as bone formation, immune function, nervous system function, and mitochondrial performance.
How does taurine affect aging?
A new study led by Columbia researchers and involving dozens of aging researchers around the world has found that taurine deficiency is a driver of aging in animals. The study also found that taurine supplements can slow down the aging process and extend the healthy lifespan of worms, mice, and monkeys.
The researchers measured taurine levels in the bloodstream of mice, monkeys, and people and found that they decrease substantially with age. They then gave daily taurine supplements to middle-aged mice and monkeys and observed remarkable improvements in their health and longevity. Taurine increased average lifespan by 12% in female mice and 10% in males. For the mice, that meant three to four extra months, equivalent to about seven or eight human years.
Taurine also prevented age-related weight gain, increased bone mass, improved muscle endurance and strength, reduced depression-like and anxious behaviors, reduced insulin resistance, and promoted a younger-looking immune system. At a cellular level, taurine improved many functions that usually decline with age: It decreased the number of “zombie cells” (old cells that should die but instead linger and release harmful substances), increased the number of stem cells present in some tissues (which can help tissues heal after injury), improved the performance of mitochondria (the powerhouses of the cell), reduced DNA damage, and improved the cells‘ ability to sense nutrients.
Similar health effects of taurine supplements were seen in middle-aged rhesus monkeys. Taurine prevented weight gain, reduced fasting blood glucose and markers of liver damage, increased bone density in the spine and legs, and improved the health of their immune systems.
Can taurine help humans live longer and healthier?
The researchers do not know yet if taurine supplements will improve health or increase longevity in humans, but they have some clues. They looked at the relationship between taurine levels and various health parameters in 12,000 European adults aged 60 and over. They found that people with higher taurine levels were healthier, with fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, lower obesity levels, reduced hypertension, and lower levels of inflammation.
They also tested if taurine levels would respond to an intervention known to improve health: exercise. They measured taurine levels before and after a strenuous cycling workout in different groups of athletes and sedentary individuals. They found that all groups had increased taurine levels after exercise, which suggests that some of the health benefits of exercise may come from an increase in taurine.
Only a randomized clinical trial in people will determine if taurine truly has health benefits. Taurine trials are currently underway for obesity, but none are designed to measure a wide range of health parameters.
Should we take taurine supplements?
Taurine is naturally produced in our bodies and can be obtained naturally in the diet. It has no known toxic effects (although it’s rarely used in concentrations used in this study). It can also be boosted by exercise.
Taurine abundance goes down with age, so restoring taurine to a youthful level in old age may be a promising anti-aging strategy.
Conclusion
Taurine is a nutrient that may have a profound impact on our health and lifespan. Taurine deficiency is a driver of aging in animals. Taurine supplements can slow down the aging process and extend the healthy lifespan of worms, mice, and monkeys. Taurine levels are associated with better health outcomes in humans. Taurine levels can be increased by diet or exercise.
Taurine may be the secret ingredient for a longer and healthier life. Are you getting enough of it?
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