2023-06-09 11:51:00
According to the results of an investigation led by Columbia University in New York that was featured in the journal Science, taurine promotes healthy aging (in mice and macaques). Among its benefits are: improves strength, coordination, memory, bone health, and attenuates cellular senescence, mitochondrial and DNA damage, and chronic inflammation.
Taurine is an amino acid found naturally in the human body and in some diets. Unlike many other amino acids, taurine is not incorporated into proteins, but instead exists as a free compound in most body tissues, especially extracellular fluids such as blood and lymphatic fluid.
It is important for many bodily functions, including stabilization of cell membranes, regulation of calcium concentration within cells, formation of bile salts for digestion of fats, modulation of central nervous system activity, and cardiovascular and muscular function.
TAURINE LEVELS DEPENDING ON AGE
By analyzing taurine levels in the blood, the scientists got a crucial clue about its relationship with age in different species. In 15-year-old monkeys, taurine levels were 85% shorter than 5-year-olds. Similarly, in humans, levels decline with age: at age 60, only one-third of the levels found in childhood are found.
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In mice, the researchers observed that a lack of this amino acid accelerates aging and reduces life expectancy. However, what is most fascinating is that this process can be reversed.
By supplementing the worms’ diet with taurine, scientists were able to increase their life expectancy by between 10% and 23%.. Experiments on rodents also yielded positive results: not only did life extend by more than 10%, but aspects such as strength, coordination, and cognitive abilities also improved.
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In turn, some key indicators of aging were reduced in the mice: inflammation, cellular senescence, mitochondrial damage, and DNA damage. By increasing the levels of this molecule in rhesus macaques, which are an experimental model very similar to humans, improvements in bone, metabolic and immune health were seen.
BENEFITS IN HUMANS?
Researchers examined the connection between taurine levels and a variety of health indicators in more than 12,000 Europeans over 60 years of age. In general, those with higher levels of taurine had a more optimal state of health: less incidence of type 2 diabetes, lower rates of obesity, decreased hypertension and low levels of inflammation.
Does that mean that we have already found an elixir that we can take to increase our life and health?
The researchers’ conclusions indicate that taurine has the potential to delay aging and prolong life in several species. However, the applications for humans are still far from clear and neither has been determined how these discoveries could be translated into medical or therapeutic applications.
Furthermore, the doses of taurine used in the study were extremely high. If translated to human doses, we would be talking about tens of grams per day. Not to mention that these high levels of taurine produced a significant decrease in the levels of certain types of white blood cells, especially neutrophils and monocytes, which can have both positive and negative implications, since these cells are essential in the fight against infections and the inflammatory response.
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The design of a reliable human clinical trial with taurine presents many challenges, both in terms of dosing, duration of the experiment and the parameters to be measured. This is because aging is a multifactorial process and measuring its effects is complex..
Therefore, although the initial results with taurine are promising, more research is needed to fully understand its potential benefits and applications for human health.
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