Taurine may not be an important driver of aging after all

Although the amino acid taurine was once thought to decrease with age, animal studies suggested that taurine supplements may slow aging. However, new research shows that decline does not occur consistently. In fact, taurine levels tend to increase in people’s levels over time, suggesting that low levels of nutrients are not the driving force behind aging.

Previous studies have shown that taurine levels decrease with age in men, and those with higher taurine levels at age 60 tend to have higher health outcomes. This suggests that low taurine contributes to aging, along with evidence that taurine supplements extend the lifespan of mice and monkeys.

The problem is that taurine fluctuates in response to other factors such as illness, stress, and diet. Therefore, this important amino acid reduction may not be due to aging. Maria Emilia Fernandez The National Institute of Aging in Maryland and her colleagues analyzed taurine levels in 742 people aged 26 to 100 years. Approximately half of the participants were women, but between January 2006 and October 2018 there were underlying health conditions, providing 3-5 blood samples.

On average, taurine levels were nearly 27% higher for women aged 100 than for women aged 26, and rose by about 6% for men aged 30 to 97. Similar results were seen in 32 monkeys who received blood samples between the ages of 32 and 7 years, between the ages of 32 and 7. Between the ages of 5 and 30, taurine levels rose on average by 72% in female monkeys and 27% in male monkeys.

Together, these findings indicate that taurine levels are not a reliable sign of aging. Furthermore, the levels of taurine vary widely between people and individuals over time, suggesting that other environmental factors influence them, Fernandez says.

However, some people may still benefit from taurine supplementation, Fernandez points to studies that show that it can help regulate blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes or obese. However, whether or not it can slow the aging of an otherwise healthy person is an open question.

Vijay Yadav At Rutgers University in New Jersey, he and his colleagues say they are currently conducting clinical trials for taurine supplementation in middle-aged adults. “I hope to close the trial by the end of 2025,” he says. “Hopefully, we will generate rigorous data sufficient to show whether taurine supplementation slows the pace of human aging or increases health and fitness.”