Historically, humans have constantly been on a quest to preserve youthfulness and defy age-related conditions. However, the scientific community is currently focused on finding the molecular mechanisms underlying these age-related changes. Their efforts aim to identify potential interventions that could either reverse the ageing process or slow down cellular ageing in older individuals.
One such effort was documented in a recent study published in Science. In this study, scientists observed that taurine — a nutrient, naturally produced in the body and present in various foods — has anti-ageing properties.
The age-old problem
Ageing is a natural and inevitable process that all living organisms experience as they age. It involves a progressive decline in various physiological functions, decreasing overall vitality and increasing susceptibility to age-related diseases.
The ageing process is complex and influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Over time, cells and tissues in the body change due to DNA damage, telomerase deficiency and other biological processes. One such process is influenced by the levels of taurine in the blood.
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Taurine bliss
Taurine is an amino acid found abundantly in humans and protein-rich food such as seafood, eggs, and meat. Previous research has found a link between taurine levels in the blood and numerous metabolic and physiological processes like glucose and lipid regulation, energy metabolism, anti-inflammatory activity, and antioxidant activities.
However, its impact on the ageing process was unclear. To bridge this gap Dr Vijay Yadav and his team at Columbia University, USA, studied the effects of taurine on the health and lifespan of yeast, mice and monkeys. “We realised that if taurine is regulating all these processes that decline with age, maybe taurine levels in the bloodstream affect overall health and lifespan,” says Dr Yadav, the lead author and assistant professor of genetics development at Columbia University, in a statement.
What they did
Firstly, they checked the taurine levels in mice, monkeys, and humans of different age groups. They observed a decrease in the taurine levels in all of them with age. In individuals who are 60 years old, the taurine levels were found to be approximately one-third of the levels observed in 5-year-olds. “That’s when we started to ask if taurine deficiency is a driver of the ageing process, and we set up a large experiment with mice,” says Dr Yadav.
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Additionally, the researchers investigated the impact of taurine supplementation on animals by examining taurine activity and levels after administering it. They measured body weight and blood levels of various biomarkers and assessed the life span of monkeys.
The study also included data from 12000 people aged 60 from the EPIC-Norfolk study to see if taurine supplementation will improve health or increase longevity in humans.
Beyond expectations
The researchers found the taurine-supplemented mice and monkeys were healthier and appeared younger than those without taurine supplements (control group). The life span increased by 12 per cent in female mice and 10 per cent in male mice. “This study suggests that taurine could be an elixir of life within us that helps us live longer and healthier lives,” says Dr Yadav in the statement.
The study authors say that taurine reduces cellular ageing, protects against telomerase deficiency, suppresses mitochondrial dysfunction, decreases DNA damage and reduces inflammation. Since taurine in the body diminishes with age, restoring it to youthful levels in old age may be a promising anti-ageing strategy.
“I think taurine should also be considered as an anti-ageing supplement. It is naturally produced in our bodies, and it can be obtained naturally in the diet,” says Dr Yadav. He adds that taurine has no known toxic effects (although it’s rarely used in concentrations used in this study), and it can be boosted by exercise.
