In accordance to the research, the amino acid taurine could be utilized in anti-aging therapies.
Our cells produce most likely toxic by-solutions recognised as “free radicals” when they split down the oxygen we breathe and the food we consume each and every day in get to exist. Some of these molecules carry out critical biological capabilities, but if there are also a lot of of them, the inner mobile buildings can be harmed, impairing the cells’ skill to perform and maybe resulting in persistent disease. We refer to this system as oxidative tension.
Our bodies have a extraordinary arsenal of antioxidant enzymes that aid in maintaining a wholesome stability of reactive oxygen species, but as we age, these handle mechanisms decrease. A recent study revealed in the journal Diet indicates that supplementing one’s diet program with the amino
The study reported in the study was carried out at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil. It involved 24 female volunteers aged 55 to 70. They were randomly separated into two groups. One group consumed three 500 mg capsules of taurine per day for 16 weeks (1.5 g per day). The other group received pills that simply contained corn starch (placebo). Neither the volunteers nor the researchers were aware of which group each participant belonged to.
Oxidative stress markers were analyzed in blood samples taken before and after the intervention. One of the most intriguing findings was an almost 20% rise in levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the taurine group, compared to a 3.5% drop in the control group. SOD, the scientists explain, protects cells from the harmful reactions of the superoxide radical.
“Preventing the buildup of free radicals that naturally occurs with aging probably prevents cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among other chronic conditions,” said Ellen de Freitas. Freitas is a professor at the Ribeirão Preto School of Physical Education and Sports (EEFERP-USP) and co-principal investigator for a project supported by FAPESP.
According to Freitas, very few studies of the effects of taurine in the context of aging can be found in the scientific literature. “This study was a first step, aimed at investigating the ideal dose and possible side effects, none of which was observed in any of the participants,” she said.
Anti-aging therapy
Taurine is a nutrient found in certain foods, such as fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey, and beef. Additionally, it is naturally produced in some tissues of the human body, particularly the liver, and is important to the functioning of the central nervous system, immunity, eyesight, and fertility.
The Freitas group has been studying taurine’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for at least 10 years, initially in high-performance athletes and later in obese people, with daily dosages ranging from 3 g to 6 g. “The results showed that oxidative stress in these individuals could be controlled when their diet was supplemented with this amino acid. We then decided to test the strategy in the context of aging. This was very novel, so we began with a very low safety dose,” Freitas said.
The initial plan was to look at the effects of taurine supplementation in conjunction with exercise training, as well as both treatments separately. Physical activity is thought to be one of the main ways to regulate levels of oxidizing substances and antioxidants in the body, and the proper amount is thought to enhance the benefits of taurine. However, because of the pandemic and the fact that the volunteers were in a high-risk group for COVID-19 complications, the researchers chose to solely proceed with the nutritional component of the study, which could be monitored remotely.
Two other markers of oxidative stress were analyzed besides SOD: the antioxidant enzyme glutathione reductase (GR), which decreased significantly in both groups, and malondialdehyde (MDA), which increased 23% in the control group and decreased 4% in the taurine supplementation group.
“These results were modest, but we believe a higher dose of taurine could produce stronger evidence for its benefits,” Freitas said.
For Gabriela Abud, the first author of the article and currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School (FMRP-USP), changes in the volunteers’ diet in the early months of the pandemic owing to lockdown may have affected the results of the biochemical analysis.
“In addition to markers of oxidative stress, we analyzed levels of minerals such as selenium, zinc, magnesium, and calcium, which are important to the functioning of these enzymes,” Abud explained. “Selenium, for example, is a co-factor for glutathione peroxidase [which indirectly helps eliminate hydrogen peroxide from the organism] and was lessened in both of those teams.”
For Freitas, taurine supplementation is only the “cherry on the cake” and are unable to perform miracles on its very own. “A healthy life-style with a well balanced diet regime and typical training is fundamental for the anti-growing old influence to arise,” she claimed.
In the upcoming study, the group system to include overweight females aged 60-75 with sarcopenia, a gradual decline of muscle mass mass that can be exacerbated by chronic irritation. “These individuals confront an acute danger of acquiring difficulties. We’ll give actual physical teaching linked with taurine supplementation at 3 g for each day and observe the feasible alterations thanks to these interventions,” Freitas explained.
It is critical to bear in thoughts that the added benefits and dangers of dietary taurine supplementation are even now remaining investigated. Meals supplements ought to not be taken with out health-related supervision.
Reference: “Taurine as a feasible antiaging treatment: A managed scientific trial on taurine antioxidant activity in ladies ages 55 to 70” by Gabriela Ferreira Abud M.Sc., Flavia Giolo De Carvalho Ph.D., Gabriela Batitucci Ph.D., Sofia Germano Travieso B.Sc., Carlos Roberto Bueno Junior Ph.D., Fernando Barbosa Junior Ph.D., Julio Sergio Marchini Ph.D. and Ellen Cristinide Freitas Ph.D., 11 June 2022, Nourishment.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111706