Based on the compound’s known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, researchers at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil investigated the effects of taurine supplementation as a potential anti-aging therapy in women between the ages of 55 and 70.
“Preventing the free radical buildup that occurs naturally with aging likely prevents cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among other chronic conditions,” Ellen de Freitas, co-principal investigator of the study, said in a statement from the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), which supported the project.
From ox bile to anti-aging
Taurine, first isolated from ox bile by German scientists in 1827, is a semi-essential amino acid found in meat, fish, eggs and seaweed. It also occurs naturally in the human body and supports the functions of the digestive, cardiovascular, skeletal, eyes, muscles and nervous systems.
“Taurine is an underappreciated, yet important approach to cardiovascular health and oxidative stress that is the hallmark of aging,”dr. Mark Miller, president of Kaiviti Consulting, told NutraIngredients-USA in reviewing the study.
He added that while taurine has been used primarily as an additive in energy drinks, the research “reaffirms that important measures are in place to limit oxidative stress.”
The study authors suggest that taurine’s therapeutic action in aging may be related to its ability to counteract the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage cells over time.
