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.
“We believe that taurine supplementation may strengthen the antioxidant defense system and be a viable nutritional strategy to prevent oxidative damage caused by the aging process ,” they wrote, noting that antioxidant capacity and plasma taurine levels decline in older adults.
Study details
Participants (24 sedentary women aged 55 to 70 years) in the double-blind randomized clinical trial were administered 1.5 g of taurine or a placebo containing cornstarch daily for 16 weeks. Plasma samples collected before and after the intervention were tested for taurine and oxidative stress markers, including antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR). Food consumption, functional capacity and blood minerals (selenium, zinc, magnesium and calcium) were also assessed.
“As a primary outcome measure, 16 weeks of taurine supplementation yielded significant benefits for oxidative stress markers and increased plasma taurine concentration,” the researchers concluded. The results showed an increase in SOD and a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation.
Next steps: higher doses
In previous studies, the research team has evaluated the effects of larger doses of taurine, ranging from 3 g to 6 g, on young obese women and in young and healthy adults. Given the scarcity of research on taurine in the context of aging in the scientific literature, a low safe dose was used in the trial. Further research will examine the effects of 3 g per day supplementation on obese women between the ages of 60 and 75 with sarcopenia.