Sao Paulo, Brazil – A specific nutrient could be the secret ingredient in a new anti-aging therapy. Researchers at the University of São Paulo have discovered that the amino acid taurine It can help fight the aging process.
The human body produces potentially toxic byproducts called “free radicals” when cells process oxygen and food. Although some of these molecules carry out essential functions for the body, too many free radicals can damage the internal structures of cells, preventing cells from working properly and possibly leading to chronic disease. This cellular problem is known as oxidative stress.
As we age, the control mechanisms that help maintain a proper balance of reactive oxygen species become less efficient. This is where diet and taurine come into play.
What is taurine?
taurine it is a nutrient that people can find in certain foods, including fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey, and beef. It is also a natural substance in some tissues of the human body, especially the liver. Taurine is also important for central nervous system health, immunity, vision and fertility, according to the researchers.
For the study, the study authors divided 24 women between the ages of 55 and 70 into two groups. One group took three 500-milligram taurine capsules daily for 16 weeks, while the other group took a placebo.
The researchers analyzed markers of oxidative stress in blood samples collected before and at the end of the study. They found a nearly 20 percent increase in the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the taurine group. Meanwhile, the placebo group saw a 3.5 percent decrease. The researchers explain that SOD protects cells against the damaging reactions of free radicals. antioxidants In general, they keep free radicals in check and reduce oxidative stress.
“Preventing the buildup of free radicals that occurs naturally with aging likely prevents cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among other chronic conditions,” says co-principal investigator Ellen de Freitas, a professor in the School of Physical Education and Sciences of Ribeirão Preto. sports, in a Press release.
Freitas says there are few studies examining the effects of taurine on the context of aging.
“This study was a first step, aimed at investigating the ideal dose and possible side effects, neither of which were observed in any of the participants,” says Freitas.
Freitas’ group has studied the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of taurine for more than 10 years, first in high-performance athletes and then in obese people.
“The results showed that oxidative stress in these individuals could be controlled when their diet was supplemented with this amino acid. So we decided to test the strategy in the context of aging. This was very novel, so we started with a very low safety dose”, explains Freitas.
Taurine could be the ‘icing on the cake’ of anti-aging treatments
The study initially set out to investigate the effect of taurine supplements combined with exercise, but the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered that approach, so the researchers only went ahead with the nutritional part of the study, since they could monitor it remotely.
The researchers looked at two other markers of oxidative stress outside of SOD: the antioxidant enzyme glutathione reductase, which was dramatically decreased in both groups, and malondialdehyde, which was increased by 23% in the control group and decreased by 4% in the control group. taurine.
“These results were modest, but we believe that a higher dose of taurine could produce stronger evidence of its benefits,” says Freitas.
Gabriela Abud, first author of the study and a doctoral candidate at the Ribeirao Preto School of Medicine, says that changes in the diet of the volunteers in the first months of the COVID-19 lockdown may have affected the results of the biochemical analysis.
“In addition to oxidative stress markers, we analyzed the levels of minerals such as selenium, zinc, magnesium and calcium, which are important for the functioning of these enzymes,” says Abud. “Selenium, for example, is a cofactor of glutathione peroxidase [which indirectly helps eliminate hydrogen peroxide from the organism] and it was reduced in both groups.”
Freitas called taurine supplementation the “icing on the cake” for combat the aging process but people still need to eat a healthy diet and exercise.
“A healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise is essential for the anti-aging effect to take place,” says Freitas.
Nutrition.