Treatment with amino acid extends lifespan in animal experiment

Study: Ingestion of taurine delays aging

Henning Wackerhage, Professor of Excercise Biology at TUM, and his team provided data on human test subjects for the study. “The results of the animal experiments are impressive,” says Prof. Wackerhage. “But we don’t know whether they can be applied to humans. Now we need large human studies to find out whether taurine enables people to live healthier longer and whether there are previously unknown side effects, interactions with other substances or similar issues.”

The amino acid taurine has so far been considered harmless. It is obtained through foods and especially meat but the body also produces taurine itself. In 2012 a specialized panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) declared the daily consumption of 6 grams of taurine from foods and other sources as safe.

Henning Wackerhage and his cooperation partners in Munich found several indications suggesting a link between age-related conditions in humans and taurine deficiency. For example, a low taurine level was associated with an elevated risk of various illnesses that become more common as people get older – including diabetes, high blood pressure and higher inflammation values. Conversely, the researchers show a link between exercise and the increased production of taurine in the body. “This insight coincides with observations of positive health effects from sporting activity as people get older,” says Wackerhage.