Based on the compound’s known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, researchers at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil set out to evaluate the effects of taurine supplementation as potential antiaging therapy in women between the ages of 55 and 70.
“Preventing the buildup of free radicals that naturally occurs with aging probably prevents cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other chronic conditions,” Ellen de Freitas, co-principal investigator on the study, said in a statement issued by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), which supported the project.
From ox bile to anti-aging
Taurine, which was first isolated by German scientists in 1827 from ox bile, is a semi-essential amino acid found in meat, fish, eggs and seaweed. Naturally occurring in the human body as well, it supports digestive, cardiovascular, skeletal, eye, muscular and nervous system functions.
“Taurine is an underappreciated, but yet important approach to cardiovascular health and oxidative stress that is the hallmark of aging,” Dr. Mark Miller, president of of Kaiviti Consulting, told NutraIngredients-USA in reviewing the study.
He added that although taurine has primarily been used as an additive in energy drinks, the research “reaffirms that there are important actions on limiting oxidative stress.”
The study authors suggest that taurine’s therapeutic actions in aging may be associated with its ability to scavenge the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage cells over time.