A new study has shown that deficiency of a nutrient known as taurine, which is formed in the body and found in foods such as meat, dairy, and fish, can be a triggering factor of aging. The findings of the study have been released in the journal called Science. The lead author of the study, Vijay Yadav from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, in the US has conducted an experiment by delivering taurine externally in monkeys and mice to taper off aging while improving their health.
Taurine elongated average lifecycle by 12 per cent
After 1 year of taurine supplementation, Dr. Yadav and his teammates have seen that taurine has elongated the average lifecycle by 12 per cent in female mice and by 10 per cent in male mice, which means over three to four months extended lifespan in mice that is equivalent to seven or eight years in humans.
Experts have identified many health advantages such as bone mass and muscle strength, repressed age-related weight gain among female mice and menopausal ones, and improved energy usage while assessing the health parameters of mice. Experts have also seen other health benefits such as eased depression-type and anxious activities, younger and improved immune systems, and insulin resistance, during the experiment.
Other benefits like elevated stem cells responsible for faster healing after injury, fewer zombie cells, and fewer DNA damage also have been found at a cellular level. Experts have found that taurine has enhanced immune systems, averted weight gain, and improved bone density in the spine and legs in rhesus monkeys. However, it is unclear whether taurine supplementation can improve overall health and longevity in humans.
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Experts have assessed around 50 health parameters and taurine levels among nearly 12000 European adults who have been in the age range of 60 years and above. They have said that greater taurine levels are linked to better health, fewer incidents of type 2 diabetes, and decreased levels of obesity, inflammation, and hypertension. The lead author of the study has said that the findings are steady with the probability that taurine deficiency might be contributing to human aging.