2023-06-09 15:36:31
Taurine is an amino acid that is found mainly in meat and fish, but there is very little in vegetables
, explained Dr. Martin Juneau of the Montreal Heart Institute on the show All one morning.
It is also present in several energy drinks such as Red bull, Monster and Rockstar.
In their study, Dr. Vijay Yadav and colleagues at Columbia University first showed that blood taurine concentration decreases with aging in mice, monkeys, and humans. In the latter, the concentration in adults is regarding 80% lower than in children.
The researchers then gave mice and monkeys a taurine supplement, only to find that it increased their lifespan. Mice that received a taurine supplement lived longer than control mice. The median lifespan of mice treated with taurine increased by 10-12%.
They also observed that their healthy lifespan also increased. The researchers saw an improvement in the functioning of their muscles, pancreas, brain, fat, intestine, bones and immune system.
Similar effects were observed in monkeys.
Cellular senescence in question
Concretely, taurine would reduce cellular senescence, that is to say the aging of cells.
In humans, lower taurine levels are linked to several age-related diseases. Taurine deficiency might be a factor in aging, as its reversal increases lifespan in worms, rodents and primates
they add.
What is new with this study is that they showed that they lengthened the survival of mice
summarizes Dr. Juneau, for whom this work is part of a scientific field that is gaining momentum: the slowing down of aging.
« Aging is the basis of all chronic diseases that cause premature mortality in our societies; cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia. The common origin is the aging of the cell. »
So why not tackle cellular aging rather than each disease in particular?
continues the cardiologist.
This is at least the opinion of the American team for whom these results justify the setting up of a clinical trial in humans which would verify whether taurine deficiency can be a factor of aging in humans.
A major downside
Doctor Juneau points out that there are other candidate molecules that slow down cellular aging, in particular metformin (an antidiabetic), rapamycin (an immunosuppressant) and berberine (anti-inflammatory and antibacterial), but there are no long-term studies
that have been carried out, because of the costs.
« Allow me to be skeptical, because taurine is found very little in plants. However, we know from epidemiological studies that people who have a vegetarian diet generally live longer than carnivores. »
It would tend to say that if you eat a lot of meat, it’s better. But it is the opposite that we see in epidemiological studies
continues Dr. Juneau, who thinks that a randomized study might confirm this strange discovery
.
« You might randomly give taurine or a placebo to, say, 5,000 humans, and then follow them over a period of 6 to 7 years to see if they have less disease or less mortality. »
Doctor Juneau thinks that the realization of such a study is rather uncertain because of the astronomical costs. This would require investments of hundreds of millions of dollars for a company that might not obtain a patent, since taurine is a substance naturally present in the body.
For example, Dr. Juneau says that scientists have been trying for two years to find the 42 million needed to carry out clinical trials for metformin and have still not succeeded in completing their funding. And we have more data for metformin than for taurine
notes Dr. Juneau.
Solutions already exist
There is certainly a risk of seeing some individuals consuming energy drinks instead of adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as better nutrition.
For the cardiologist,years”,”text”:”the intervention that prolongs life in humans is exercise. And it has been demonstrated beyond any doubt for 50 years”}}”>the intervention that prolongs life in humans is exercise. And it’s been demonstrated beyond any doubt for 50 yearshe says.
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