What if a simple amino acid – a protein building block – could add years to your life? In mice, supplementation with a non-essential amino acid called taurine increased lifespan by 10-12% in both males and females, equivalent to 7-8 extra human years. Worms saw a 23% increase, and monkeys given it for 6 months showed improved bone density, better insulin sensitivity, and less DNA damage. Human studies, unfortunately, lag behind, potentially due to our longer lifespan and the ethical and methodological dilemmas associated with longitudinal nutritional research. Even so, these animal study insights shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Short-term human research already hints at taurine’s power, specifically in our cardiovascular health, metabolic regulation, muscle and bone regeneration, and neuroprotection. In multiple double-blind inquiries, we’ve prevented a decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD), a key antioxidant. One study of 12,000 people found those with higher taurine levels had lower rates of abdominal obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. While these are not longitudinal insights into lifespan, when paired with animal results, an interesting narrative is born.

At first impression, it seems quite bewildering that these results have been found, especially since taurine, being a non-essential amino acid, means our body can synthesise it without direct consumption being needed.

Essentially, our bodies make taurine from cysteine, a building-block protein abundant in animal products. However, cysteine does not only create taurine; it also helps manufacture glutathione, collagen, sulphate, and hydrogen sulphide. As a result, vegans and vegetarians tend to have lower taurine levels than omnivores, possibly being a reason for increased osteoporosis and muscle degeneration levels. Furthermore, the lack of vitamin B12 in a non-meat-eating diet, which is critical for cysteine’s metabolism pathway, suggests the vital importance of proper supplementation for individuals following such lifestyles, but that is a separate topic.

As we age, sarcopenia, the degeneration of muscle mass, can occur at 3-8% per decade for the average person. Starting at around the age of 30, this phenomenon increases frailty, falls, disabilities, and the risk of irreparable injuries. Taurine, however, may have the ability to tackle this head-on. Ageing hits our type-II (fast-twitch) fibres hardest. In other words, as we get older, our ability to produce speed and power quickly diminishes, leading to our current understanding of elderly frailty. Also, denervation – motor neuron loss – leaves our muscle fibres orphaned, permitting them to weaken due to inadequate stimulation. Furthermore, as we age, mitochondria produce more ROS, damaging proteins, lipids, and even DNA.

Taurine has the unique ability to stabilise mitochondrial membranes, enhance ATP, regulate calcium, and boost SOD. Not only are these vital variables that lose effectiveness as we age, but it can also indirectly improve inflammatory responses, sleep regulation, and cardiovascular health through numerous pathways, such as NF-kB suppression, cytokine production, and mTOR integration.

Unfortunately, as we age, levels of taurine drop rapidly in animal and human research. In elderly people, their taurine levels are about one-third of those found in 5-year-olds. Another study found similar results, with the elderly having 80% lower levels than younger individuals. Furthermore, this age-related decline has been observed in our blood, brain, liver, skeletal muscle, gut, and pancreas. Similar observations have been seen in mice and monkeys, with both species experiencing similar percentages of taurine reduction during ageing.

The importance of this cannot be underestimated. As we know, falls are the most common cause of injury-related deaths in people over the age of 75, usually through reduced mobility, increased fear, and loss of independence. All of these factors lead to an increased risk of premature death, implying the importance of muscular regulation during the ageing process. As a result, to fully understand muscular degeneration and premature death, more research into supplementation with amino acids like taurine, especially in the frail, is needed.

Taurine’s potential is clear, but human evidence lags. With our ageing population at stake, and public health as a whole, research cannot wait. It is vital that we fully understand the potential of simple dietary switches to reduce the risk of premature death and injury, alongside the costs to public services through sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and related frailties.