Taurine is “generally considered safe” when it’s taken in moderation, Keatley says. “More research is needed in clinically-controlled human trials to confirm any health benefits.” Are there risks to taking taurine? “But most of the potential benefits of taking taurine have been associated with animal and in-vitro studies, not with humans,” says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. Still, Keatley says that “athletes take taurine for improved performance, while others might use it to help manage conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, and even to improve mentally.” Taurine may also have antioxidant properties, potentially helping to fight inflammation and protect the body’s cells from damage.”Ĭording notes this important point: “We don’t really have any clear guidelines around taurine.” Meaning, there’s no official recommendation for all Americans to have a certain amount of taurine every day. “It may help in managing diabetes by improving glucose control and reducing insulin resistance. “Prior to this study, taurine was already recognized for various potential health benefits,” Keatley says. Research has shown that taurine has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, may help regulate blood pressure, and can even protect against coronary disease. It’s also sometimes discussed as an important nutrient for heart health, Cording says. “It’s an important nutrient for brain function,” Cording says. However, research has shown that it’s involved in several brain processes. There are not a lot of studies on the impact of taurine on humans. Worth noting, per Cording: Taurine is “very commonly” added to energy drinks. Taurine is found “abundantly” in the brain, retina, heart, and blood cells called platelets, Keatley says. Hence, dietary intake is sometimes needed especially in times of stress.” “It is considered a semi-essential micronutrient because the body can produce some amount of taurine, but not always enough. “Unlike many other amino acids, taurine is not used in the construction of proteins,” says Scott Keatley, R.D., co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Taurine also helps your body process bile acid and balance the fluids, salts, and minerals in your body. Your body uses taurine for actions in cells, including energy production, according to the Mayo Clinic. Taurine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in foods with protein, like meat or fish, says Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. This raises a lot of questions about taurine and its uses. “Our next goal is to perform a controlled trial in humans.” “These studies suggest that taurine abundance is a regulator of health in old age and its supplementation may have beneficial effects as well,” says study co-author Vijay Yadav, Ph.D., an assistant professor of genetics and development at Columbia University. It’s important to note that the research was largely done on animals-not humans. The nutrient prevented weight gain, reduced fasting blood glucose and markers of liver damage, increased bone density in the spine and legs, and improved the health of their immune systems. There were similar results in middle-aged monkeys that were given taurine supplements every day for six months. Other experiments on mice found that, at age two-which is about 60 human years-animals that took taurine for a year were healthier in nearly every way than those who didn’t take the supplement. (That translated to three to four extra months in mice and about seven or eight years in humans.) The researchers discovered that the female mice given taurine had a 12% higher lifespan and the male mice had a lifespan that increased 10%. The researchers then took 250 14-month old mice (which are about 45 years old in people years) and fed them either a bolus of taurine or a control solution daily. In humans, for example, the taurine levels in 60-year-olds were about a third of those in 5-year-olds. The researchers first looked at levels of taurine in the blood of mice, monkeys, and people, and found that levels decrease with age. The study, which was published in the journal Scienceand conducted by dozens of aging researchers around the world, involved several studies on animals and humans. Now, a new study suggests that the nutrient taurine may be a factor. But the factors that lead to aging are complex and researchers are still learning about what drives it. Many people have a goal of leading a long, healthy life. A lot of taurine research is on animals-not humans.The study also discovered that mice and monkeys meet healthier markers after taking taurine for a set period of time.New research on animals and humans finds taurine levels decline with age.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |