Taurine may be key to a longer and healthier life

(Elizabeth Pratt/ Healthline) — A deficiency in the nutrient taurine appears to drive aging in animals, but experts say more research is needed to determine if the same effect is found in humans.

A study published today in the journal Science reports that supplements of taurine slowed the aging process in monkeys, mice and worms and extended the healthy lifespan of mice in middle age by up to 12%.

“For the last 25 years, scientists have been trying to find factors that not only let us live longer, but also increase health span, the time we remain healthy in our old age,” Vijay Yadav, PhD, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of genetics & development at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, said in a press statement.

“This study suggests that taurine could be an elixir of life within us that helps us live longer and healthier lives,” Dr. Yadav added. (…)