Animals given taurine supplements in ‘groundbreaking’ study had longer lifespans
Depositphotos Taurine, the energy-boosting compound in some caffeinated beverages, may help you reach your golden years—if you’re a critter, anyway. A new animal study published today in Science claims that taurine supplements extended the lifespan of worms, mice, and primates. While the anti-aging effects of taurine were not directly studied in humans, the findings suggest it is worth investigating. “Taurine made animals live healthier and longer lives by affecting all the major hallmarks of aging,” says senior study author Vijay Yadav, an assistant professor of genetics who investigates the biology of aging at Columbia University. In several species studied, the researchers discovered that taurine stops the aging process on a cellular level. The compound prevented telomeres—DNA sequences that cap the end of chromosomes—from shortening, halting a biological process that triggers aging. Taurine...