Scientists seek clinical trial on drink additive that may slow ageing process

Scientists have called for a major clinical trial of a substance added to many energy drinks after studies in animals showed that supplementation might slow the ageing process and promote healthier lives.

Researchers found that levels of the micronutrient taurine fell substantially with age, but topping them up to more youthful levels boosted the health of mice and monkeys and even extended mouse lifespans.

It is unclear whether humans might benefit in the same way – or whether the required high doses are even safe – but scientists believe the evidence is strong enough to warrant a large-scale trial, particularly given that taurine occurs naturally in the body and is already used as a supplement at lower doses.

“Taurine abundance declines with age and reversal of this decline makes animals live longer and healthier lives,” said Dr Vijay Yadav, who led the research at Columbia University in New York. “These findings should be relevant to humans.”

Prof Henning Wackerhage, a molecular exercise physiologist on the team at the Technical University of Munich, said a trial would compare how humans fared after taking daily taurine or placebo supplements.

“It will probably be very difficult to look at whether they live longer, but at least we can check if they live healthier for longer, and that of course is the goal for medicine.”

Yadav’s team homed in on taurine as a potential driver of the ageing process in 2012 when an analysis of blood compounds found that levels of the amino acid dropped dramatically with age in mice, monkeys and humans. By the age of 60, taurine levels in a typical person had slumped to one-third that seen in five-year-olds, they found.

Without a major trial to demon-strate the safety or any benefits of taurine supplements, the scientists are not recommending people boost their intake through pills, energy drinks or dietary changes.

Taurine is made naturally in the body and is found in meat and shellfish diets, but the healthiest diets are largely plant-based. Some energy drinks contain taurine, but the scientists warned that they also contained other substances that might not be safe to consume at high levels.

“What we really need now is a human intervention study,” Wackerhage said. “We are raring to go.”