A massive study in humans, mice, and monkeys pours doubt on whether a supplement has the anti-aging properties it was thought to hold.
Taurine is an abundant amino acid and a key ingredient in energy drinks like Red Bull.
It is also marketed as a dietary supplement for healthy aging: A 2023 paper found taurine levels fall as we age, and that mice fed extra taurine lived longer.
But new research indicates taurine levels rise over time, suggesting the amino acid is not a useful measure of aging after all.
The contradictions, Stat News wrote, are “a reminder of just how messy and complicated longevity studies can be, and how elusive treatments, or even just reliable markers, for aging remain.”
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