In the recent taurine study, the greatest health and longevity benefits were seen in mice given 1,000mg (0.03oz) of taurine per kg of body weight per day. For example, one study found that the combination of ingredients in Red Bull, including taurine, improved people's aerobic and mental performance.Ĭould energy drinks help people to live longer? However, there has been some research on its possible effects. The original logic for adding taurine isn't clear, and today many companies don't have a clear justification either, beyond loosely pointing to its role in the heart, brain and muscles. Together the two men tweaked the original formula and added bubbles to create Red Bull. In addition to the typical ingredients, this non-carbonated drink contained inositol, a kind of sugar found in the brain, and taurine. But it wasn't until 35 years later, when an Austrian marketing executive stumbled upon a Thai brand – Krating Daeng – during a business trip, that taurine entered the scene. Branded "Dr Enuf", it was invented as a healthier alternative to soft drinks, and came in a lemon-lime flavour with added B vitamins and caffeine. The first energy drink was launched in the US in 1949. "I thought this is almost too good to be true," Henning Wackerhage, a senior lecturer in molecular exercise physiology at the Technical University of Munich and one of 50 co-authors of the study, told the BBC. If taking extra taurine in later life has the same benefits in humans, it could be equivalent to almost an extra decade. Crucially, the lifespan of mice treated with taurine increased by 10 to 12%, with the monkeys experiencing a similar boost. The animals that received taurine appeared significantly healthier and more youthful – their muscles, brains, and immune systems and other organs were functioning better – than those that did not get the amino acid supplement. The amount of taurine in the blood of mice, monkeys and humans naturally decline with age, so the team was curious whether an extra dose of the amino acid might be beneficial. It was first isolated in the 1820s, from the bile of European cattle ( Bos taurus), from which it derives its name.įor the most recent study, an international team of researchers tested the effects of a daily dose on middle-aged mice and rhesus macaques – they were 14 months old and 15 years old, respectively, at the time of the trial. In fact, taurine makes up around 0.1% of the body weight of animals. While taurine is not actually used to build proteins in the body, as other amino acids are, it has a range of roles, particularly in the central nervous system – where it regulates the amount of calcium in nerve cells and controls inflammation, among other things. It's also sometimes sold as a supplement, which is popular with bodybuilders and athletes, who believe it may help them to control their body temperature and reduce muscular fatigue during exercise. Taurine is an amino acid commonly found in meat, fish and eggs – it is rare in plants, but it has been found in smaller amounts in algae, bacteria and fungi. Although the findings have yet to be replicated in humans, it is hoped that they might be soon.īut why is this supplement added to energy drinks in the first place? And could drinking more of them be beneficial? This week, scientists revealed that the amino acid taurine, which is often added to energy drinks, appears to have impressive life-extending and health-boosting properties in some mammals. "Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?," he says.Īs it happens, the Red Bull advert from earlier this year is oddly prescient. After downing it like a student at a party, he performs a slick double-loop and casually catches his board in one hand (or paw, rather). Will this adventure end in disaster? Fear not, for he is a cartoon in a Red Bull advert – and this venerable hound has a can of the brand's signature energy drink. Naturally, he is considering the skateboard in front of him – and beyond it, a skate ramp. There's an elderly Scottie dog with a walking stick.
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