Posted on 07/21/2022 12:34:28 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Our bodies arsenal of antioxidant control mechanisms become less efficient as we get older. Supplementing with the amino acid taurine could be a strategy to combat the problem.
The study described 24 women randomly divided into two groups. One group took three 500 mg capsules of taurine per day for 16 weeks (1.5 g per day). The other took corn starch.
Markers of oxidative stress were analyzed in blood samples. One interesting result was an increase of almost 20% in levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the group that received taurine, compared with a decrease of 3.5% in the control group. As the authors explain, SOD protects cells against harmful reactions of the superoxide radical.
"Preventing the buildup of free radicals that naturally occurs with aging probably prevents cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other chronic conditions," said Ellen de Freitas, a professor.
Taurine is a nutrient found in certain foods, such as fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey and beef. It is naturally produced in some tissues of the human body, especially the liver, and is important to the functioning of the central nervous system, immunity, eyesight and fertility.
The group led by Freitas has studied taurine's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects with daily doses ranging from 3 g to 6 g. "We then decided to test the strategy in the context of aging. This was very novel, so we began with a very low safety dose," Freitas said.
Two other markers of oxidative stress were analyzed besides SOD: the antioxidant enzyme glutathione reductase (GR), which decreased significantly in both groups, and malondialdehyde (MDA), which increased 23% in the control group and decreased 4% in the taurine supplementation group.
"These results were modest, but we believe a higher dose of taurine could produce stronger benefits," Freitas said.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
My wife says she notices it helps her, while I don’t see a specific improvement, but it is pretty harmless.
Do note our as our bodies age, we have problems making conditional amino acids we once easily produced. This is true of glycine and cysteine, as well. Supplementing can have real benefits.
Interesting. Less inflammation is always good. True that as we age our bodies not as efficient at converting foods to various substances we need. Thank you for posting this.
Maybe we shouldn’t feel so sorry for the little old ladies on Social Security eating cat food. They might be onto something ;)
https://excitedcats.com/best-cat-food-with-taurine/
I think that taurine is necessary for cats’ health; it’s in all the food. I didn’t know it was so easy to get. Good to know.
TAURINE: THE ESSENTIAL, NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID FOR WOMEN
https://ndnr.com/womens-health/taurine-the-essential-non-essential-amino-acid-for-women/
Well that explains the nine lives thing.
Very good! Hadn’t thought of that connection.
Actually, if you live near a QT gas station, they have a drink called “Super Rooster Booster” which has taurine as its second ingredient, behind water.
99.999% water, 0.001% taurine?...........................
Check out the ingredients lower down on the page:
Pump the aging brakes all you want. You’re still going out that door toes up.
Meow. Kitty need taurine. True dat.
GMTA
5g/day. Been taking it for 7 years. No issues with it, may be helping with a couple of things.
So you sprinkle taurine powder over your cat’s tuna dinner?
Manufacturers always put taurine in cat food...this goes back to the 1980’s or 1990’s to some formula of food that did not have enough taurine.
Some cats died. Ever since then it has been added to cat food.
You don’t have to give them more, there is plenty in today’s food.
Our 20-year old cat will only eat Gerber’s ham baby food. We have to give him taurine in pill form because Gerber’s doesn’t have any. Sadly, we likely won’t have to do this much longer as his kidneys are failing due to his old age.
Cat food is loaded with it
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