Rats live longer because of taurine, right?

Mice and monkeys that received a daily dose of taurine had stronger bones, stronger muscles, and more energy. The mice lived two months longer than their peers who did not receive additional taurine. Gerald de Haan, gerontologist and director of the Sanquin, thinks it’s an interesting study. “Taurine is an amino acid that the body produces itself,” he tells Editie NL. “As we get older, the dust slowly diminishes.”

Taurine is important for energy in our cells. “The goal of the study is to see if the body is healthier because of the increase in taurine. What the study shows is that giving the amino acid leads to better bones and muscles and better movement.” He describes the fact that test animals did in fact live longer as a nice incidental.

According to him, it has not been proven whether people can live longer because of it. “This is also very difficult to test for. It’s the stuff of the body itself, so it’s hard to say if something is a natural process or due to an extra dose. It’s also found in some nutrients.”

This makes it difficult to test. Taurine is found in many foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, and poultry. But it is also added to nutritional supplements, creams and face masks. Although, De Haan doesn’t think creams and supplements contain enough acid to have an effect. “You really have to take it in high concentrations.”

through the skin

According to Bergman Clinic dermatologist Ann Berthe Hulk, labs have shown that taurine can penetrate the skin through the cream.

In the pharmacy and on the Internet, you can find many creams and masks to which fabric has been added. “Taurine is a molecule with potential,” Hulk told Editie NL. “It plays a role in the proper functioning, maintenance and protection of all types of tissues, including the skin.” According to Hulk, a study on rats showed that the amount of taurine in the skin decreases with age. “So taurine supplementation could have a rejuvenating effect.”

But whether this is actually the case, according to her, is not yet known. “You shouldn’t expect too many miracles from creams to look younger. The most important thing for healthy skin is prevention: healthy living and sunscreen.”