A group of scientists recently revealed that the amino acid taurine, which is often added to energy drinks, appears to have life-prolonging and health-enhancing properties in some mammals.
The results have not yet been reproduced in humans, but are expected soon.
But why is this supplement added to energy drinks? Could drinking taurine be beneficial?
Taurine is an amino acid usually found in meat, fish and eggs; it is rare in plants, but has been found in smaller amounts in algae, bacteria and fungi.
It is also sometimes sold as a supplement and is popular with bodybuilders and athletes who believe it can help them control their body temperature and reduce muscle fatigue during exercise.
Although taurine is not used to make proteins, like other amino acids, it plays several roles, especially in the central nervous system, by regulating the amount of calcium in nerve cells and controlling inflammation, among other things.
In fact, taurine accounts for about 0.1% of the body weight of animals.
It was first isolated in the 1820s from the bile of European cattle (Bos taurus), from which it derives its name.
For their most recent study, an international team of researchers tested the effects of a daily dose on middle-aged mice and macaques (they were 14 months and 15 years old, respectively, at the time of the test).
The amount of taurine in the blood of mice, monkeys and humans naturally decreases with age, so the team was curious whether an extra dose of the amino acid might be beneficial.
The results were surprising. The animals that received taurine appeared significantly healthier and younger (their muscles, brains, immune systems and other organs functioned better) than those that did not receive the amino acid supplement.
Crucially, the life expectancy of the taurine-treated mice increased by 10-12%, and the monkeys experienced a similar effect. If taking additional taurine in old age has the same benefits in humans, it could be equivalent to almost a decade more life.
“I thought this was too good to be true,” Henning Wackerhage, senior lecturer in molecular exercise physiology at the Technical University of Munich and one of the study’s 50 co-authors, told the BBC.
A risky bet
The first energy drink was launched in the United States in 1949 under the name “Dr. Enuf”. It was invented as a healthier alternative to soft drinks, with lemon-lime flavor, B vitamins and caffeine.
But it wasn’t until 35 years later that taurine came onto the scene, when an Austrian marketing executive came across a Thai brand – Krating Daeng – during a business trip.
This non-carbonated drink contained taurine as well as inositol, a type of sugar found in the brain. It was sold as a hangover cure.
The two men modified the original formula and added bubbles to create Red Bull. The modern energy drink was born.
The original rationale for adding taurine is unclear. Today many companies have no justification either, beyond pointing out its benefits to the heart, brain and muscles.
However, some research has been done on its possible effects. For example, one study found that Red Bull’s combination of ingredients, including taurine, improved people’s aerobic and mental performance.
Could energy drinks help you live longer?
In the recent taurine study, the greatest health and longevity benefits were observed in animals that received 1,000 mg of taurine per kilogram of body weight per day.
Based on a method of converting animal doses to human doses, using body surface area, this results in about 6 g per day for an average adult, equivalent to the amount found in six cans of Red Bull, or the same number of cans of Monster (other brands are available).This is not recommended.
The lead author of the taurine study declined to disclose to the BBC whether he is taking taurine so as not to influence others.
It has not yet been established whether taurine supplementation would have the same benefits in humans.
And there are the potentially negative effects of consuming the other substances contained in 1.5 liters of Red Bull or 3 liters of Monster (the cans are twice as large) in a single day.
In the case of Red Bull, this would include more than three times the recommended daily limit of sugar, about 32 teaspoons, and twice this amount in Monster.
According to guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adults should consume no more than 10% of their daily calories from added sugar, which equates to about 12 teaspoons per day for an adult on a typical 2,000-calorie diet.
Therefore, it is not a good idea to over-consume energy drinks.
Although it is possible that taurine may improve human health, we will have to wait for more research.