A COMMON supplement used by gym-bunnies could add several years to our lives, a study shows.
Research in mice found taurine - which is also taken by exercise fanatics as a supplement to build muscle - could combat ageing by extending life by up to ten years.
The study by Columbia University, found the chemical, could also help improve health in middle aged folk by suppressing age-related weight gain and improving immunity.
Taurine is an amino acid that the body produces naturally, but production falls rapidly with age.
Lead author, Dr Vijay Yadav, assistant professor of genetics and development said the results suggested taurine supplements could be used as an anti-ageing drug.
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He said: “Taurine abundance goes down with age, so restoring taurine to a youthful level in old age may be a promising anti-ageing strategy."
As part of their research published in Science, the experts fed 250 14-month-old female and male mice (about 45 years old in people terms) taurine or a controlled solution.
At the end of the experiment, Dr Vijay and his team found that taurine increased average lifespan of female mice by 12 per cent and by 10 per cent in males.
For the mice, that meant three to four extra months - the equivalent to about seven or eight human years.
In a separate study, Dr Vijay found that in all mice age two (60 in human years) who had been fed taurine were were healthier in than their untreated counterparts.
Taurine prevented weight gain, increased energy expenditure, increased bone mass, reduced depression, anxiety and insulin resistance which is associated with diabetes.
“Not only did we find that the animals lived longer, we also found that they’re living healthier lives,” the expert said.
Prof Ilaria Bellantuono, of Musculoskeletal Ageing, University of Sheffield, warned people against using taurine supplements for weight loss.
She said: "Firstly, we need to see whether it works as well in older organisms (mice or monkeys) when the signs of ageing are more prominent.
"Secondly, we need to test taurine in a clinical trial to understand if it is effective and the side effects, whether it needs to be taken continuously and from which age."
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