Does taurine slow aging?
Short answer
Not shown in people.
Small, short trials in older women found better blood markers and memory scores. The one trial that tracked illness and deaths, in older hip fracture patients, found no benefit.
This page says what the research shows. It does not say whether you should take taurine.
Where the evidence stands
Each dot is one on-topic paper. Steps near the top answer the question more directly. Select a dot to see the study.
↑ Stronger evidence
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Trials in people: aging and age-related decline
Trials that measured aging and age-related decline directly.
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Trials in people: other measures
Trials that measured other health or performance measures.
3 -
Trials in people: lab tests or safety
Trials that measured lab tests, side effects or safety.
2 -
Population studies
Studies that followed or surveyed groups of people. They show links, not causes.
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Blood levels and genes
Studies that link blood levels or genes to health.
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Animals
Studies in mice, rats, worms or flies.
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Cells in a dish
Studies of cells grown in a lab.
1
↓ Weaker evidence
- Points to benefit
- Mixed
- No difference
- No direction
- Points to harm
Counts are papers, not people. Some studies appear in more than one paper.
See every studyWhat we found
- In a placebo trial in older hip fracture patients, taurine taken around surgery did not lower complications, illness or deaths over one year. Van Stijn 2015
- In 24 women aged 55 to 70, 1.5 g of taurine for 16 weeks raised blood taurine and the antioxidant enzyme SOD; SOD ended higher than with placebo. Abud 2022
- Two 4-week studies in older women with dementia reported better thinking test scores with taurine drinks, but the abstracts leave out key control group results. Bae 2019, Gao 2019
- In 575 adults aged 50 to 95, more taurine production in the body went with long-term illness and slightly worse thinking scores. This is a link, not proof of cause. Kang 2024
What the research says
Taurine around surgery did not prevent deaths
Older people with a broken hip took taurine or a placebo by mouth from hospital admission to the sixth day after surgery. Over one year, taurine did not lower complications, other illness or deaths.
Taurine did lower a urine marker of cell stress (regression coefficient -0.54; p = 0.04), meaning levels averaged lower than with placebo. The abstract gives neither the dose nor the number of patients.
Studies: Van Stijn 2015
Short trials moved some blood markers
In 24 women aged 55 to 70, 1.5 g of taurine for 16 weeks raised blood taurine and the antioxidant enzyme SOD. Malondialdehyde, a stress marker, rose only in the placebo group.
In women averaging 83.58 years, 14 weeks of taurine alone lowered one inflammation ratio but raised NSE, another blood marker. In healthy men, 3 g a day for 2 weeks raised blood vessel repair cells. None of this shows slower aging.
Studies: Abud 2022, Chupel 2018, Katakawa 2016
Thinking scores: small gains in weak studies
In 46 older women with dementia, scores on a memory screening test rose from 14.2 to 16.7 points after 4 weeks of taurine drinks. The abstract does not give the control group's later score or say whether groups were assigned by chance.
A second 4-week study gave 3 g of taurine to 31 women with dementia and reported better language scores, without numbers. In women averaging 83.58 years, memory scores rose only when taurine was combined with exercise.
Studies: Bae 2019, Gao 2019, Chupel 2018
Population and gene studies show links, not causes
In 575 adults aged 50 to 95, making more taurine went with long-term illness and slightly worse thinking scores (r of 0.13 to 0.141, weak links). A small pilot study found more taurine in saliva and blood of young healthy adults than in other groups.
In 560 German adults, links between urine taurine and thinking tests vanished after correcting for many tests. A gene study tied taurine levels to 10 immune cell types but never measured skin aging, despite its title.
Studies: Kang 2024, Sayedyousef 2025, Kneipp 2026, Liu 2024
Mice and cells give mixed signals
In old mice, many blood chemicals changed with age, but taurine did not. In aged mouse islets, taurine was higher, yet adding taurine to insulin-making cells reduced signs of cell aging. Taurine eye drops reversed a lab-induced stem cell decline in mouse eyes.
Studies: Jankowski 2025, Wang 2025, Li 2025
How the research grew
The papers we read span 2015 to 2026. 7 of the 13 on-topic papers came out in 2024 to 2026. The earliest trial in people here is from 2015.
- 2015
- 2016
- 2018
- 2019
- 2022
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
Each dot is one on-topic paper, colored by what it found. Rings mark key papers:
- 2015. 2015: first trial here; no effect on deaths. Van Stijn 2015
- 2018. 2018: taurine tested with exercise in very old women. Chupel 2018
- 2022. 2022: placebo trial framing taurine as anti-aging. Abud 2022
- 2024. 2024: largest study, 575 older adults. Kang 2024
- 2025. 2025: in old mice, taurine did not drop. Jankowski 2025
Who was studied
Who took part, and how many. The largest trial here had 48 people; the largest population study had 575.
- Trials in people
- Population, blood and gene studies
- People in the study, log scale1101001,000
- Points to benefit
- Mixed
- No difference
- No direction
- Points to harm
Bars use a log scale: each step is ten times more people. Reviews, animal studies and papers with no count in the abstract are not shown.
Who funds this research
All 6 trial papers lack a conflict statement in PubMed, so company stakes are unknown. One mouse study's senior author has drug company ties, none named as selling taurine. Stakes did not change the confidence rating.
- No disclosure in PubMed 6
- Abud 2022No disclosure in PubMed
- Chupel 2018No disclosure in PubMed
- Bae 2019No disclosure in PubMed
- Gao 2019No disclosure in PubMed
- Katakawa 2016No disclosure in PubMed
- Van Stijn 2015No disclosure in PubMed
Funding rule. A stake is always shown. Confidence is lowered only when every supporting study comes from a party with a stake. "No disclosure in PubMed" means the PubMed record has no conflict-of-interest statement. It does not mean there is no conflict.
All 13 on-topic papers
Each paper shows what it tested, what it found, and who has a stake. Every paper also has its own page that explains how much it counts and how it fits. See every study as a list.
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Trial, not randomized · measured the question itselfBae et al., 2019Advances in experimental medicine and biology · PubMed
The Development of Taurine Supplementary Menus for the Prevention of Dementia and Their Positive Effect on the Cognitive Function in the Elderly with Dementia.
46 people · elderly women with dementia
TestedA taurine drink, or taurine plus lotus seed drink, with meals for 4 weeks, vs usual diet
Memory test (MMSE-DS) rose to 16.7 points in the taurine group and 16.9 in the taurine plus lotus group (p < 0.01); starting scores were about 14. Control group change not given in abstract.
Points to benefitNo disclosure in PubMedAbstract onlyNo disclosure in PubMed.
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Randomized trial · other health measuresGao et al., 2019Advances in experimental medicine and biology · PubMed
Effects of Dietary Taurine Supplementation on Blood and Urine Taurine Concentrations in the Elderly Women with Dementia.
31 people · elderly women with dementia in a geriatric hospital
Tested3 g of taurine in lunch drink for 4 weeks, vs same drink without taurine
Blood taurine rose from 89.2 ± 9.5 μM to 218.0 ± 15.6 μM after 4 weeks; urine taurine rose to 6502.6 ± 380.6 μM, higher than controls. Language and executive scores improved; numbers not given.
Points to benefitNo disclosure in PubMedAbstract onlyNo disclosure in PubMed.
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Randomized trial · other health measuresChupel et al., 2018Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme · PubMed
Exercise and taurine in inflammation, cognition, and peripheral markers of blood-brain barrier integrity in older women.
48 people · women aged about 84 (average 83.58)
Tested1.5 g of taurine a day, exercise twice a week, both together, or neither, for 14 weeks
Taurine alone lowered one inflammation ratio (IL-1β/IL-1ra) and raised NSE, a blood marker of blood-brain barrier integrity (p < 0.05). Memory score (MMSE) rose only in the exercise plus taurine group (p < 0.05).
MixedNo disclosure in PubMedAbstract onlyNo disclosure in PubMed.
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Randomized trial · other health measuresVan Stijn et al., 2015International journal of molecular sciences · PubMed
Effect of oral taurine on morbidity and mortality in elderly hip fracture patients: a randomized trial.
elderly people with a broken hip waiting for surgery
TestedTaurine by mouth from admission to day 6 after surgery, vs placebo; followed for 1 year
Taurine did not improve complications in hospital, illness in the first year, or deaths in the first year. It lowered a stress marker in urine (8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine; Beta: -0.54; 95% CI: -1.08--0.01; p = 0.04).
No differenceNo disclosure in PubMedAbstract onlyNo disclosure in PubMed.
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Randomized trial · lab tests or safetyAbud et al., 2022Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) · PubMed
Taurine as a possible antiaging therapy: A controlled clinical trial on taurine antioxidant activity in women ages 55 to 70.
24 people · women aged 55 to 70, average BMI 31.4
Tested1.5 g of taurine vs 1.5 g of starch placebo, for 16 weeks; how often is not stated
Blood taurine and an antioxidant enzyme (SOD) rose in the taurine group. Glutathione reductase fell in both groups. Malondialdehyde rose only in the placebo group. Strength and body measures were secondary.
Points to benefitNo disclosure in PubMedAbstract onlyNo disclosure in PubMed.
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Trial, not randomized · lab tests or safetyKatakawa et al., 2016Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension · PubMed
Taurine and magnesium supplementation enhances the function of endothelial progenitor cells through antioxidation in healthy men and spontaneously hypertensive rats.
healthy men (number not stated), plus high blood pressure rats
Tested3 g of taurine a day (or magnesium 340 mg a day) for 2 weeks in men; taurine in drinking water for 4 weeks in rats
Taurine increased blood vessel repair cell colonies and lowered free radical levels and TBARS scores in healthy men and in rats. Authors suggest this may prolong lifespan by preventing heart disease.
Points to benefitNo disclosure in PubMedAbstract onlyNo disclosure in PubMed.
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Urinary metabolomics data and cognitive performance in an adult population.
560 people · adults in a German population study
TestedLinked 51 urine chemicals, including taurine, to memory and word-fluency tests
Urine taurine was linked to digit span scores in men and to word fluency overall, but none of these links held after correcting for multiple tests.
No differenceNo stake declaredAbstract onlyNo competing interests declared.
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Metabolic kinetics and muscle and brain health markers in older adults, and the role of age and presence of chronic morbidities: A large cross-sectional cohort study.
575 people · adults aged 50 to 95, with and without long-term illness
TestedMeasured how fast the body makes many amino acids, including taurine, and linked this to muscle and thinking scores. No taurine given.
Having long-term illness was linked to higher whole-body taurine production (p < 0.04). Worse thinking performance was linked to higher taurine production (r: [0.13, 0.141], p < 0.04).
Points to harmNo stake declaredAbstract onlyNo competing interests declared.
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Taurine, Sirtuin-1 and TNF- α levels in different aged adults with periodontitis: a pilot study.
healthy young adults (25 to 44) and older adults (65 and over), with and without gum disease
TestedMeasured taurine, SIRT1 and TNF-α in saliva and blood; compared age groups. No taurine given.
Taurine in saliva and blood was higher in young healthy adults than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Authors say taurine differences look tied more to age than to gum disease.
No directionNo stake declaredAbstract onlyNo competing interests declared.
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Investigation of the anti-skin aging effects of taurine through mendelian randomization analysis of its relationship with immune cells.
people of European ancestry in gene databases
TestedUsed genes linked to taurine level to test effects on immune cell types
Taurine levels were linked to 10 immune cell types: negatively with three and positively with seven. No skin aging measure was tested.
MixedNo stake declaredAbstract onlyNo competing interests declared.
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Aged mice exhibit widespread metabolic changes but preserved major fluxes.
young and old mice (20 to 30 months)
TestedMeasured blood chemicals and how fast they move in young vs old mice, including taurine
Glucose, lactate, 3-hydroxybutyrate and many amino acids changed in concentration with age, but notably not taurine.
No differenceCompany stakeAbstract onlySenior author reports stock, advisor and founder ties to several biotech and drug companies; none named as taurine sellers.
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SLC6A6-Mediated Taurine Uptake Sustains Corneal Epithelial Stem/Progenitor Cell Function to Counteract Age-Related Dysfunction.
mice, including old mice with scraped eye surface, and mouse eye stem cells
TestedBlocked taurine uptake in eye stem cells; gave old mice 25 mg/mL taurine eye drops 5 times a day
Blocking taurine uptake slowed eye wound healing and turned on aging pathways. Taurine eye drops reversed this loss of function in the eye stem cells.
Points to benefitNo stake declaredAbstract onlyAll authors declared no disclosures.
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Taurine Alleviates Pancreatic β-Cell Senescence by Inhibition of p53 Pathway.
insulin-making cell lines (MIN6 and INS-1E), plus islets from young and aged mice
TestedAdded taurine to aging insulin-making cells; blocked the taurine transporter in other cells
Taurine and taurocholic acid were higher in aged islets. Taurine treatment reduced signs of cell aging, stress and poor insulin release; blocking the transporter removed the effect.
Points to benefitNo stake declaredAbstract onlyNo competing interests declared.
17 papers we read and set aside as off topic
- Li et al., 2025. Effect of a 12-mo intervention with whey protein powder on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. (randomized trial)
- Tang et al., 2021. Bigu-Style Fasting Affects Metabolic Health by Modulating Taurine, Glucose, and Cholesterol Homeostasis in Healthy Young Adults. (trial, not randomized)
- Mbilinyi et al., 2025. Prolonged increase in glutamate whole body and intracellular production in older adults with COPD and healthy controls post-resistance exercise. (trial, not randomized)
- Díaz-Rizzolo et al., 2021. Type 2 diabetes preventive effects with a 12-months sardine-enriched diet in elderly population with prediabetes: An interventional, randomized and controlled trial. (randomized trial)
- Zhang et al., 2025. Respiratory Function Improvement and Lifespan Extension Following Immunotherapy with NP001 Support the Concept That Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Is an Immuno-Neurologic Disease. (trial, not randomized)
- van Wissen et al., 2016. Mini Nutritional Assessment and Mortality after Hip Fracture Surgery in the Elderly. (population study: followed a group)
- Dunn-Lewis et al., 2011. A multi-nutrient supplement reduced markers of inflammation and improved physical performance in active individuals of middle to older age: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. (randomized trial)
- Ma et al., 2025. Association between microplastics exposure and gut microbiota and metabolites in older adults: A cross-sectional study. (population study: one-time survey)
- Tsolaki, 2019. Future strategies of management of Alzheimer's Disease. The role of homotaurine. (opinion or narrative review)
- Zhang et al., 2025. Causal relationship between gut microbiota and ageing: A multi-omics Mendelian randomization study. (gene study (mendelian randomization))
- Park et al., 2019. Demands for Development of Taurine-Containing Home Meal Replacement for Prevention of Dementia According to Age. (population study: one-time survey)
- Cedeno et al., 2023. Serum metabolomic profiling identifies potential biomarkers in arthritis in older adults: an exploratory study. (population study: followed a group)
- Liu et al., 2023. Exploring the aging process of cognitively healthy adults by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid metabolomics using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. (population study: followed a group)
- Sotgia et al., 2014. Clinical and biochemical correlates of serum L-ergothioneine concentrations in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. (population study: one-time survey)
- Tian et al., 2024. Multifunctional Hydrogel Microneedle Patches Modulating Oxi-inflamm-aging for Diabetic Wound Healing. (animal study)
- Scieszka et al., 2022. Neuroinflammatory and Neurometabolomic Consequences From Inhaled Wildfire Smoke-Derived Particulate Matter in the Western United States. (animal study)
- Yoon et al., 2024. Metabolomics study to reveal cognitive improvement with treatment of Scrophularia buergeriana. (animal study)
Words on this page
- 95% CI (confidence interval)
- The range where the true result likely lies. If the range includes no effect (1 for ratios, 0 for differences), the result is not clear.
- p-value (p =)
- How likely a result this large would be by chance if there were no real effect. Below 0.05 is usually called a clear result.
- Placebo
- A dummy pill or fake treatment, so people do not know which group they are in.
- Gene study (Mendelian randomization)
- A study that uses natural gene differences between people as a kind of experiment.
- Marker
- A lab or scan result that stands in for a health outcome. A better marker does not always mean better health.
How the short answer is set
Fixed rules turn the studies into the short answer, so the same studies always give the same answer. The rules start from GRADE, a standard system for rating evidence, in plain language.
| Confidence | What it means |
|---|---|
| High | We are confident the answer is right. |
| Moderate | The answer is probably right, but it could change. |
| Low | The answer may well change. |
| Very low (this page) | Any answer is very uncertain. |
| Not tested in people | Only cell or animal studies exist. |
Why very low here
- Most trials were small, and some were not clearly randomized.
- Most measured blood markers or test scores over 2 to 16 weeks, not aging.
- Results disagree: the hip fracture trial found no effect on illness or deaths.
- In one population study, more taurine production went with worse thinking scores.
Hard limit used. No trial in people measured aging itself or lifespan, and the one trial that tracked deaths found no benefit, so the answer cannot say taurine slows aging in people.
How this page was made
Label
- Search
- PubMed, Nov 14, 2026. Searches written by Claude Opus 5.5; papers ranked by PubMed
- First read of all 30 papers
- Claude Sonnet
- Independent second read
- Claude Haiku
- Disagreements settled by
- Claude Opus 5.5
- Page text written by
- Claude Opus 5.5
- Charts
- Drawn by code from the study records
- Source check by a person
- Not yet. Required before search engines may list this page.
- Expert review
- No
- Papers read in full
- 0 of 30; all from PubMed abstracts
- Method
- v0.2, created Nov 14, 2026
Search. We ran four PubMed searches for taurine and aging and age-related decline: pooled and systematic reviews since 2012 (0 of 0), trials in people (14 of 14), population studies (10 of 15), animal studies (6 of 167). The first number is how many papers we read; the second is how many PubMed found. We took the ones PubMed ranks as most relevant. See the full PubMed search. Of the 30 papers read, 13 were on topic.
Limits. Digestery reads at most about 60 papers per question, so large fields are sampled, not covered in full. Abstracts can leave out key details, such as side effects and funding.
Review queue
These items wait for a person. Search engines are asked not to list the page until the first one is done.
- OpenThe short answer is new. It waits for a source check by a person.
- OpenGao 2019 and Bae 2019: same book series, older women with dementia, 4-week taurine drinks. Check for overlapping participants.
- OpenExcluded as multi-ingredient products: Li 2025 (12-month whey powder trial, BYHEALTH funded) and Dunn-Lewis 2011. Confirm exclusion is wanted.
- OpenNo conflict statement in PubMed for trial papers Abud 2022, Chupel 2018, Bae 2019, Gao 2019, Katakawa 2016 and Van Stijn 2015.
- OpenAbud 2022 and Gao 2019 give 1.5 g and 3 g without saying how often; dose unit left as g.
- OpenUnsure on relevance: Katakawa 2016 (healthy men, vessel repair cells), Liu 2024 (immune cells only), Kneipp 2026 (urine taurine, general adults).
- OpenVan Stijn 2015 abstract gives no dose or patient count for the only trial tracking deaths; full text needed.
- OpenBae 2019 does not say groups were randomized and omits the control group's follow-up score.
Page history
| Date | Change | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | Page created from 30 papers. | First version of the page. |
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