A Nutrient Trio for Healthy Aging

The average life expectancy is roughly 79 years in the United States¹ and 73 years globally.¹

But often, many of those years aren’t healthy. With age comes cellular damage and a variety of age-related diseases.²

According to a study based on a population model, by 2050, it is estimated that a staggering 48% of American adults aged 50 and older will have at least one chronic disease.³

Scientists have identified three nutrients—taurine, spermidine, and lithium—that in independent cell and animal studies have been shown to slow aging and promote a healthy lifespan.

Observational studies show that higher intake of these nutrients correlates with lower mortality and reduced risk of many age-related conditions.^4-9

Clinical trials have demonstrated that each of these nutrients independently influences biological processes associated with health.^10-13

Taken together, they may offer a multi-pronged approach to promote healthy aging.

Benefits of Boosting Taurine

Taurine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body, participating in many biological functions.¹⁴ Although the body can synthesize it to a limited extent, adequate dietary intake is necessary to sustain optimal levels.¹⁵

Taurine has been shown in animal and cell studies to support mitochondrial function,^16,17 improve cellular energy metabolism,¹⁶ regulate gene expression,¹⁶ maintain cellular housekeeping,¹⁷ and protect against oxidative stress,¹⁶ inflammation,¹⁶ and DNA damage.^17,18

These effects suggest a potential role in promoting healthy aging.

Blood levels of taurine tend to decline with age, in one study decreasing by more than 80% in older adults compared to younger individuals.¹⁸

Maintaining taurine levels could be a key to healthy aging.¹⁹

Mice given daily taurine increased their median lifespan by up to 12%. In elderly mice, taurine increased life expectancy by 25%.¹⁸

Data from nearly 12,000 people in the EPIC-Norfolk observational study showed a correlation between high blood taurine levels and lower risk of several age-related health concerns, including high blood pressure and type II diabetes.¹⁸

Another large multinational population study, covering 24 populations across 16 countries, found that elevated urinary taurine levels were linked to reduced mortality rates from ischemic heart diseases.²⁰

An eight-year observational study also shows that higher taurine intake in middle-aged and older adults is associated with maintaining leg muscle strength.²¹

In randomized-controlled clinical trials, taking 1,000 mg to 3,000 mg of taurine daily:

• Increased the body’s antioxidant defenses to combat the oxidative stress that is one important driver of aging,²²
• Improved blood sugar control^23,24 and lipid profiles (total and low-density lipoproteins) in people with type II diabetes,²³
• Reduced high blood pressure (hypertension), improved heart function and functional class in heart failure patients,²⁵ and
• Improved measures of cognitive function, including judgment and abstract thinking, in older women with dementia.²⁶

Spermidine Counters Aging

Wheat germ extract is a rich source of the compound spermidine.²⁷

Spermidine is a caloric restriction mimetic. That means it can simulate anti-aging benefits of fasting,²⁸ like stimulating autophagy (recycling of old or damaged cell parts) often referred to as “cellular housekeeping”).^28,29

Spermidine also helps reduce inflammation^30,31 and oxidative damage.^31,32

Typically, autophagy declines with age, while cellular senescence (dysfunction) and inflammation increase.³³ That may have a dramatic effect on health and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

Spermidine is associated with age-delaying effects that may help protect against chronic disorders and reduce mortality.⁸ Human studies link higher spermidine intake to lower mortality risk, reduced cardiovascular and cognitive issues, and lower blood pressure.^4,9,11,34

What You Need To Know

Improve Health in Older Age

• Among the many nutrients that have been studied for their role as anti-aging solutions, these three especially have generated a great deal of excitement among researchers and scientists: taurine, spermidine, and lithium.
• Body levels of these compounds tend to decline in older age.
• Increasing oral intake of taurine, spermidine (from wheat germ extract), and lithium can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, protect DNA, and promote cellular renewal through autophagy.
• Clinical trials suggest that these three nutrients can help stabilize cognitive function, support cardiometabolic health, and promote healthy aging.

Spermidine intake has been shown to increase median lifespan by 30% in flies, 15% in worms,³⁵ and 10% in old mice.³⁴

An observational study of nearly 24,000 people enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003-2014 found that those who consumed the most dietary spermidine had a 30% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 32% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared to those who consumed the least spermidine.⁹

By promoting autophagy, spermidine may also aid in protecting against dementia.¹¹

Preclinical studies show that spermidine can help dissolve beta-amyloid plaques,^36,37 the abnormal protein buildups seen in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

In a three-month clinical trial, long-term care residents with mild dementia were randomized to receive either 1.9 mg or 3.3 mg of spermidine six times a week at breakfast. After three months the group with higher intake had a more than two-point improvement in their Mini Mental State Exam score, a standard test for memory and cognitive impairment.¹¹

The continuation of this study, with results published in 2024, showed that those who took 3.3 mg of spermidine daily for one year had a remarkable median 5-point improvement on the mental exam.¹³

Lithium’s Protective Effects

Lithium is a mineral found in trace amounts in some natural water sources, grains, vegetables, and spices.³⁸

It is known to enhance the transport of brain nutrients vitamin B12 and folate into cells and to support a balanced mood. Lithium also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.³⁹

Pre-clinical evidence suggests lithium inhibits the enzyme GSK-3.⁴⁰ This may help to slow aging and maintain longer telomeres (protective caps on the ends of DNA strands that help keep disease at bay).^41-43

It regulates genes for healthy DNA,⁴⁴ and protects against neuronal senescence associated with neurodegenerative diseases.⁴⁵

Observational studies in the U.S. and Japan have found that trace amounts of lithium in drinking water are associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality.^6,7

In worms, lithium intake has increased lifespan by 46%.^6,44

Animal studies also suggest lithium helps protect brain function through several mechanisms, including reducing beta-amyloid plaque buildup.⁴⁶

Human observational data revealed that trace amounts of lithium in drinking water are associated with a lower prevalence of dementia.⁴⁷

A clinical trial of 113 adults with mild cognitive impairment found that a trace dose of 300 mcg of lithium given daily for 15 months slowed cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, while those in the placebo group worsened.⁴⁸

Scientists have conservatively recommended that a 150-pound adult take 1 mg of lithium per day, in an easily absorbed form like lithium orotate. To promote optimal health, higher doses may be needed.³⁸

Together, lithium, taurine, and spermidine are a promising combination to help promote healthier overall aging.

Summary

Taurine, spermidine, and lithium may help slow aging and optimize health.

At the cellular level, these nutrients protect DNA, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and remove damage and debris.

Together, they may help promote a healthier life well into older age. n

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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