It began with a supplement and a promise, somewhere between TikTok wellness influencers, Bryan Johnson's age-hacking rituals, and shelf after shelf of taurine-charged energy drinks at your corner store, a straightforward question started generating buzz in the longevity sphere: Might taurine be the key to remaining young?

For biohackers, taurine became a superstar. Praised for its ability to enhance energy, enhance exercise performance, and even counteract age-related decline, this naturally occurring amino acid—found in meats, seafood, and yes, many energy drinks—was being touted as a possible "youth molecule." It was riding high on the popularity charts after a study in 2023 suggested that taurine supplementation could slow aging in animals. The implication? Maybe we're one step closer to unlocking the secret of human longevity.

A fresh and more comprehensive investigation has come forward to contradict such previous assertions, positing that taurine levels don't decline with age after all. In fact, they can stay the same—or even increase—well into adulthood. This has left health fans and scientists alike wondering: Have we been running after a false assumption all these years?

Before you add taurine to your anti-aging toolkit, it's time to go deep on what the science actually reveals. Is taurine really a secret to healthy aging—or just the latest in a series of overblown supplements?

While the quest to crack the code of longevity picks up speed around the world, taurine — a natural amino acid present in the body and in foods with high protein content — has been making waves as a possible anti-aging serum. From the labels of energy drinks to the regimes of biohackers, taurine is being touted as a molecule that promises to add years to your life and health to your years.

What is Taurine?

Taurine is not among the nine essential amino acids but plays an important role in a multitude of physiological processes. Taurine is present in the brain, heart, retina, and skeletal muscles and is involved in the formation of bile salts, fluid balance, nerve function, and antioxidant protection. It is produced by the body and also found in meat and shellfish, which are animal-based foods. It has become popular in the world of wellness over the years for its supposed benefits in increasing energy, improving cardiovascular function, and lowering inflammation.

Both energy drinks and certain supplements usually include taurine for its reported value in improved exercise function and clearer thinking. Although it is widely used, it has been largely agreed upon what the best level of taurine should be, and no official recommendations for daily intake are made in current dietary guidelines.

Interest in taurine's potential to slow or reverse aging was highest after an international 2023 study directed by scientists at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Healthy Longevity Program. The research discovered that levels of taurine decreased after midlife in animals and humans, and supplementation in mice, monkeys, and worms increased lifespan and enhanced indicators of well-being, such as muscle power and glucose metabolism.

This research was soon popular with biohackers such as Bryan Johnson, who added taurine to his supplement stack geared towards reversing biological age. Taurine was viewed as a nutrient that not only had a correlation with aging but worked against its effects. The expectation was that taurine had the potential to act as a biomarker of aging as well as a therapeutic target.

But new research released in Science on June 5, 2025, indicates the interconnection of taurine and aging might be more complex than imagined. A team of scientists headed by Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), conducted a big-scale study using cross-sectional and longitudinal data — following more than 1,000 people aged 20-100 and several animal models.

Unlike the findings of the previous study, however, this new research determined that levels of taurine did not decrease with age. Instead, taurine levels in older subjects remained constant or even rose in older subjects from almost all cohorts, including rhesus macaque monkeys and mice. These findings are a far cry from previous assumptions that taurine is an effective biomarker for biological aging.

An important difference between the 2023 and 2025 reports is methodology. The previous research was very much based on cross-sectional data — comparing various people at one time point — whereas the new study included longitudinal analysis, following the same people over long times. Study co-author Maria Emilia Fernandez said that differences in taurine concentrations between people were far larger than any change with age. This discrepancy brings us to the question: Can taurine serve as a valid tool for measuring or impacting aging?

The group also investigated whether taurine was associated with health indicators such as muscle function, a known issue among aging individuals. Once more, the results indicated no uniform correlation between cohorts, further undermining the hypothesis that taurine concentrations are predictive of physical decline with age.

Also Read: This Common Energy Drink Ingredient Is Tied To Blood Cancer Risk

Potential Risks of Taurine Supplementation

Although taurine can yet possess therapeutic value under certain circumstances, it is not risk-free. Long-term or high-dose taurine supplementation has been associated with gastrointestinal upset, renal stress, and, in isolated instances, liver dysfunction or increased cancer risk, including leukemia. Such discoveries call for restraint, particularly among those who self-medicate taurine with the expectation of increasing lifespan.

Compounding the complexity, taurine levels are also known to vary according to conditions of health. Obesity patients tend to have taurine levels lower than normal, and protracted obesity can produce a taurine surge. Cancer patients produce increased levels in leukemia but reduced levels in breast cancer, indicating how subtle taurine's function in the body truly is.

Does Taurine Remain Promising?

Even with the recent setbacks to taurine's status as an anti-aging superhero, experts concede that it shouldn't be completely dismissed. Dr. Ferrucci believes that the conflicting results may even shed light on deeper mechanisms of aging. "The inconsistency can reveal some significant mechanisms with aging that may be new targets for treatments," he explained at a press conference.

Vijay Yadav, the principal investigator of the previous pro-taurine study, highlighted that the source and quality of data employed can influence results tremendously. He admits that further analysis and more refined clinical trials need to be conducted to determine how taurine could act with different biological systems in different populations.

So is taurine the fountain of youth? The answer is still out at this point. Early animal research had been promising a rosy picture, but recent evidence points to a more nuanced truth — one that's different for each person, species, and way of measuring. As with many supplements in the health space, the effect of taurine will probably depend on context, and more well-designed, human-specific research is necessary before it can be prescribed as a panacea anti-aging pill.

Meanwhile, people should consult doctors before adding taurine supplements to their regimen, particularly at high levels. Longevity research is being accelerated at a breakneck pace, yet where taurine is concerned, the tale is still in its early stages.

An international team of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool that can significantly improve care for glaucoma -- a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, according to a study published in The Lancet Primary Care journal today.

Researchers led by those from the University of Lisbon in Portugal found that the AI-based screening tool halved the number of unnecessary referrals for glaucoma.

The study, released during the Glaucoma Awareness Week, also showed an accuracy level at par with human eye doctors.

"The high accuracy at excluding people without glaucoma is especially important, as false alarms can lead to unnecessary hospital visits, patient anxiety, and added strain on healthcare services," the researchers said.

According to the researchers, AI-based screening could:

• support earlier detection,
• reduce unnecessary specialist referrals,
• prevent avoidable vision loss,
• can be integrated into routine primary care in a cost-effective way

Key Findings

The study was carried out at a single screening center in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2023.

The experts screened 671 adults aged 55-65 for glaucoma via the AI tool, analyzing images of the eyes. The images were then independently graded by six glaucoma experts.

The AI-tool:

• referred 66 people (9.8 percent) vs 118 referrals (18.0 percent) by the eye doctors,
• diagnosed glaucoma in 40 participants (6.4 percent).
• It correctly identified 78 percent of people who truly had glaucoma, vs 75 percent identified by the eye doctors
• Correctly ruled out the disease in 95 percent of people, vs 91 percent by eye doctors

While modelling studies suggest that screening could substantially reduce glaucoma-related visual impairment and blindness, barriers include the need for specialised diagnostic equipment and trained personnel, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and the intrinsically low positive predictive value of screening tests.

In such a scenario, the new study showed that "AI may provide a more viable option than population-wide screening", which may seem impractical.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a chronic disease that affects an estimated 80 million individuals globally, according to the World Glaucoma Association.

It is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the optic nerve that produces characteristic visual field damage.

The disease stems from a long asymptomatic phase, resulting in substantial underdiagnosis and delayed treatment.

Even in high-income countries, up to 50 percent of individuals with glaucoma remain undiagnosed, frequently presenting moderate to advanced disease at first detection.

By the year 2040, it is estimated that there will be 22 million individuals worldwide who are blind from glaucoma.

When to see a doctor for glaucoma:

• Vision suddenly gets blurry
• Severe eye pain
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rainbow-colored rings or halos around lights

In adults, long periods of sleep deprivation has been linked to problems such as weakened immunity, weight gain, depression, and an increased risk of dementia. However, scientists are now paying closer attention to how sleep affects the brain much earlier in life.

However, a new University of North Carolina School of Medicine study suggests that disrupted sleep during early childhood may interfere with key stages of brain development and asl well as increase the risk of developing autism.

Why Sleep Matters For The Developing Brain

Sleep plays a crucial role in helping these synapses form and strengthen. During sleep, the brain organizes and stabilizes these neural connections, shaping the foundation for future brain function. If sleep is repeatedly disrupted during this delicate stage of development, the process may be affected.

Frequent waking or sleep disturbances could interfere with how these neural connections are formed, potentially influencing behavior and cognitive abilities later in life.

The Link Between Sleep And Autism

“The unique effects of sleep loss during development are largely unexplored,” Diering said. “Our data show that babies and children are more vulnerable to the negative effects of sleep disruption. We also found that sleep loss during this crucial period of time can negatively interact with underlying genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder.”

Sleep problems are already known to be common in people with autism. In fact, sleep disruption has been reported in more than 80 percent of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. However, researchers have long debated whether these sleep issues are a cause of the disorder or a consequence of it. Understanding how sleep interacts with brain development could help scientists detect autism earlier and potentially develop new treatment strategies.

Studying Sleep Disruption In Early Life

In earlier work conducted in 2022, researchers examined how sleep disruption during early life might interact with genetic factors linked to autism. Using mouse models, they disrupted sleep during the third week of life, a developmental stage roughly comparable to ages one to two in humans.

The study found that sleep disruption during this period produced long lasting behavioral changes. Male mice that were genetically vulnerable to autism showed deficits in social behavior later in life. These results suggested that sleep disruption during critical stages of development may interact with genetic risk factors in ways that shape long term behavior.

Younger Brains Respond Differently To Sleep Loss

To investigate further, researchers studied how developing and adult mice respond differently to sleep deprivation.

Using specially designed housing systems equipped with sensitive sensors, scientists tracked the animals’ breathing and movement. This allowed them to determine when the mice were awake and when they were asleep.

The researchers observed that adult mice were able to compensate for lost sleep. After experiencing sleep deprivation, the adults increased their sleep later during their normal active period. This process, known as sleep rebound, allowed them to recover some of the lost rest.

Younger mice behaved very differently. They showed no sleep rebound at all, meaning they did not compensate for the sleep they had lost. This finding suggests that younger brains may be far more vulnerable to the effects of sleep disruption.

The consequences were also visible in cognitive performance. Sleep deprived young mice performed poorly on learning and memory tasks, while adult mice were significantly more resilient after losing sleep.

Changes At The Level Of Brain Synapses

The results showed that sleep deprivation in young mice significantly altered the formation of synapses. These changes were not seen in adult mice. “This now provides one of the largest and most comprehensive datasets to examine the molecular effects of sleep loss across the lifespan,” Diering said.

Potential Future Treatments

“Development is not something that one can go back and do again,” Diering said. “Sleep is important for the entire life and especially during development. Understanding what we know now will place greater emphasis on understanding sleep issues in ASD and could lead to an important therapeutic avenue to treat ASD and other developmental conditions.”

The findings highlight an important message for parents and caregivers. During early childhood, healthy sleep patterns may play a critical role in shaping the brain for years to come.

Using amphetamines, cocaine and cannabis can significantly increase your risk of having a brain stroke particularly among younger adults, according to a new University of Cambridge analysis

The findings highlight how recreational drug use may contribute to a preventable health risk, especially among people under the age of 55.

Megan Ritson, a stroke genetics researcher at the University of Cambridge and lead author said the results provide strong evidence linking certain drugs to stroke risk.

“These findings provide compelling evidence that drugs like cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabis are causal risk factors for stroke,” Ritson noted.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted. This can happen when a blood vessel becomes blocked by a clot, known as an ischemic stroke, or when a blood vessel bursts and causes bleeding in the brain, known as a hemorrhagic stroke. Both types can lead to serious brain damage and can be life threatening.

Amphetamines Associated With The Highest Risk

When researchers combined data from eight previous studies, they found that recreational amphetamine use was associated with more than double the risk of stroke across all adult age groups. For individuals under the age of 55, the increase was even greater. In this group, amphetamine use was linked to nearly triple the risk of stroke compared with people who do not use the drug.

Across all age groups, the analysis found that amphetamine use increased the risk of ischemic stroke by 137 percent and hemorrhagic stroke by 183 percent. These figures reflect relative risk, meaning the probability of stroke is higher among users compared with non users.

Cocaine Shows A Similar Pattern

The analysis showed that cocaine use nearly doubled the risk of stroke of any kind and more than doubled the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Additional genetic investigations were conducted alongside the main analysis to better understand whether the relationship might be causal rather than simply linked to other lifestyle factors.

Eric Harshfield, a genetic epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge, said the findings suggest the drugs themselves may play a direct role. “Our analysis suggests that it is these drugs themselves that increase the risk of stroke, not just other lifestyle factors among users,” Harshfield said.

Cannabis Linked To Smaller But Significant Risk

Among people under the age of 55, cannabis use was linked to a 14 percent increase in stroke risk. Although the increase is lower than that associated with stimulant drugs, researchers say it remains important because cannabis is widely used.

Opioids Showed No Clear Association

A Preventable Health Risk

The researchers also note that many of the studies included in the analysis relied on participants reporting their own drug use. Because of this, other lifestyle factors could potentially influence the results. Further research will be needed to better understand the biological mechanisms involved and how different patterns of drug use may affect stroke risk. Still, scientists say the evidence now available provides an important foundation for future public health strategies.

“These findings give us stronger evidence to guide future research and public health strategies,” Ritson said.