Pushing Back the Years?

I've long had a 'down' on 'energy drinks'. Most have high concentrations of glucose, which can result in reactive hypoglycamia (low resting blood 'sugar' levels). This is exactly what you don't need, when undertaking an active sport. It can also increase the possibility of the drinker developing type 2 diabetes. Many 'energy drinks' also contain high concentrations of caffeine, which can have detrimental effects on the heart and other organs. There's now news, however, that many common energy drinks include the micronutrient, taurine. Taurine levels decline substantially with age in many mammals. Topping up these levels in mice and monkeys actually boosts their health. In the case of mice, it even extended their lifespans. There's now been calls to see if taurine influences the aging process in humans (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jun/08/common-energy-drink-ingredient-taurine-may-slow-ageing-process). It's, of course, by no means certain that taurine will have effects in humans comparable to those of mice. It would certainly be worth doing some well-controlled studies on this possibility. I do hope, however, the finding doesn't simply lead to an increase in the consumption of 'energy drinks'. Young folk already drink too many cans.