Red Bull really DOES give you wings! Secret to living until 100 might be ... trends now
It's always bragged that it 'gives you wings'.
But Red Bull's decades-old slogan might actually hold some truth, new research suggests.
Scientists revealed giving mice taurine — an ingredient added to energy drinks — helped them live an extra three to four months.
That, according to the experts who think the substance could be an 'elixir of life', equates to around seven or eight human years.
Columbia University academics also claimed that taurine slowed down the aging process, helping rodents stave off age-related issues like weakened bones and muscle loss.
Further experiments, this time on humans, revealed that people with more taurine within their body tend to be healthier.
The study does not offer any proof that taurine will improve human lifespans. But sharing their results in the prestigious journal Science, the team claimed that they believe it has 'potential'.
Red Bull has claimed that its drink 'gives you wings' for more than two decades. But the slogan may actually hold some truth. For each can contains 1g of taurine — an amino acid made in the body and also present in meat, fish and dairy — which scientists believe can help people live longer
Each Red Bull can contains 1g of taurine, an amino acid that is considered vital for maintaining muscle function, eyesight and metabolism. It also, research suggests, supports the central nervous system and immune system.
Taurine is also present in meat, fish and dairy, often in higher quantities. And it can be made naturally in the body, too.
Dr Vijay Yadav, one of the authors, said: 'We realized that if taurine is regulating all these processes that decline with age, maybe taurine levels in the bloodstream affect overall health and lifespan.'
First, his team looked at taurine levels in the bloodstream of mice, monkeys and people and found that they fell dramatically with age.
For example, results showed that a 60-year-old human had a third of the taurine levels of a five-year-old. They typical Western diet usually has around 750mg per day.
