An ingredient commonly found in energy drinks was recently claimed to be the key to living a long and healthy life, and a sleep expert has now revealed the chemical has other important health benefits.
A recent study into taurine - which is an amino acid found in forms of protein and energy drinks - found that supplements could slow down the ageing process after it was discovered it helped expand the lifespan of the mice it was tested on.
Researchers from Colombia University in New York also found that while levels of taurine fall by 80% with age, topping them up to more youthful levels helped to boost the health of monkeys.
Following the study, Martin Seeley, the CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay, told The Mirror that taurine can also help regulate a person's sleep-wake cycle as it helps to lower cortisol levels - otherwise known as the stress hormone - in the body.
This means taurine can promote restorative sleep more quickly, as it can stop you from feeling stressed before bedtime.
He said: "The body uses taurine for many functions, including the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as playing a role in muscle contractions, heart function and more. However, it's also known to help regulate a person's sleep-wake cycle.
"Whilst there's still a lot of research that needs to be conducted to better understand taurine's positive impact on sleep, it's believed that taurine helps lower a person's cortisol levels. As many studies show that stress can have a significant impact on how long it takes a person to fall asleep, taurine can, therefore, promote restorative sleep more quickly."
Martin added that it's also believed taurine helps to regulate the body's production and release of melatonin, which is the chemical that signals to your brain when it should be feeling sleepy, as well as when it should feel more awake.
The expert said that although there is "no harm" in eating more food that contains taurine - such as meat and fish - there currently isn't "enough substantial evidence" to support the idea that taurine is "the best for promoting sleep".
Instead, Martin would recommend adding more magnesium into your nightly routine.
He added: "This natural mineral isn't spoken about enough and has a lot of sleep-inducing benefits. By helping your body go about its natural processes more effectively, this clever mineral can improve your sleep drastically - allowing you to fall asleep more quickly, and for longer and even eliminating tiredness and fatigue throughout the day."
If you are planning on incorporating more taurine into your diet, Martin wouldn't recommend relying on energy drinks, as they contain "minimal" amounts of the chemical in the first place, and are often packed with sugar and caffeine - neither of which will help you get a good night's sleep.
The expert said: "Whilst taurine features in energy drinks, these shouldn't be drunk within the six-hour period that you plan on going to sleep, as they're created for an instant energy boost. This is because energy drinks contain a high amount of caffeine and other stimulants that can interfere with your sleep, making it harder for you to relax and transition into sleep.
"In addition, not many people are aware of the fact that most energy drinks cause dehydration in the long run as they encourage you to urinate, which could also wake you up in the middle of the night."
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