Taurine is an important amino acid in humans.1 Amino acids are molecules most often utilized in the body and linked in chains to form proteins. However, taurine is not used in proteins. It has special functions, including:
Taurine’s name comes from the Latin word taurus, meaning bull or ox, because it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827. Taurine is also found in relatively high concentrations in bull testicles. However, the main dietary sources of taurine are fish and other seafood, meat, and dairy.
Plant foods are generally low in taurine. As a result, people consuming a vegan diet typically have lower body levels of taurine. People who routinely eat good taurine sources have a typical daily intake of 125-175 mg daily. It is near zero in a vegan diet, while a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet that includes dairy products and eggs provides about 15 mg per day of taurine.1
Taurine is also made in the body primarily by the liver, where it is synthesized from cysteine, another amino acid. A healthy adult manufactures 50 to 125 mg of taurine per day. Presumably, less is manufactured if the dietary intake of taurine is higher. The liver will also make less taurine if a person is under stress or dealing with a health challenge like poor liver function, obesity, diabetes, infection, and others. In addition, infants and children are predisposed to low taurine levels because they do not sufficiently manufacture taurine (especially premature newborns).1
Because taurine is such an important amino acid in the body, along with the fact that in many situations, body manufacture may not provide all the taurine the body needs, taurine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. A conditionally essential nutrient is one where the body, when healthy, can usually manufacture sufficient levels. Still, when the body does not make enough, getting adequate intake levels through diet or supplementation is critical. Other conditionally essential nutrients include coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, carnitine, and glucosamine.
There are a lot of urban legends about taurine, spread primarily because it becoming a popular ingredient in energy drinks. However, there is also a lot of scientific validation for its important role in promoting health and energy.
For example, taurine is essential to the health of mitochondria, the energy-producing compartments in cells. Low mitochondria function is associated with accelerated aging, impaired metabolism, poor cardiovascular health, and decreased physical and mental energy. Various experimental studies have shown that taurine supplementation supports mitochondrial function.2 Human clinical trials in subjects with impaired mitochondrial function have also shown taurine produces considerable benefit to mitochondrial function.3 These results suggest that some of the health benefits observed with taurine supplementation result from supporting energy production.2,3
Taurine enhances muscle contraction and delays muscle fatigue, suggesting a possible benefit in boosting physical performance.4 A detailed scientific review of 19 clinical studies in humans showed taurine to:
The authors suggested that a safe and effective dose of taurine to achieve these benefits is one to three grams taken an hour before workouts. Generally, studies required a period of one to three weeks to observe benefits.4
Taurine is also critical to promoting the contraction of heart muscle. Population-based studies suggest higher taurine intake is associated with heart health.5 Clinical studies with taurine supplementation in humans have shown several benefits to heart and vascular function.6 Specifically, taurine supplementation helps to support blood pressure control, heart function, and normal blood cholesterol levels. For example, one double-blind study showed those subjects who took 500 mg of taurine three times daily for 2 weeks significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker associated with inflammation.7
Taurine has well-accepted benefits to liver and brain health. For example, it is well-established that taurine is essential in protecting the liver and brain against toxic compounds, including pesticides, herbicides, and other environmental toxins. In the liver, taurine not only protects against damage to the liver but also detoxifies harmful compounds. In the brain, taurine protects cells against toxins and oxidative stress. Taurine also protects against the buildup of blood ammonia levels and its detrimental effects on the liver and brain.2,8,9
Taurine supplementation has also been shown to improve the sensitivity of tissues to the hormone insulin. This effect can support blood sugar control and appetite regulation. Much of the benefits of taurine on insulin sensitivity are thought to be the result of taurine’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.10,11 However, there may be another important mechanism. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, taurine was given at a dosage of 3 grams per day in both obese and non-obese women. Women in the taurine group displayed a reduction in blood markers of inflammation and oxidative damage. Taurine supplementation also increased adiponectin levels, a fat-cell-derived hormone that promotes insulin sensitivity. Hence, increasing adiponectin levels may be another mechanism by which taurine improves insulin action.12
Taurine has shown several other mechanisms where it helps support proper body weight in various animal models. For example, in a study of mice fed a high-fat diet, if the diet also included 2% taurine, it led to a significant decrease in body weight compared to the high-fat diet alone. This decrease in body mass resulted from reduced gene expression in fat cells that typically leads to fat accumulation. These results are encouraging, but it must be stressed there are no studies in humans that confirm any weight loss-promoting effects of taurine supplementation at this time.13
Taurine is an important amino acid required for proper brain and nerve cell development. This includes the retina, the nerve tissue responsible for vision. In fact, the highest concentration of taurine in the human body is in the retina. The outer area of the retina, where photoreceptors convert light into nerve impulses, contains most of the taurine present in the retina. Taurine is thought to be essential not only for the retina's development but also for its function and antioxidant protection. Decreased levels of taurine in the retina may lead to retinal and/or macular degeneration.14
It is well established that dietary taurine is required for normal retinal function in mammals. This means that relying on body synthesis to meet retinal needs is unwise. Animals fed a taurine-free diet or taking agents that block taurine utilization lead to retinal degeneration and vision impairment. Human evidence supports this. For many years before the mid-1980s, intravenous nutrition formulas did not contain taurine. Children requiring long-term intravenous nutrition as their primary food intake were shown to have impaired visual responses due to low taurine levels.15
Taurine supplementation makes sense to support retinal health, given its importance in mitochondria function, antioxidant action, and protection of the retina's photoreceptors. Taurine supplementation has also shown benefits in animal models of poor retinal function. Human studies have shown that low taurine levels may lead to poor retinal health, while higher taurine levels may lead to better retinal health.16
Taurine is a vital amino acid with unique functions, such as aiding in fat absorption, maintaining cell hydration, and supporting nerve function. It's found in meat, seafood, and dairy, with lower levels in plant-based diets. The body can produce taurine, but supplementation may be necessary in certain conditions.
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