Discover Taurine Benefits and side effects 2023

What are the taurine benefits and side effects?

Everybody knows that the key to a healthy diet is eating a balanced mix of foods, but what about supplementation? Some people take supplements to help improve their overall health and fitness, while others take them for sports performance enhancement.

Taurine is a nutraceutical supplement that is often taken to improve benefits like focus and endurance. It has also been reported as helping with weight loss. However, taurine’s side effects are not well-known, so it’s best to be safe before taking too much.

Taurine is an amino acid that has been shown to have numerous health benefits. For example, it has been found to be helpful in reducing muscle pain and fatigue, increasing nerve function, and increasing energy levels. (1, 7)

However, it is important to note that these benefits do not come without a cost. In fact, it can also cause adverse side effects.

If you are considering taking taurine supplements, it is important to be aware of the potential side effects. Improvements in blood pressure, liver problems, and heart health are probable side effects.

It is also important to note that taking too much taurine can lead to toxicity. So if you are looking to take taurine supplements for health reasons, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional first.

Furthermore, supplementation may also help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, it is also believed to increase the effectiveness of treatment medications for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in some cases.

So whether you are looking for relief from common issues or hope for the prevention of more severe ones – it has potential benefits for you!

Taurine’s sources

Animal proteins like those in meat, shellfish, and dairy products are the main sources of taurine. It is not found in significant amounts in plants.

As a result, those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet eat less. Compared to people who routinely consume animal proteins, they typically have lower levels.

Its insufficiency is unlikely, despite this. This is because your body can synthesize it from other amino acids in your liver.

You can receive it from some energy drinks in addition to food. On average, these deliver 750 mg every 8-ounce (237 mL) serving.

How does your body function?

There are numerous advantages to it, which is present in many organs.

Taurine’s key physiological functions are:

• preserving your cells’ electrolyte balance and appropriate hydration.
• creating bile salts, which are crucial for digestion.
• controlling minerals in your cells, such as calcium.
• assisting the general operation of your eyes and central nervous system.
• controlling the health of the immune system and antioxidant activity.

How does taurine affect the body?

Taurine is produced by the body spontaneously. It contributes to a number of crucial bodily processes. it may support the metabolic effects of good health, shield numerous organs, aid in the storage of long-term memories, and more effects.

The benefits of amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are used by the body to build and repair tissues.

Naturally occurring it can be found in some meals, including fish and meat. It is also an additional effects ingredient in some energy drinks.

A nutritional supplement with positive effects is taurine. used by certain people. It’s well-liked in the health world because of its capacity to boost metabolism. Early studies also reveal that It produces further effects and benefits for wellness for the body, including the immune system, and heart health protection.

Taurine Benefits

It is also found in many animal-based foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. Taurine is an essential nutrient for many animals, but it is not essential for humans. However, Humans can still benefit from it in terms of their wellness.

Overall, taurine is a safe and effective supplement that can offer a variety of health benefits. If you are considering taking it, talk to your doctor first. They can help you determine if taurine is right for you and can recommend safe effects and effective dosage.

Here are some of the benefits of it:

Could combat diabetes

Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may enhance insulin sensitivity, reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes or improving sugar control in those with the condition already.

In fact, more studies indicated that individuals with diabetes have taurine concentrations that are 25% lower than those of individuals without diabetes.

A 2018 study shows that supplements may be a useful therapeutic choice for enhancing blood sugar management in diabetics, despite the fact that there is little current data on the effects of supplements containing taurine for managing diabetes in humans.

The same analysis also makes a case for taurine’s potential to protect against insulin side effects such as nerve damage, and renal, and heart problems.

Research is still needed to determine whether deficits are a cause of insulin or its effects.

Could raise heart health

In persons with cardiac diseases including heart failure, The improvement in fat content by taurine supplementation is already shown, to control blood pressure, and improve heart function. It might even guard against heart disease at high doses.

Higher levels of taurine have been linked in studies to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and dramatically decreased rates of heart-related death.

People with heart failure took 500 mg of taurine three times per day for two weeks in one trial.

Comparatively to individuals who took a placebo, they saw significant drops in their levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory biomarker, both before and after exercise.

In a 12-week study of patients with high-normal blood pressure, daily administration of 1.6 grams of taurine reduced systolic heart rate (the top number) by 7.2 mmHg and blood pressure diastolic (the bottom number) by 4.7 mmHg.

By lowering the barrier to blood flow in your blood vessel walls and enhancing your heart’s effects and skeletal muscles contracting, Your blood pressure may drop because of the effects of taurine.

May improve athletic performance

Taurine may improve athletic performance due to its capacity to improve muscular contraction and postpone muscle exhaustion.

Taurine effects could improve fat burning while exercising to boost performance.

Following an analysis of 19 studies, various advantages of taurine on athletic performance were identified, including:

• increased bodily consumption of oxygen.
• longer duration until exhaustion.
• lessening muscular injury.
• greater speed of recuperation.
• increased power and strength.

The benefits of taurine on exercise performance, according to scientists, are typically modest and erratic. As a result, more study is required. (9)

Healthy metabolism promotion

owing to its support for the liver’s bile acid salt synthesis, taurine is crucial for metabolism and digestion. In the intestines, fatty acid breakdown and the effects of bile acid salts.

The effects of 500 mg of cholesterol are converted into bile acid daily by a healthy adult. For this to happen, specific amino acids are required, such as taurine.

Protecting the eyes

The retina of the eye has the most taurine amino acid, which aids in preventing retinal degeneration.

eye diseases including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy may be a result of the effects of taurine amounts. According to the research, taurine may be used as a potential therapy for these illnesses. The required clinical trials haven’t yet, nonetheless, been carried out by scientists.

Protecting the muscles

The effects of muscles contain significant amounts of taurine. It supports healthy muscle function and provides protection from muscle degeneration.

Taurine may also be crucial in the management of neuromuscular diseases like muscular dystrophy. More study in this area is necessary, though. (2, 3, 4)

preventing the aging of the brain

The neuroprotective effects of taurine may be beneficial. According to a 2017 analysis published on Brain Defects, taurine supplements help to support sound long-term memory formation.

Age causes a decline in taurine levels in the brain. Supplementing with it might make it easier to keep these levels steady over time. This, according to some scientists, might prevent some age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

examined how adding taurine to mice with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) might affect them. While some mice received a placebo, some received the 6-week taurine dosage.

Mice that took taurine demonstrated improvements in learning and memory deficiencies similar to Alzheimer’s disease. If these advantages also hold true for humans, more investigation is required. (8)

Protecting against neurological conditions

In particular, in those who have had brain damage, taurine imbalance appears to play a role in epilepsy, autism, and other neurological disorders.

Animal studies have repeatedly shown that taurine has beneficial effects on animals with neurological impairment and neurotoxic effects. However, there is currently inadequate data to support the claim that taurine aids in human neurological diseases.

Added health benefits

The following are additional benefits of using taurine supplements:

• maybe good for your eyes. The antioxidant properties of taurine may aid in reducing the oxidative stress linked to retinal degenerative conditions including age-related macular degeneration.
• Hearing’s effects can be advantageous. The effects of taurine can avoid hearing loss by preventing the degeneration of the ear’s hair cells.
• Has potential neuroprotective benefits. The anti-inflammatory effects of taurine may reduce neuronal inflammation and prevent neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
• The beneficial effects of taurine on fitness can protect the liver against both short-term and long-term harm.

These prospective advantages, albeit interesting, have not been thoroughly investigated or are mainly supported by animal and test-tube studies. We need to learn more about taurine’s effects on human health.

Taurine effect

The effects of taurine are varied and it is found in many organs.
Its primary duties consist of:

• preserving the right electrolyte and fluid balance in the cells.
• production of bile salts, which are crucial to digestion.
• cellular regulation of minerals like calcium.
• support the eyes’ and the central nervous system’s overall functionality.
• immunity control and antioxidant activity regulation.

A healthy person may make the minimal amount required for these fundamental everyday tasks of this “semi-essential” amino acid.

Some people may require larger levels of taurine in exceptional circumstances, making it an “essential” nutrient. This includes those who are long-term intravenously fed premature newborns, those who have heart or renal failure, or both.

If there is a shortfall throughout health development, severe symptoms can include impaired blood sugar regulation and diminished cognitive abilities.

Side effects

The best research currently available indicates that taurine supplementation has no adverse effects.

According to a 2019 study, 3 grams of taurine per day is the maximum acceptable daily intake. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said that you can safely consume up to 6 grams per day in its 2012 guidelines.

When someone in good health consumes it in moderation, taurine doesn’t have any known side effects. Still, it may interact with certain drugs, so consult your doctor before taking taurine if you’re taking any medications

Even so, some users of taurine have noted the following negative effects:

• vomiting.
• nausea.
• liver ache.
• headache.
• stomach ache.

It’s not known if these side effects are due to taurine itself or another supplement that may have been taken with it.

Although there is no proof that taking prescription drugs with taurine will have any negative side effects, taurine does operate as a cytochrome P450 enzyme inhibitor.

This means that it might interfere with pharmaceuticals like antidepressants, antiepileptic medications, warfarin, and statins whose metabolism depends on this enzyme.

As a result, you should speak with your doctor if you’re taking any drugs to determine whether there are any risks and side effects of taurine use.

Additionally, if you decide to boost your consumption of taurine by consuming energy drinks or pre-workout supplements, think about any additional substances in these products that you could be allergic to or would like to avoid. These goods might, for instance, include a lot of added sugar or caffeine. (5, 6)

Special warnings and precautions

When taken orally, taurine is frequently found in food. When taken as a medicine for up to three months, it might be secure.

During pregnancy and while nursing: Taurine use as a medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding is not known to be safe due to a lack of sufficient credible information. Keep to the recommended food levels to be safe.

Children: Taurine is a frequent food component that has effects. It might be safe when taken orally as pharmaceutical effects for up to 12 weeks.

Be aware of other ingredients

Energy drinks that include taurine typically have significant sugar content as well. A high-sugar diet is bad effects on your health.

The majority of energy drinks also include a lot of caffeine in them. As a result, excessive energy drink use may cause caffeine intoxication (CI). As a result, it may lead to:

• tachycardia, or a rapid heartbeat while at rest
• cardiac arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat
• vomiting
• seizures
• death

Caffeine and other supplements, many of which lack a proven safety profile, are frequently combined in energy drinks.

Young adults and teenagers may be especially susceptible to the harmful health effects of energy drinks.

How to supplement?

Typically taken between 500 and 3,000 mg per day.

Remember, too, that a 2012 EFSA assessment says that up to 6,000 daily is risk-free, highlighting its high safety profile.

Even if certain studies may employ larger doses for brief periods of time, maintaining a daily dose of 3,000 mg will enable you to get the most advantages while staying within a safe range.

The simplest and most economical approach to obtain this dosage is through dietary supplements in the form of powder or capsules. While powdered it can have 1,000–2,000 mg per serving, while most capsule supplements only have 500–1,000 mg per serving.

Interactions

• Moderate Interaction
• Be cautious with this combination
• Lithium interacts with taurine

The effects of taurine slow the rate at which lithium is eliminated from the human system. This could improve levels of lithium that stay in the body. Your healthcare provider might need to lower your dose of lithium.

Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interact with taurine

Dosing

Foods including meat, seafood, and eggs contain taurine. An average Western diet contains 40–400 mg of taurine per day. Additionally, it’s a typical component of energy drinks.

Adults have traditionally taken 6 grams of taurine per day orally for up to a year as a medication. Find out from a healthcare professional what dosage might be appropriate for your condition.

Summary

Because taurine is a conditionally necessary amino acid, you need more of it when you’re sick or under stress. It is frequently found in foods with animal proteins, and your body can also produce it in your liver, thus deficiencies are typically uncommon.

The therapeutic potential of supplemental taurine in the management of metabolic disorders is currently being studied. and heart disease risk factors. They also appear to have promise for enhancing many sports performance metrics. However, further human study is still required.

Although it has a good safety record, it is important to see a healthcare provider before using it because it may interact with some drugs.

Taurine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in many animal-based foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. It is also available as a dietary supplement. Taurine is generally considered safe for most people when taken in recommended amounts. However, some people may experience side effects.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Jong, C. J., Sandal, P., & Schaffer, S. W. (2021). The role of taurine in mitochondria health: more than just an antioxidant. Molecules, 26(16), 4913.
2. Kurtz, J. A., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Doyle, J. A., & Otis, J. S. (2021). Taurine in sports and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 39.
3. Rogerson, D. (2017). Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 36.
4. Sirdah, M. M. (2015). Protective and therapeutic effectiveness of taurine in diabetes mellitus: a rationale for antioxidant supplementation. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 9(1), 55-64.
5. Qianqian, S., Bin, W., & Yingsha, L. (2016). Taurine supplementation lowers blood pressure and improves vascular function in prehypertension. Hypertension, 67(3), 541-549.
6. Shao, A., & Hathcock, J. N. (2008). Risk assessment for the amino acids taurine, L-glutamine, and L-arginine. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology, 50(3), 376-399.
7. Lourenco, R., & Camilo, M. E. (2002). Taurine: a conditionally essential amino acid in humans? An overview in health and disease. Nutr Hosp, 17(6), 262-270.
8. Frosini, M., Sesti, C., Dragoni, S., Valoti, M., Palmi, M., Dixon, H. B., … & Sgaragli, G. (2003). Interactions of taurine and structurally related analogs with the GABAergic system and taurine binding sites of rabbit brain. British Journal of Pharmacology, 138(6), 1163-1171.
9. Kurtz, J. A., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Doyle, J. A., & Otis, J. S. (2021). Taurine in sports and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1), 39.