Is taurine harmful to humans?

According to the best available evidence, taurine has no negative side effects when supplemented appropriately ( 17 ). One 2019 report suggests that the highest daily dose of taurine you can safely consume is 3 grams per day.

Can taurine cause kidney damage?

Taurine has been shown to play a role in four different forms of kidney disease: glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, chronic renal failure, and acute kidney injury (AKI).

Do humans need taurine?

Taurine is vital for a person's overall health. It is one of the most abundant amino acids in the muscle tissue, brain, and many other organs in the body. Taurine plays a role in several essential body functions, such as: regulating calcium levels in certain cells.

What happens when you drink taurine?

Taurine protects cells against oxidative stress

Many studies have demonstrated that taurine plays a role as an antioxidant in protecting cells and mitochondria against oxidative stress. The healthier your mitochondria are, the more they can help you power through your day by supporting optimal cellular energy.

How much taurine a day is healthy?

On average, most people consume about 400 milligrams of taurine per day in their diet. Studies that point to potential health benefits require much higher doses and show that getting up to 3,000 milligrams per day is safe.

Dangers of Taurine



What food is rich in taurine?

Taurine level in foods

The highest amounts of taurine can be found in shellfish, especially scallops, mussels, and clams. High amounts of taurine can also be found in the dark meat of turkey and chicken, and turkey bologna.

What foods naturally have taurine?

Taurine is found naturally in meat, fish, dairy products and human milk, and it's also available as a dietary supplement. While research is mixed, some studies suggest that taurine supplementation might improve athletic performance.

What does taurine do to your brain?

Taurine supports proliferation of neural progenitor cells and synapse formation in brain regions required for long-term memory (Shivaraj et al., 2012). Taurine stimulates action potentials in GABAergic neurons and specifically targets the GABAA receptor (Jia et al., 2008).

Why do they put taurine in energy drinks?

The inclusion of taurine in energy drinks is most likely due to its hypothesized effect on mental and athletic performance. Taurine supplementation has been linked to improved exercise capacity and may therefore help individuals to meet physical goals.

Can taurine cause anxiety?

In the elevated arm maze, taurine injection suppressed anxiety whereas taurine supplementation was anxiogenic. The major findings of this are two folds: First these results suggest that taurine might play a role in the modulation of anxiety and locomotor activity.

Are eggs high in taurine?

The precursor amino acids as well as taurine itself are in very high concentrations in muscle meat, fish and eggs .

What blocks taurine absorption?

Protease inhibitors can prevent the absorption of proteins and amino acids and may be responsible for the sudden epidemic of taurine deficiencies in dogs which can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy heart disease (DCM).

Is taurine better than caffeine?

Taurine vs Caffeine: Which Should You Choose? If your primary goal is to feel more energized, it appears that you're better off choosing caffeine instead of taurine. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system more directly to reduce fatigue and increase alertness. Taurine may help to reduce muscle damage and fatigue.

Does taurine affect your liver?

Taurine supplementation increased liver taurine levels by 40% and led to improved liver function, as well as a reduction in apoptosis, ROS formation and mitochondrial swelling and an attenuation in the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential.

Can taurine raise blood pressure?

Taurine Supplementation Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Vascular Function in Prehypertension. From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.

Does taurine interfere with sleep?

Treatment with taurine at 0.1% to 1.5% reduces locomotor activity by 28% to 86%, and shifts it from diurnal to nocturnal. At 0.75%, taurine also increases total sleep by 50%. Our results show that taurine increases sleep, while caffeine, as previously reported, attenuates sleep.

How long does taurine stay in your system?

Time to reach maximum concentration ranged from 1 to 2.5 hr (mean 1.5 ± 0.6 hr) (absorption phase). The mean maximum plasma taurine concentration was 0.57 ± 0.05 mmoL. Plasma taurine concentrations returned to normal range at 8 hr (elimination phase) (Figure 1).

Does Coke have taurine?

Classic Coca-Cola is a soda – not an energy drink – with 24mg of caffeine (per 250ml). With caffeine from naturally-derived sources, guarana extract and no taurine, it was developed as a preferred option for people who want these types of ingredients in an energy drink,” Meza adds.

Will taurine keep me awake?

Two other sleep inhibiting amino acids are Taurine and Tyrosine. They both increase alertness and elevate our heart rates, like caffeine does. Taurine is found in animal proteins and sulfur-rich vegetables, such as onions, garlic, cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnips and in most energy drinks.

Does taurine affect memory?

Taurine supplementation has been shown to benefit neuronal proliferation and synaptogenesis, suggesting its effects on enhancing synaptic plasticity and improving learning and memory [8].

Is taurine a stimulant or depressant?

Many individuals believe taurine is a stimulant, much like caffeine - but the truth is that it isn't. In fact, it's just the opposite, as the ingredient is added to popular energy drinks as a nervous system depressant and just has a stimulating effect on the brain.

Does taurine lower serotonin?

Taurine also prevented imbalances in neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, glutamate, and corticosterone that are associated with depression and promote normal HPA axis function.

What are the symptoms of taurine deficiency?

Taurine deficiency can interfere with different metabolic processes in your body, which may result in:
  • Vision impairment.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Hypothyroidism (overactive thyroid)
  • Kidney disorder.
  • Anxiety.
  • Obesity.
  • Depression.


Does oatmeal have taurine?

Grains do not contain any taurine at all but do contain the taurine-precursor amino acids cystine and methionine. Taurine is only found in animal protein such as meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Does peanut butter contain taurine?

Peanuts are a great source of taurine because they're one of only three nuts that has an adequate amount (the others being almonds and hazelnuts). One ounce contains nine percent – or about 45 milligrams (6).