Randomized Controlled Trials of Taurine Supplementation in Humans

Cautionary tales from carnitine and arginine complicate the taurine supplementation question. When I said you can buy taurine by the bucket I wasn’t joking—literally, by the bucket. Even with the mouse and monkey data, I don’t expect to see any big human trials underway, because without patent protection or a profit motive there’s just no incentive, and anyone who has been following the news as of late will recognize that public funding of such research is unlikely to happen either. We do have the small short studies on people showing small beneficial effects, so why not give it a try? Well, I did touch on two cautionary tales. Carnitine, another nonessential nutrient that would be potentially dangerous to supplement with because of the effects it can have through our microbiome, What does taurine do to our microbiome—we’ll get to that. (Foreshadowing!). And then there’s the even more striking parallel with arginine, another non-essential amino acid with a variety of functions whose supplementation causes benefits in laboratory animals, and even a suggestion of cardiovascular benefits in short-term human studies—including improving artery function just like taurine! You can’t exactly buy it by the bucket but it is only like 5 cents a day. Cheap, easy-to-find, benefits in rodents, benefits in people—why not? The why not is because it may kill you. An increase in the risk of premature death when it was tried out long term. So will we find the same thing with long-term taurine supplementation? We have no idea, and worse, we may never have any idea, because the studies won’t be run. OK, so where does that leave us? I think some people will look at this and be like too risky, I’m out. Others will look at this same data and be like hmm, maybe it’s too risky not to do it. Wouldn’t want to miss out on the potential benefits! To help with that decision, check out the rest of the video series. This is the third video in a seven-part series on taurine. If you missed the previous ones, check out What Is Taurine in Energy Drinks? Does It Benefit Cognitive or Athletic Performance? (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-is-taurine-in-energy-drinks-does-it-benefit-cognitive-or-athletic-performance) and Taurine Supplementation Increases Lifespan and Healthspan in Animals (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/-taurine-supplementation-increases-lifespan-and-healthspan-in-animals). Stay tuned for: • Caveats and Side Effects of Taurine Supplements (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/caveats-and-side-effects-of-taurine-supplements) • The Best Daily Dose of Taurine (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-best-daily-dose-of-taurine) • Where to Find Taurine and the Best Source (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/where-to-find-taurine-and-the-best-source) • Like Beet Juice, Taurine Supplementation May Only Be Safe in the Context of a Plant-Based Diet (https://nutritionfacts.org/video/like-beet-juice-taurine-supplementation-may-only-be-safe-in-the-context-of-a-plant-based-diet) For more on longevity, go to your local public library and check out my book, How Not to Age (https://nutritionfacts.org/book/how-not-to-age/), available in print, e-book, and audio. (All proceeds I receive from the book are donated directly to charity.) New subscribers to our e-newsletter always receive a free gift. Get yours here: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe/. Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/video/randomized-controlled-trials-of-taurine-supplementation-in-humans and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it. Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at https://nutritionfacts.org/video/randomized-controlled-trials-of-taurine-supplementation-in-humans. You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics. Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution! -Michael Greger, MD FACLM Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources: https://nutritionfacts.org/translations-info/ https://NutritionFacts.org • Subscribe: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe • Donate: https://nutritionfacts.org/donate • Podcast : https://nutritionfacts.org/audio • Books: https://nutritionfacts.org/books • Shop: https://drgreger.org • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NutritionFacts.org • Twitter: https://twitter.com/nutrition_facts • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition_facts_org