Should I take taurine?

Our sources indicate that taurine may offer numerous health benefits, including reducing all-cause mortality, promoting weight loss, and reducing inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and muscle damage during workouts.

Paul Saladino repeatedly suggests that the human body produces insufficient amounts of taurine for clear benefits, necessitating supplementation, and highlights its importance during pregnancy, as a major antioxidant, and for conjugating bile acids.

However, some experts, including Andrew Huberman, have experienced negative effects from excessive taurine, and David Sinclair suggests supplementation may not be necessary for those with a healthy diet.

• 01Bryan Johnson claims that taurine may reduce all-cause mortality.
• 02David Sinclair states that taurine promotes weight loss and reduces inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and muscle damage during workouts.
• 03Paul Saladino (4x) asserts that the human body produces insufficient amounts of taurine for clear benefits, necessitating supplementation.
• 04Paul Saladino (2x) notes that taurine is essential for conjugating bile acids into bile salts, facilitating intestinal lipid absorption.
• 05Paul Saladino (6x) highlights that beef cheek meat has approximately five times higher taurine content than other parts of the animal, and taurine is associated with beneficial cardiovascular outcomes.
• 06Paul Saladino (3x) indicates that meat contains antioxidant compounds like carnosine, carnitine, and taurine that may offer neurocognitive benefits.
• 07Paul Saladino (7x) emphasizes that meat and organs contain unique nutrients like taurine and creatine, and deficiencies in these are not well-quantified.
• 08Paul Saladino (2x) mentions that a 100g serving of beef heart contains 22mg of taurine.
• 09Paul Saladino states that taurine plays an important role during pregnancy.
• 10Paul Saladino states that methionine is crucial for the production of sulfur-containing compounds like taurine, sulfate, and glutathione.
• 11Paul Saladino states that taurine acts as a major antioxidant, is anti-inflammatory, and is a programmed cell death factor.
• 12Paul Saladino states that taurine is an animal-based nutrient found in meat and organs, potentiating magnesium's effects, and is not significantly present in chocolate, avocados, or soybeans.
• 13Paul Saladino states that an oral supplement containing hydrolyzed fish collagen, taurine, cysteine, methionine, iron, and selenium improved clinical efficacy of anti-hair loss treatments.

Andrew Huberman personally experienced negative effects on his microvasculature from taurine, causing bursting in his eyes, and warns that excessive levels, as found in some energy drinks, can cause microvascular damage. Paul Saladino (2x) cautions that relying on supplements like taurine instead of consuming whole foods is a 'fool's errand' due to the unknown complexity of nutrients in whole foods, and that doses above three grams per day may cause gastrointestinal upset. David Sinclair states that taurine supplementation is not necessary for individuals with a healthy diet. Paul Saladino (2x) also notes that the presence of essential nutrients like taurine in red meat challenges the notion that it is bad for health and shortens lifespan, and that vegans and plant-based eaters may be selecting foods deficient in nutrients essential for hair growth.

Whether taurine supplementation can extend lifespan or improve quality of life in humans is yet to be determined, according to Paul Saladino. Peter Attia notes that while plant-based diets may require taurine supplementation for humans, its necessity is uncertain. Paul Saladino also states that optimal supplemental dosing is still under investigation, though doses greater than 3g may perform better for glycemic reduction.