Taurine

What is taurine?

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a sulfur-containing amino acid found throughout the body, with especially high concentrations in the brain, heart, retina, and skeletal muscles. Unlike standard amino acids, taurine isn't built into proteins. It exists as a free molecule and handles a range of jobs: forming bile salts for fat digestion, regulating calcium signaling in muscle cells, stabilizing cell membranes, and acting as an antioxidant. Your body makes taurine from cysteine and methionine, but production drops as you age. The average 60-year-old has roughly one-third the circulating taurine of a 5-year-old ^[1]. That decline is why dietary intake and supplementation matter more over time.

Taurine and aging: what the science actually shows

A 2023 study in Science by Singh et al. at Columbia University made headlines by showing that taurine deficiency drives biological aging in animals ^[1]. In mice, taurine supplementation extended average lifespan by 10-12%, and supplemented monkeys had better bone density, immune function, and metabolic markers. The mechanisms included reduced cellular senescence, lower DNA damage, less mitochondrial dysfunction, and dampened inflammaging.

However, a 2025 NIH-led study pushed back on these findings ^[8]. Researchers measured taurine in longitudinal samples from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (participants aged 26-100) along with two other human cohorts, and found that taurine concentrations actually increased or stayed flat with age rather than declining. They concluded that taurine is unlikely to be a reliable aging biomarker in humans. The animal data on lifespan extension remains interesting, but the gap between animal findings and human validation is real. Taurine's benefits for heart health, metabolic function, and exercise performance rest on stronger clinical ground than the aging-reversal hypothesis.

Benefits of taurine for heart and metabolism

Cardiovascular protection is where taurine has its most consistent clinical evidence. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that taurine supplementation significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lowered resting heart rate, and improved left ventricular ejection fraction in heart failure patients ^[2]. A separate 2016 RCT showed that 1.6 g/day of taurine for 12 weeks lowered blood pressure and improved vascular function in people with prehypertension ^[7]. The mechanisms are well understood: taurine regulates calcium in heart muscle cells, reduces oxidative stress in blood vessels, and dampens the inflammatory processes behind atherosclerosis.

For metabolism, a 2024 meta-analysis in Nutrition and Diabetes found that taurine supplementation at 0.5-6 g/day significantly reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, and fasting insulin in overweight individuals ^[3]. A 2025 meta-analysis in Nutrition Reviews confirmed broad cardiometabolic benefits, with higher doses around 3 g/day showing the greatest improvements in glycemic control ^[9].

Taurine, the brain, and mental health

Taurine is the second most abundant amino acid in the central nervous system after glutamate. It works as a weak agonist of both GABA-A and GABA-B receptors, giving it a calming, inhibitory effect on neural firing ^[6]. Animal studies show that taurine supplementation reduces anxiety-like behavior and protects against stress-induced depression by preserving dendritic spine density in cortical neurons. A 2024 study in Scientific Reports found that taurine supplementation supported learning-induced brain plasticity in aging mice ^[10].

The human evidence for cognition is more limited. A systematic review of clinical trials found that acute taurine doses of 1-3 g produced only small and inconsistent cognitive improvements. Taurine's brain benefits likely work through slower, long-term mechanisms like reduced oxidative stress and maintained GABA signaling rather than acute cognitive boosts. Still, people supplementing taurine often report improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety, consistent with its GABAergic activity.

Taurine for exercise and recovery

A 2025 meta-analytic review found that a single dose of taurine (typically 1-6 g taken 1-2 hours before exercise) produced small-to-moderate improvements in aerobic endurance, strength, and power output ^[11]. In elite speed skaters, taurine supplementation improved peak and mean power compared to placebo. For recovery, taurine has been shown to reduce markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) after intense exercise, and force recovery at 48 hours was significantly better with taurine than placebo ^[12]. Exercise itself also boosts taurine levels. The 2023 Science study noted that acute endurance exercise significantly increases blood taurine concentrations ^[1].

Taurine food sources

The richest dietary sources are animal-based, especially seafood. Yellowfin tuna provides up to 964 mg per 100 g, scallops about 827 mg, and mussels around 655 mg ^[5]. Dark poultry meat is another strong source: dark turkey at 306 mg per 100 g, chicken thighs at 170 mg. Light meat has far less (chicken breast is only 18 mg per 100 g). Beef, pork, and lamb provide moderate amounts. Plant foods contain negligible taurine, which is why vegans and vegetarians typically have 20-40% lower blood taurine and may benefit most from supplementation ^[5].

Taurine supplementation and safety

Most clinical trials use doses between 500 mg and 3 g/day, with research up to 6 g/day showing good tolerability over several months ^[2][3]. The European Food Safety Authority considers up to 6 g/day safe. Side effects at normal doses are rare, though very high intake can cause nausea, headache, or stomach discomfort. One interaction to know: taurine inhibits certain cytochrome P-450 enzymes, so people on medications metabolized by these enzymes should check with their doctor.

People with kidney disease should be cautious, since the kidneys handle taurine excretion. Taurine is the compound people often ask about in energy drinks (Red Bull contains about 1,000 mg per can), but the amounts in supplements and energy drinks are generally well within safe limits. The main concern with energy drinks isn't taurine itself but the combination with high caffeine and sugar ^[6].