Taurine Supplementation Recommendations
Taurine should be part of amino acid solutions for infants and children requiring parenteral nutrition, although no specific lower or upper limits can be firmly recommended based on current evidence. 1
Recommendations by Population Group
Infants and Children
- Taurine is an important component in parenteral nutrition formulations for infants and children 1
- Benefits in this population:
- May prevent cholestasis in neonates
- Prevents retinal dysfunction associated with taurine deficiency
- Taurine supplementation (3 mg/g amino acid) maintains plasma taurine concentrations in term infants but not in very low birth weight infants 1
- Taurine supplementation (10.8 mg/kg/day) for 10 days has been shown to increase taurine concentrations and decrease liver enzyme and ammonia concentrations 1
- May offer protection against intestinal failure-associated liver disease in specific subgroups of neonatal patients 1
Adults with Chronic Intestinal Failure
- Routine addition of individual amino acids including taurine in parenteral nutrition formulas is not recommended for adults on home parenteral nutrition 1
- In a pilot study of adults on home parenteral nutrition for short bowel syndrome, taurine supplementation at 6 mg/kg provided no clinical benefit 1
Adults for Performance Enhancement
- Dosing: 1-6 g/day has shown benefits for endurance performance 2
- Timing: Can be effective when taken acutely (single dose) or chronically (over days/weeks) 2
- Supplementation appears most effective when taken 1-3 hours before activity 3
- Duration: Benefits observed with supplementation across 6-15 days 3
Adults with Heart Failure
Clinical Considerations
Potential Benefits
- Physiological roles include:
- Osmoregulation
- Immunomodulation
- Bile salt formation
- Membrane stabilization
- Ion transport modulation
- Regulation of oxidative stress 6
Exercise Performance
- May improve:
- VO2max and time to exhaustion
- Time-trial performance
- Anaerobic performance
- Muscle damage reduction
- Peak power
- Recovery from delayed onset muscle soreness
- Decrease in metabolic markers (creatine kinase, lactate, inorganic phosphate) 3
Safety and Dosing
- For adults and children 12 years and over: 10 drops up to 3 times per day (for oral liquid formulations) 7
- For children under 12 years: Consult a physician 7
- Excess intakes should be avoided, particularly in infants 1
Implementation Algorithm
Assess patient population and indication:
- Infants/children requiring parenteral nutrition: Include taurine in amino acid solution
- Adults with chronic intestinal failure: No routine supplementation recommended
- Athletes seeking performance enhancement: Consider 1-6 g/day
- Heart failure patients: Consider 500 mg three times daily
Determine appropriate formulation:
- Parenteral: As part of amino acid solution for infants/children
- Oral: Drops or capsules for adults based on indication
Monitor for effectiveness:
- In infants: Plasma taurine levels, liver enzymes
- In athletes: Performance metrics
- In heart failure: Functional capacity, inflammatory markers
Adjust as needed:
Caveats and Pitfalls
- Evidence for taurine supplementation varies significantly by population
- No firm recommendations can be made on lower or upper limits for infants and children 1
- Benefits in healthy adults without specific conditions remain controversial
- Most studies on athletic performance have small sample sizes and varied protocols 3
- Avoid excess intake, particularly in infants 1