What are the medical effects of taurine?

Medical Effects of Taurine

Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid with established clinical benefits primarily in pediatric parenteral nutrition to prevent cholestasis and maintain normal development, while its use in adult conditions remains largely unsupported by major clinical guidelines. 1, 2

Established Clinical Applications

Pediatric Parenteral Nutrition (Strongest Evidence)

• Taurine supplementation is recommended as part of amino acid solutions for infants and children receiving parenteral nutrition to maintain plasma taurine concentrations within reference range. 1, 2
• Taurine deficiency in neonates increases glyco-conjugates of bile acids and results in cholestasis, making supplementation critical in this population. 1, 2
• Supplementation at 10.8 mg/kg/day administered with parenteral nutrition for 10 days increases taurine concentrations and decreases liver enzyme and ammonia concentrations in infants. 1, 2
• For term infants on parenteral nutrition, taurine supplementation at 3 mg/g amino acid maintains plasma taurine concentrations within reference range. 1, 2
• No firm recommendations exist regarding advisable lower or upper limits of taurine supplementation for infants and children, though its inclusion is considered essential. 1, 2

Adult Parenteral Nutrition

• The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) does not suggest routine addition of individual amino acids including taurine in parenteral formulas for adults on home parenteral nutrition. 1, 2
• Taurine has been proposed to promote bile flow and prevent lithocholic acid-induced cholestasis by increasing hydrophilic tauro-conjugated bile acids and preventing oxidative stress-related cell membrane changes, though reliable studies are lacking. 3

Guideline-Based Contraindications

Cardiovascular Disease

• The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines explicitly do not recommend taurine supplements for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. 1, 2
• This represents a clear guideline-based position against taurine use in cardiac conditions despite theoretical mechanisms.

Physiological Functions (Research-Level Evidence)

Metabolic and Cellular Actions

• Taurine participates in bile acid conjugation, detoxification, membrane stabilization, osmoregulation, and modulation of cellular calcium levels. 4, 5
• It regulates energy metabolism, gene expression, osmosis, and protein quality control at the cellular level. 6
• Taurine attenuates inflammation and oxidative stress-mediated injuries, modulates ER stress and Ca2+ homeostasis. 6

Organ-Specific Effects

• Taurine is found in millimolar concentrations in retina, brain, heart, and placenta, with demonstrated roles in retinal development and function. 7, 5
• It exhibits antiarrhythmic, inotropic, and chronotropic effects on cardiac tissue. 5
• Central nervous system neuromodulation and endocrine/metabolic effects have been documented. 5

Investigational Applications (Limited Clinical Evidence)

Computer Vision Syndrome

• A 2022 systematic review found no significant difference between taurine supplementation and placebo for critical flicker-fusion frequency (MD: 4 Hz lower, 95% CI: 10.65 Hz lower to 2.65 Hz higher) with very low certainty evidence. 3

Athletic Performance

• Taurine dosing at 1-3 g/day acutely across 6-15 days (1-3 hours before activity) may improve time to exhaustion, anaerobic performance, and decrease metabolic markers (creatine kinase, lactate), though findings are mixed and limited. 8
• Evidence quality is insufficient for definitive conclusions regarding ergogenic effects. 8

Neurological Disorders

• Research suggests potential ameliorating effects against neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, epilepsy, and diabetic neuropathy, but these remain investigational without guideline support. 6
• Therapeutic roles have been explored for neurodevelopmental disorders including Angelman syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, though clinical validation is lacking. 6

Safety Profile

• Adverse reactions from taurine-containing parenteral solutions include water weight gain, edema, increased BUN, and mild acidosis, though these are typically related to the overall infusion rather than taurine specifically. 9
• Local reactions at infusion sites (warm sensation, erythema, phlebitis, thrombosis) have been reported with peripheral amino acid infusions. 9

Clinical Caveats

• Taurolidine (a taurine derivative) has demonstrated effectiveness as an antiseptic agent for preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections and is recommended for this specific indication. 1
• Humans have limited endogenous taurine synthesis capacity compared to other mammals, making dietary sources more important, particularly in specific at-risk populations. 7, 5
• Patients requiring long-term parenteral nutrition, those with chronic hepatic, heart, or renal failure represent groups at risk for taurine deficiency. 5