There are many benefits of taurine, but it seems to have earned itself a bad reputation.
You’ll see tons of questions online like: Is taurine bull sperm? And: Is taurine bad for you?
The answer is no - there are many benefits of taurine, and believe it or not, it’s already in your body. If there were harmful side effects to taurine, you would know!
Today we are going to debunk the myths around taurine and explain all the benefits of taurine for your health.
Before we dive into taurine health benefits though, let's make sure you understand what taurine is.
What is taurine?
Taurine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning that it’s something your body produces naturally. Amino acids are organic compounds that your body uses to create proteins.
You can find taurine throughout your body in your heart, muscles, eyes, and even your brain. It plays an important role in a number of your body’s physical processes.
What is taurine good for? Well, taurine protects your immune system, helps support nerve growth, helps us maintain proper hydration, and improves digestion among many other jobs.
In short, taurine is a really important amino acid in our body and there are many benefits of taurine.
If you want more taurine in your diet, taurine can be found in meat, seafood, and dairy products.
Taurine is naturally abundant in shellfish, red meats, organ meats, and poultry. Seaweed is also particularly rich in taurine.
This means that vegans and vegetarians often consume a much lower quantity of taurine compared to people who eat meat.
Luckily, most taurine supplements are made synthetically, which means they are veggie and vegan-friendly.
Is taurine bull sperm?
No. Absolutely not. The myth comes from the fact that taurine was first identified in bull bile. Taurine also sounds really similar to “Taurus,” so it’s natural that there might be a bull-like connotation.
But while beef is full of taurine, so are you!
And in reality, the taurine you find in energy drinks doesn’t come from bull sperm, or even bulls at all. Taurine in energy drinks is usually plant-based!
Now that you know what taurine is and what it isn’t, let’s discuss some of the amazing benefits of taurine.
9 health benefits of taurine
Here are just some of the potential health benefits of taurine supplements:
1. Taurine may support heart health
Research suggests taurine may support your cardiovascular health.
In one study, people with heart failure took 500 mg of taurine three times daily for 2 weeks.
They experienced significant reductions in levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein both before and after exercise, compared with those who took a placebo.
Another study examining the effect of taurine on blood pressure found that a daily taurine supplement significantly lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 3 millimeters of mercury.
Not only is taurine great for lowering blood pressure, it also helps relieve symptoms of congestive heart failure, like edema and breathlessness.
Taurine may also help reduce obesity-related inflammation that can increase your risk of heart disease. On the whole, there are so many benefits of taurine for your heart alone – but these certainly aren’t the only taurine health benefits.
2. Taurine may help manage diabetes
Another one of the great benefits of taurine is that it can help people to manage their diabetes symptoms.
One study found that people with diabetes naturally have 25% less taurine than those without diabetes. This link is incredible, and suggests that increasing taurine levels could improve diabetes management.
In fact, In one study, supplementing with taurine helped to improve glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, and sensitivity in animals.
Another study suggests that one of the benefits of taurine is improving blood sugar management in people with diabetes, as well as protecting against heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve damage caused by diabetes.
3. Taurine may improve athletic performance
There is a reason taurine is used in a lot of workout supplements. It has been shown to improve athletic performance.
Taurine is added to workout supplements to aid in hydration and electrolyte balance, which helps during your workout as well as your post-workout recovery period.
A review of many studies on the effects of taurine on athletic performance noted a lot of benefits of taurine, including increased oxygen uptake by the body, increased time to fatigue, reduced muscle damage, improved recovery times, and improved overall strength and power.
Scientists also believe that taurine may have an effect on fat metabolism, which may change the way the body uses fuel and improve metabolic efficiency during exercise.
4. Taurine may calm your nervous system
One of the other surprising benefits of taurine is that it may help with neurodegenerative disorders and diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s.
This is because taurine can help to calm and balance excitatory neurotransmitters. This can produce a calming effect on your nervous system overall.
Taurine may also help lower inflammation in the brain, which is often linked to various neurological conditions.
5. Taurine may support eye health
Taurine may help to protect the eyes against damage caused by age-related macular degeneration and light exposure. One study found that taurine helps to reduce visual fatigue.
Research also suggests taurine may help reduce damage and slow the progression of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, potentially due its role in reducing oxidative stress.
6. Taurine may improve longevity
The amount of taurine your body produces naturally decreases with age. A recent study found that supplementing with taurine increased lifespan in mice by up to 12% and improved bone, muscle, pancreatic, brain, gut, and immune function.
In humans, low taurine levels are linked to higher abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, increased inflammation, and type 2 diabetes. This is a sign that increasing your taurine levels as you age could help with a number of issues and potentially increase your lifespan.
7. Taurine can improve your hydration
Taurine can help improve hydration in a few ways:
Taurine plays a role in maintaining electrolyte balance, which is crucial for proper hydration. It can help regulate sodium and potassium levels in cells, which promotes a better fluid balance.
Taurine also helps draw water into cells, which improves cellular hydration. This can enhance overall hydration and cellular function in your body..
Taurine acts as an osmolyte, helping cells manage osmotic pressure. This means it assists cells in retaining water and maintaining their shape, especially under stress conditions.
8. Taurine can aid your digestion
What is taurine good for in your gut? Well, taurine is a component of bile salts, which are essential for fat digestion and absorption.
It helps the liver produce bile, improving the digestion of dietary fats. Bile acids are crucial to our metabolism because they’re responsible for breaking down the fatty acids in your intestines, like triglycerides and cholesterol.
Taurine may help regulate gut motility, promoting smooth muscle contractions in the digestive tract. This can support regular bowel movements and overall digestive health.
Taurine may positively influence the gut microbiome, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion. It can also reduce inflammation in the gut, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system and may alleviate conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
9. Taurine can improve immune system function
Last on our list of benefits of taurine is its effect on your immune system. Taurine may enhance immune function and help your body respond to infections more effectively.
How does it do this?
Because taurine has antioxidant properties, it helps to neutralize harmful free radicals, reducing oxidative stress in immune cells, which can improve their function and resilience.
It can help to reduce inflammation, promoting a balanced immune response and preventing chronic inflammation, which can weaken the immune system.
Taurine may also boost the activity and proliferation of various white blood cells, such as lymphocytes, enhancing the body's ability to fight infections.
Now that you know many of the benefits of taurine, let’s discuss some potential side effects.
Side effects of taurine
It’s hard to find studies on the side effects of taurine on its own. That’s because most studies are on particular energy drinks, which contain a slew of other ingredients like guarana, caffeine, ginseng, sugar, and more.
If you take excessive amounts of taurine, there are some reported side effects of nausea, headaches, and stomach pain. But once again, it’s hard to know if these side effects are from the taurine itself or from another ingredient in energy drinks.
As of now, there is no strong sign that taurine increases side effects at recommended doses – especially since taurine is something your body already produces naturally.
One thing you SHOULD be aware of is possible interactions with medication.
Taurine works as a cytochrome P-450 enzyme inhibitor. That means it can interact negatively with antidepressants, antiseizure drugs, blood thinners, and statins.
While the amount of taurine in energy drinks and supplements usually isn’t high enough to interact with your medications, it’s important to talk with your doctor about these potential interactions if you’re considering taurine supplementation.
Improve your performance with a taurine-backed supplement
Frog Fuel is one of the very best supplements you can take to enhance your athletic performance. It gives you all the benefits of taurine, but also the numerous benefits of collagen for your workouts.
Collagen can increase your muscle mass, reduce recovery times, and even protect your body against injury. Let’s see your whey protein do that!
Frog Fuel also contains citrulline malate and beta-alanine, making it the ultimate supplement for athletes and gym rats alike.
If you are hoping to receive all the benefits of taurine, plus a whole lot of other benefits for your workouts, Frog Fuel liquid protein shots are a no-mess, no-fuss way to reach your performance goals.