Taurine first brings energy drinks to mind, and sometimes a persistent myth about its origin. In fact, our bodies make this molecule themselves, and it is found in meat, fish and seafood. What does taurine do in the body, where can it be found, what do studies show about blood pressure, sport or ageing, and is it safe? Here is the evidence, without exaggeration.
Key takeaways
- Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid not used to make proteins; the liver produces it from cysteine.
- It comes from meat, fish and seafood; plants contain practically none.
- Trials show a modest blood pressure reduction, around 4 mmHg for systolic pressure; no health claim is authorised.
- EFSA considers taurine intake from energy drinks safe; the ageing effect observed in mice remains to be demonstrated in humans.
What is taurine?
Taurine is a rather unusual sulphur-containing amino acid. Instead of the carboxyl group found in conventional amino acids, it carries a sulphonate group and is not incorporated into proteins. It therefore circulates freely and is among the most abundant amino acids in the brain, retina, heart and muscles.
Its name comes from the Latin taurus: it was first isolated in the nineteenth century from ox bile. It is often described as conditionally essential: healthy adults make it, but certain situations, such as prematurity or prolonged intravenous nutrition, may make external supply necessary.
How does the body make it?
The liver mainly produces it from two sulphur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine, through an enzyme dependent on vitamin B6. Cysteine is also used to make glutathione, and NAC (N-acetylcysteine) is a precursor to it.
This enzyme has low activity in humans and other primates, as in cats. Diet therefore complements internal production to maintain tissue stores.
Where is taurine found?
Almost exclusively in animal foods. A reference study measured taurine in 29 meats, 9 dairy products and 48 plant foods: it was detected in meats and dairy, but in none of the fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts or seeds analysed. EFSA identifies seafood and meat as the main sources.
Intake varies widely. In omnivores, it ranges from 9 to 372mg daily according to a study cited by EFSA, averaging around 58mg; the agency uses a maximum of 400mg daily. In vegans, intake is negligible: a small 1988 study found lower blood taurine (45 versus 58 µmol/l) and markedly reduced urinary excretion.
| Situation | Taurine amount | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Omnivorous diet | 9 to 372mg daily (average around 58mg) | EFSA, 2009 |
| Vegan diet | Negligible | Laidlaw, 1988 |
| Energy drink can (250 ml) | Around 1,000mg | EFSA, 2009 |
| Doses tested in clinical trials | 0.5 to 6 g daily | Tzang, 2024 |
| Well-established absence of adverse effects | Up to 3 g daily | Shao and Hathcock, 2008 |
What does taurine do in the body?
Taurine has several roles, mainly described in animals and laboratory studies:
- fat digestion: it binds to bile acids to form bile salts;
- cell volume: it is an osmolyte, helping cells maintain volume when the surrounding concentration changes;
- calcium: it modulates free calcium concentration inside cells;
- nervous system: it acts as a neuromodulator and protects neurons in several experimental models;
- retina: it is the most abundant amino acid in the rat retina and participates in photoreceptor development.
Experimental deficiencies show its importance. In animals, taurine deprivation is associated with damage to the heart, kidneys and particularly the retina. Species making little of it, such as cats or monkeys, develop severe photoreceptor damage when their diet supplies none.
Which taurine benefits have been studied?
Research is extensive, but a study result is not a health claim. In 2009, EFSA examined several claimed taurine effects (protection from oxidative stress, energy metabolism, delayed fatigue and physical performance) and concluded that no cause-and-effect relationship was established. No health claim is authorised for taurine in the European Union.
Blood pressure: a modest effect
In 2016, a double-blind trial followed 120 people with prehypertension, elevated pressure below the hypertension threshold. With 1.6 g taurine daily for twelve weeks, office systolic pressure fell by 7.2 mmHg versus 2.6 with placebo. In 2024, a meta-analysis of 25 trials (1,024 participants, 0.5 to 6 g daily) found a mean reduction of around 4 mmHg systolic and 1.5 mmHg diastolic, alongside small reductions in fasting glucose and triglycerides.
These effects remain modest and come from often small, heterogeneous trials. Potassium has an authorised blood pressure claim: see our article on potassium's role and blood pressure.
Sports performance: a small endurance gain in some trials
A 2018 meta-analysis pooled ten studies. Taking 1 to 6 g taurine once or over no more than two weeks slightly improved endurance, with an effect size of 0.40, a small-to-moderate effect. Dose did not change the result. Studies were small and involved varied profiles: practical value remains to be clarified.
Ageing: a widely publicised hypothesis, now contested
In 2023, a study in Science attracted considerable attention. Blood taurine decreased with age in mice, monkeys and humans. Given daily to fourteen-month-old mice, it increased mean lifespan by 12% in females and 10% in males. In middle-aged monkeys, six months of supplementation improved several markers: weight, fasting glucose and bone density.
The authors themselves called for human trials because associations observed in around 12,000 European adults did not establish causation. Their university had also filed patent applications. In 2025, US NIH researchers measured taurine in three human cohorts, monkeys and mice: it increased or remained stable with age. The same year, a study in 137 men aged 20 to 93 found no link between blood taurine, age, muscle mass, strength or physical performance.
The provisional conclusion: declining taurine is not a universal characteristic of ageing, and no trial has shown an effect on human ageing. Other molecules such as NAD+ are researched for age-related decline, with the same requirement for human evidence.
Taurine and energy drinks: what are the risks?
A 250 ml energy drink can typically supplies 1,000mg taurine. EFSA assessed these intakes in 2009. In regular consumers, mean exposure was estimated at 500mg daily and 1,400mg in the highest consumers. These are 120 and 43 times below the dose without observed adverse effects in rats: the agency concluded there was no safety concern at these levels.
Reported incidents with these drinks mainly involved large amounts, often combined with alcohol or physical exertion. EFSA considers caffeine a more likely explanation, as a taurine link has not been demonstrated. The agency did not, however, assess energy drinks as such.
Should taurine be taken as a supplement?
EFSA has set no dietary reference for taurine: healthy adults make it and obtain it from a varied diet including animal foods. For safety, a risk assessment based on clinical trials considers absence of adverse effects well established up to 3 g daily. Above this, data are insufficient for long-term conclusions.
It is often combined with magnesium as magnesium taurate (see our comparison of magnesium forms), or in formulas such as Hexagon® Zen complex, combining magnesium bisglycinate, passionflower, L-tryptophan, taurine and vitamin B6. Whatever the formula, taurine has no authorised claim. In chronic disease or medication use, seek healthcare advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does taurine come from bulls?
No. Its name recalls discovery in ox bile, but it occurs in many species, including humans, who make it. According to EFSA, taurine in energy drinks is made by chemical synthesis, for example from ethanolamine and sulphuric acid.
Is taurine a stimulant?
No, it does not act like caffeine. In the brain, taurine behaves more like a neuromodulator. EFSA attributes adverse effects reported with energy drinks to caffeine rather than taurine.
Are vegans deficient in taurine?
They consume practically none and have somewhat lower blood taurine, but their bodies continue making it. Available studies, old and small, do not allow conclusions about possible consequences in adults. In premature newborns, however, taurine is considered essential, and breast milk supplies it.
Why do cats need taurine?
The enzyme making taurine is barely active in cats. Without dietary taurine, they develop severe retinal photoreceptor degeneration. Their needs concern their diet and veterinarian, not human supplements.
Does taurine help with sleep?
Taurine has no authorised sleep claim, and clinical trials on this point are lacking. For sleep guidance, our article on melatonin and sleep reviews established evidence.
Taurine and magnesium: why combine them?
Both are studied for their role in nerve and muscle cell excitability, explaining their frequent combination; only magnesium has authorised claims such as “contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system”. Magnesium taurate provides little elemental magnesium, however, around 9% of its weight. Human clinical trials of this combination remain rare.
Conclusion
Taurine is a discreet but widespread molecule: the body makes it, animal foods complement it, and it participates in fat digestion, cell volume, the retina and nervous system. Trials suggest modest blood pressure reductions and small endurance gains, with no authorised claim. An ageing effect, spectacular in mice, is now contested. At usual intakes, including those from energy drinks, taurine is considered safe.
Sources
- Lourenço R, Camilo ME (2002). Taurine: a conditionally essential amino acid in humans? An overview in health and disease. Nutrición Hospitalaria, 17(6), 262-270. PubMed 12514918
- Ripps H, Shen W (2012). Review: taurine: a "very essential" amino acid. Molecular Vision, 18, 2673-2686. PubMed 23170060
- Laidlaw SA, Grosvenor M, Kopple JD (1990). The taurine content of common foodstuffs. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 14(2), 183-188. doi:10.1177/0148607190014002183
- Laidlaw SA et al. (1988). Plasma and urine taurine levels in vegans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 47(4), 660-663. doi:10.1093/ajcn/47.4.660
- EFSA ANS Panel (2009). The use of taurine and D-glucurono-γ-lactone as constituents of the so-called "energy" drinks. EFSA Journal, 7(2), 935. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.935
- EFSA NDA Panel (2009). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to taurine and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, energy-yielding metabolism, and delay in the onset of fatigue and enhancement of physical performance. EFSA Journal, 7(9), 1260. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1260
- Shao A, Hathcock JN (2008). Risk assessment for the amino acids taurine, L-glutamine and L-arginine. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 50(3), 376-399. doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2008.01.004
- Sun Q et al. (2016). Taurine Supplementation Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Vascular Function in Prehypertension: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Hypertension, 67(3), 541-549. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.115.06624
- Tzang CC et al. (2024). Taurine reduces the risk for metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition & Diabetes, 14(1), 29. doi:10.1038/s41387-024-00289-z
- Waldron M et al. (2018). The Effects of an Oral Taurine Dose and Supplementation Period on Endurance Exercise Performance in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 48(5), 1247-1253. doi:10.1007/s40279-018-0896-2
- Singh P et al. (2023). Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging. Science, 380(6649), eabn9257. doi:10.1126/science.abn9257
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (2023). Taurine and Aging: Can It Extend Lifespan? (press release on the Singh et al. study). columbiadoctors.org
- Fernandez ME et al. (2025). Is taurine an aging biomarker? Science, 388(6751), eadl2116. doi:10.1126/science.adl2116
- Marcangeli V et al. (2025). Experimental Evidence Against Taurine Deficiency as a Driver of Aging in Humans. Aging Cell, 24(10), e70191. doi:10.1111/acel.70191
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