Taurine

We evaluated 153 human studies on Taurine, including 51 randomised controlled trials and 21 meta-analyses or systematic reviews; the controlled studies include 1,885 participants in total. As of 8 October 2026.

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1. What Is Taurine? Occurrence, Origin and Forms

Taurine is a sulfur-containing compound that chemically belongs to the sulfonic acids and, unlike the proteinogenic amino acids, is not incorporated into proteins. The body produces it from cysteine and methionine itself and takes most of it in through animal foods. Taurine is known as an additive in energy drinks and infant formula, and as a dietary supplement it is offered in powder or capsule form.

Taurine occurs in animal tissues, especially abundantly in fish and seafood, and also in meat and milk. In the human body it is found in many tissues, among others in cardiac and skeletal muscle, in the retina and in the brain, and it is present in breast milk.

For dietary supplements, taurine is produced industrially, mostly by chemical synthesis. Studies examine above all oral forms as a single substance, alongside taurine-containing drinks, eye drops, and taurine in parenteral nutrition solutions and in infant formula.

Forms and Preparations Studied

• Taurine as a single substance, taken as powder or capsules
• Taurine-containing soft drinks, usually together with caffeine, sugar and other additives (mixture)
• Taurine eye drops for application to the eye
• Taurine in parenteral nutrition solutions (infusion)
• Taurine in infant formula
• Taurine in dietary supplements with other substances (combination product)

Not covered on this page:

• Energy drinks as a beverage category, whose effect cannot be attributed to taurine alone
• Caffeine and other individual ingredients of energy drinks
• Homotaurine, known as the drug acamprosate, a different molecule
• Bile acid conjugates such as taurocholic acid, in which taurine is bound

2. What Does Taurine Do? Results by Area

How to read the table: counted are human studies whose results concern the area. “High” means at least one meta-analysis and two controlled studies showing improvement, or at least three controlled studies of which three quarters show improvement, with at least 300 participants in total. “Moderate” means at least two controlled studies showing improvement, as a majority, or one meta-analysis alongside controlled studies. “Low” means one controlled study showing improvement. Where an area has no controlled study, the strength of evidence is at most “low” (result “reviews only” or “observational data only”). Everything else is “unclear”. A study counts as showing improvement when at least half of its outcomes in this area improved. Reviews of combination products do not count as meta-analyses; results that only describe side effects or shares of users do not count as an effect. The same study is counted only once.

3. What the Studies Show in Detail

Taurine and Physical Performance: Human Studies

A meta-analysis found small performance benefits after a single taurine dose, especially for endurance and strength, with low certainty of evidence 5. In two randomized controlled trials in humid heat, young adults with taurine lasted longer, but only at certain doses 5657. Another meta-analysis found better jumping performance than with placebo 16, and a randomized controlled trial found more anaerobic performance in speed skaters 43. After eccentric strength training, strength recovered better in two randomized controlled trials than with placebo 5164. A meta-analysis found less lactate dehydrogenase after exertion, and a benefit for muscle pain only at a late time point 10; a randomized controlled trial also showed less muscle soreness 51. A small controlled trial in runners found lower AST and inflammation values, but no difference in creatine kinase 76. These are contrasted by results with no difference: a meta-analysis found no benefit in maximal oxygen uptake 16, and two controlled trials found none in time to exhaustion 5574. The findings come predominantly from small, short studies in young, trained men; the intake duration ranged from an acute single dose to several weeks. In two randomized controlled trials, the combination of taurine and caffeine improved individual performance values, while taurine alone did not 4154. In a third study, the combination brought no benefit in repeated sprints 58. It remains open whether the effects persist in women, older people and over longer periods.

Further studies in this area: 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 60 63 64 74 76 77 78 81 97 118 120 122 123 124 129 143 144

Taurine, Heart and Circulation: Human Studies

In three randomized controlled trials, vascular function or arterial stiffness improved more than with placebo, including in people with diabetes 466566. One meta-analysis found a lower heart rate and, in heart failure, a higher ejection fraction and a better NYHA class 3. A systematic review, by contrast, found no confirmed difference in ejection fraction and stroke volume in heart failure 18. The findings come predominantly from small, short studies; the optimal dose and long-term effect remain open. A controlled trial with a mixture of caffeine and taurine found no difference in skin blood flow 75.

Further studies in this area: 56 60 65 66 70 74 77 79 97 115 119 120 139 142 145 146

Taurine, Blood Sugar and Metabolism: Human Studies

Several meta-analyses found lower fasting blood sugar with oral taurine, and in people with diabetes also lower long-term blood sugar and less insulin resistance 12813. In two randomized controlled trials in type 2 diabetes, fasting blood sugar, insulin and insulin resistance decreased more than with placebo 3132. A third study found a benefit only for insulin and insulin resistance, not for blood sugar 25. For blood lipids, two meta-analyses found lower triglycerides 222 and a randomized controlled trial found lower total and LDL cholesterol 31. A meta-analysis in diabetes and another randomized controlled trial found no difference in blood lipids 825. For inflammatory markers, oxidative stress and CAT activity, a randomized controlled trial found improvements, while it remained without difference for IL-6 and TAC 29. Taurine had no independent influence on resting metabolic rate in two randomized controlled trials with training in obese women 4849.

Further studies in this area: 36 69 112 118 120 130 135 136 137 142 146

Taurine and Blood Pressure: Human Studies

Several meta-analyses found lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure with orally ingested taurine, in healthy individuals as well as in people with metabolic, liver or heart diseases 23121322. A randomized controlled trial in type 2 diabetes also found lower systolic blood pressure than with placebo 66. A meta-analysis in people with diabetes mellitus, by contrast, found no difference in blood pressure 8. The strength of evidence is moderate; the studies differ in dose, intake duration and number of participants.

Further studies in this area: 112 137 145

Taurine, Nerves and Brain: Human Studies

For cognitive performance, a meta-analysis and two systematic reviews found no confirmed advantage of taurine 146. A randomized controlled trial found in traumatic brain injury with taurine in addition to tube feeding a better level of consciousness than without taurine 42. After liver transplantation, delirium occurred less frequently with taurine in a randomized controlled trial than with placebo 68. Combination products with vitamins or caffeine do not allow statements about taurine alone 3340. Populations, doses and intake durations are very different, and for healthy adults null findings predominate.

Further studies in this area: 68 72 86 94 96 97 100 103 104 107 108 110 112 113 116 120 121 125 128 131 139 142

Taurine, Aging and Longevity: Human Studies

A randomized controlled trial with older women found higher levels of the antioxidant enzyme SOD with taurine than with placebo 47. The oxidative marker malondialdehyde rose only in the placebo group 47. The strength of evidence is low, since only one controlled trial with a small number of participants is available. One review sees a benefit of taurine supplementation for healthy aging 118, another for protection against mitochondrial defects 139. A further review suggests that a mixture of taurine and glutamine together with training could counteract muscle loss in old age 121.

Taurine, Eye and Retina: Human Studies

A review suggests that taurine as a dietary supplement could alleviate visual fatigue; controlled studies with taurine alone on the eye are still pending 15. A randomized controlled trial with 43 healthy participants found with a combination product of taurine with vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, lutein/zeaxanthin, selenium, aronia extract and omega-3 fatty acids more favorable values for retinal artery diameter, erythrocyte velocity in retinal vessels and retinal blood flow 35; since no arm here received taurine alone, the effect cannot be attributed to the taurine. The strength of evidence is low, because no controlled study has tested taurine alone on the eye. It remains open whether taurine alone acts on the eye.

Taurine: Further Outcomes in Studies

Inflammatory markers decreased more strongly than with placebo in two randomized controlled trials 2761, markers of oxidative stress in two others 3846. Total and LDL cholesterol decreased more strongly than in the comparison group in two randomized controlled trials 3269, liver values in two others 2438. For clinical endpoints, several controlled studies found advantages, for example for muscle cramps in chronic liver disease 30, in ventilated children 27 and after liver transplantation 24. These are contrasted by results without difference, for example for anthropometry and body weight 485969 as well as for several inflammatory and oxidation markers 445176. Combination products with N-acetylcysteine 2628, with caffeine 54 or with numerous other substances 67 do not allow conclusions about taurine alone.

Further studies in this area: 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 36 37 38 39 42 44 46 48 49 50 51 53 54 56 57 59 61 62 63 64 67 69 71 73 74 76 78 80 82 83 84 85 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 96 98 99 101 102 105 106 108 109 110 111 114 115 117 118 120 121 123 126 127 132 134 135 140 141 142 143 144

4. How Is Taurine Dosed? Preparation, Dose and Duration in Studies

The studies predominantly used oral taurine as a single substance in powder or capsule form, sometimes as an acute single dose, sometimes over several weeks. Individual investigations used combination products with caffeine, vitamins or other substances. The doses and intake durations are shown in the table.

5. Is Taurine Safe? Side Effects in Studies

The included studies predominantly report no or only mild side effects, such as gastrointestinal complaints 232350. In a randomized controlled trial, mild adverse events occurred in some of the participants 23. In mice with a predisposition to lupus, supplemental taurine increased autoantibodies and kidney inflammation; whether this applies to people with lupus is open 111.

6. What Remains Open: Limits of the Evidence

• Most studies are small and short; women, older people and long-term endpoints are underrepresented.
• For taurine eye drops, infusion solutions and infant formula, hardly any controlled findings are available.
• Combination preparations with caffeine or other substances do not allow conclusions about taurine alone.
• The optimal dose and intake duration are open for most endpoints.
• For clinical endpoints such as heart failure or cognitive performance, the results are inconsistent.

7. Bottom Line: What Is Established About Taurine

Taurine is a sulfur-containing compound that the body produces itself and takes in through animal foods. Human studies show benefits for blood pressure, vascular function and blood sugar for oral taurine as a single substance; for physical performance they are small and uncertain. The findings come predominantly from small, short studies in young, trained men or in people with metabolic disorders. For healthy adults, null findings predominate in cognitive tests. For taurine eye drops, infusion solutions and infant formula, the data are thin. Combination preparations with caffeine or other substances do not allow any statement about taurine alone.