Taurine

Last reviewed October 2026 · Based on 12 studies

Bottom line

Taurine lowers blood pressure and blood sugar by small amounts in trials, and gives a modest endurance gain. No human trial has tested whether it slows ageing; that idea rests on mouse and monkey studies. Taurine is one ingredient of energy drinks, and caffeine drove the blood pressure rise in one trial.

What it helps with

Slows ageing — Benefit, evidence grade D (Preliminary). Animal studies only (mice, monkeys, worms); no human trial has measured lifespan or healthspan.
Lowers blood pressure — Benefit, evidence grade C (Limited). Meta-analyses of randomised trials, but blood pressure is a marker, not a heart outcome; small trials (about 40 people each) and a modest drop of a few mm Hg.
Lowers blood sugar — Benefit, evidence grade C (Limited). Meta-analyses of randomised trials; blood sugar is a marker, not diabetes diagnosis or complications; effects small, and HbA1c improved only in people with obesity.
Lowers LDL cholesterol — Mixed results, evidence grade C (Limited). Meta-analyses disagree: a 34-trial review found a small LDL drop, while a 2020 review found none; LDL is a marker, not a heart outcome.
Improves endurance exercise performance — Benefit, evidence grade B (Moderate). Meta-analysis of 10 trials measuring performance directly; downgraded for the small number of trials.
Improves thinking and memory — No effect, evidence grade B (Moderate). Meta-analysis of 7 randomised trials with 402 people found no significant effect; downgraded for small sample.

What it is

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid [1]. Trials have used 0.5 to 6 grams a day [2]. It is one of the main ingredients in energy drinks, alongside caffeine [3].

How it might work

Proposed mechanisms, not established ones. In a 12-week trial, taurine raised blood levels of hydrogen sulfide and improved how blood vessels widen [4]. Reviews propose calcium regulation and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [5].

What the research says

Blood pressure: across 34 randomised trials, taurine lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg and diastolic by about 2.5 mm Hg [1]. A 2024 review of 20 trials in 808 people found a similar drop [5]. Blood sugar and cholesterol: fasting blood sugar fell by about 6 mg/dL and HbA1c by about 0.2 points across the 34 trials [1]. In people with obesity, long-term taurine lowered HbA1c by about 0.3 points [6]. LDL cholesterol fell by about 5 mg/dL in the 34-trial review [1], but a 2020 review of 12 trials found no LDL change [7]. Endurance: ten trials found a modest gain in endurance performance with single doses of 1 to 6 grams [8]. Thinking and memory: seven trials with 402 people found no significant effect on cognitive scores [9]. Ageing: the lifespan results come from mice and worms, and in monkeys taurine improved healthspan; no human ageing trial has been published [10].

Doses used in studies

These are doses used in trials, not recommendations. Doses ranged from 0.5 to 6 grams a day, for 5 days to a year [2]. The 34-trial review found 1.5 to 3 grams a day most effective for cardiometabolic markers [1]. The prehypertension trial used 1.6 grams a day for 12 weeks [4]. The endurance review used single doses of 1 to 6 grams [8].

Safety and interactions

In the blood pressure and blood sugar reviews, taurine did not cause significant adverse effects compared with controls [5][2]. None of these reviews reported an upper intake limit or toxic dose. In one energy drink trial, 11% of people reported symptoms after the drink, against 0 to 3% after the other products; caffeine, not taurine, caused the blood pressure rise [3]. The studies here did not report data on pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disease or medicine interactions, so they cannot show whether taurine is safe for those groups. People who are pregnant, have kidney or heart disease, or take medicines should ask a doctor first.

Caveats and open questions

Most trials are small, averaging about 40 people each [5]. Blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are markers rather than heart events [1]. The ageing claim depends on animal studies and on correlations in people [10]. Registered trials include one on plasma taurine in older women with obesity and one on energy drinks and cardiovascular endpoints.