Update - Importance and Benefits of Taurine

In 2005, my interest in using taurine for heart health support led to the report, What About Taurine?
[afibbers.org]

Taurine has been part of my daily nutritional supplement routine for all those years and I find it helps support the ‘calm heart’ feeling. And, since I do not eat daily amounts of fresh seafood as a natural taurine source, I decided that it was important to supplement to get the benefits.

The February online issue of Townsend Letter offers an updated taurine report. Very well done --
Longevity, Cardiovascular Disease, and Taurine by Pushpa Larsen, ND, definitely worth reviewing.

Under the section, Mechanisms and Actions, there is a 2018 study chart that is also noteworthy.

[www.townsendletter.com]

Jackie

I had run out but ordered the powder and some d riose this morning. Good reminder

In late 2004 and early 2005, I was figuring out my afib remission protocol. I included taurine (thanks to Jackie) along with magnesium, potassium & detraining. I'd had a 2 1/2 month episode ending Nov 5, 2004. Then an episode a month later that lasted 20 hours, both converted with PIP flec. In March, I thought I was doing really well, then had an episode triggered by all day high intensity exertion. Backed off from that, then had another episode in April. Was trying to figure out what I was doing differently. I realized I'd run out of taurine and not replaced it. Added it back in and had a two year run of no afib. This run was ended when I thought I was "cured" and stopped all supplements. Had afib within 24 or 48 hours (don't remember). I did not repeat that mistake.

During this time, I was vegan and likely taurine deficient. Though I've changed to a non-vegan diet for many years, I've continued the taurine as a part of my "stack."

For some folks here taurine worked the opposite. Two cardiologists told me they had patients who had more afib with Taurine.

Everyone is different and if you develop more afib consider you are in that group who doesn’t do well with Taurine. Obviously if it helps that’s great news!

About 6-8 years ago there were posts from some who took taurine and it triggered their afib. Just saying…

Yes, Susan, thanks - that's true with just about any supplement. Some may trigger AF. Often, those reactions such as afib can be linked to the quality and ‘pureness’ of the product, itself, the ‘fillers’ added or even the quality control of the manufacturing facility. Because I have a history of MCS, I have to be very careful to choose a reputable source which can mean it can cost more.

There are a lot of supplements that may not be derived from pure raw-material sources and also can have inferior quality control or no quality control that can lead to various forms of contamination. I always want to know about the producer’s compliance with FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The label will show “Guaranteed GMP Product.” This isn’t just for taurine but all supplements.

Fortunately, there are many very good, reliable supplement producers as well as those linked to what is known as ‘professional grade’ supplements that are viable options. Example: [www.vitacost.com]

I have a Taurine product data sheet published by Designs for Health that offers the following clip from the intro:

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid with activity across a broad range of tissues including the cardiovascular
system, immune system, central nervous system, liver, reproductive system and skeletal muscle.1 Although not
incorporated into structural proteins, taurine is critical for numerous physiological processes. It is the most abundant free amino acid in the heart, retina, skeletal muscle, brain, and leukocytes, and is present in high concentrations in excitable tissues such as neurons, cardiac and skeletal muscles.2,3

Endogenously, taurine is derived from cysteine so it is not technically an
essential amino acid, but it is unknown whether endogenous synthesis
is adequate to meet the full need for taurine so it is considered semiessential.2,4

Certain circumstances may increase the body’s demand for taurine,
such as intense exercise and long-term stress, and taurine levels
decline in several tissues during the aging process.4 Additionally, taurine
is virtually absent from plant foods, so vegetarians and strict vegans may
benefit from supplementing with taurine. Rich sources of taurine include
beef, pork, dark meat poultry, seafood and shellfish, with small amounts
occurring in dairy products.5

This product provides 1 gram of pure taurine powder per capsule, making
it convenient for those who require higher amounts.

Cardiovascular function, fluid balance and blood pressure
Taurine has natural diuretic properties and osmolyte and may be
beneficial for reducing water retention, including that which accompanies
premenstrual syndrome or extended air travel. (Designs for Health’s
WaterEase™, which combines taurine and vitamin B6, may be especially
good for this purpose.*) It may be helpful for any condition involving
tissue swelling or fluid accumulation, such as hypertension, congestive
heart failure or coronary heart disease.5,7,8 In fact, taurine is approved
for the treatment of congestive heart failure in Japan.9

Inadequate taurine may impair energy metabolism and reduce ATP
generation in the heart; taurine supplementation is believed to be beneficial in patients
with heart failure owing to improved myocardial energy synthesis and calcium handling.4,10

A gradient of taurine content has been identified in the left ventricle with the
highest concentration in the endocardium, which exhibits the greatest work load.3
Among subjects with heart failure who engaged in exercise, compared to placebo,
two weeks of taurine supplementation resulted in significant improvements of various lipid
markers such as triglyceride/HDL ratio and total cholesterol/HDL ratio, as well as C-reactive protein
and platelet concentration.11

Other RCTs support taurine supplementation being beneficial for patients with heart failure by
improving functional capacity, myocardial oxygen consumption, and electrical activity and
supporting capacity to exercise.12,13 (Doses used were typically 1500 mg/day, 500 mg TID.)

(end of excerpt)

Send me a PM and I can forward a copy of the entire Taurine tech sheet if interested.

There are other benefits to taurine as well. Life Extension offered well-referenced report on “Taurine – Powerful Brain Protection” in 2016. [www.lifeextension.com]


Jackie

Great report Jackie! Thanks for sharing!

I don't take taurine vit. i believe i get most of it from my food. i am not into taking supplements as I once was, i eat beef, shrimp and other seafood. A lot of people rely on supplements more than eating good food, they think if they are taking supplements they don't have to be eating everything that they should.

I remember trying taurine some years ago and i got Aura migraines from it, so i never took it anymore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2022 05:09PM by Elizabeth.

Taurine did not help me at all when i had Afib + maybe made it worse.....i recently tried it again in dif. amounts with + without mag. bi along with l-arginine + stand alone after my pac's increased from a few 100 to a few K a day + Taurine made it a LOT WORSE.....everybody is SOOOOO dif. + Taurine is 1 of or maybe THE most telling supl. to show how dif. we all are in this world of Afib + pac's/pvc'c we live in.

Hi Liz and Vanlith - yes... as we know from years of everyone reporting on what supplemental nutrients work for them and which do not, biochemical individuality is always a factor.

I definitely feel fortunate to tolerate taurine all these years but then I've always taken a product with the GMP label and it definitely helps keep my heart calm.

Be well,
Jackie

I've started taking either Taurine or Cardiovascular Research's Mag Taurate recently and find it steadies my heart even better than mag does. And mag does a good job! ( I have a little problem processing the sulfur in the taurine, but have a few tricks to handle that). I'm grateful for your articles on taurine, Jackie. I also love how it helps many things in the body. / I'm not refuting anyone's negative response to it, only mentioning my benefit.

Californiagal,

What do you mean by "I have a little problem processing the sulfur in the taurine but have a few tricks to handle that."

i follow a fitness/bodybuilder and he mentions taking taurine as well just for general health. I recently added it to my daily routine, and it could just be a placebo, but I feel better overall and my resistance training seems to have improved a touch. we will see how it works out long term and if that affect wears off.

This is what he mentions about when you should take Taurine an how much, seems higher than discussed above. also, his focus is maximizing weight/resistance training;

"A typical dose is 3,000-5,000mg 1 Hour before cardio or training. Most of the Taurine is utilized during activity and doesn’t increase Taurine content of tissue, that’s why it needs to be taken before activity to supply adequate Taurine for increased power output of heart & skeletal muscles as well as healthy CNS signals to the heart & skeletal muscles!"

additional info he provides:

"Probably the most abundant Amino Acid of Cardiac Tissue and is also used in the Central Nervous System. Taurine helps to maintaining proper Hydration and Electrolyte Balance in your Cells, is used to form Bile Salts and regulates the Immune System.

Taurine can help to reduce High Blood Pressure after Ejection from the Heart by Decreasing the Resistance to Blood Flow in your Blood Vessel Walls. Supplementation has been found to reduce Inflammation and Thickening of the Aortic Artery and other Coronary Arteries.

Taurine Supplementation allows Muscles to work Harder and Longer and increases the Muscles’ ability to Contract and Produce Force. It also aids to remove Waste Products that lead to Fatigue and cause Muscle Soreness and protects (Heart) Muscles from Cell Damage from Oxidative Stress! Weight loss has also been linked to Taurine Supplementation, but that’s from the increased Power Output and ability to Exercise Longer."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2022 01:57PM by adamh.

Ken,
Sorry for the delay in replying. Any supplement (and food) that is sulfur-rich can: 1. give me gas, and 2. cause my eyes to burn after a few days of large intake. Someone mentioned once to me that molybdenum helps 'sulfur pathways in the body' and I found it DOES help with the intestinal gas. (Chewing anise seeds helps too). For the eyes burning I just back off the sulfur products. I've never figured out what's happening biologically that causes this response in me and would love to know. Maybe one day... But Taurine definitely calms my heart. I just have to monitor the amt I take.

FYI...

I've been helping a non-afibber look into Taurine benefits and found yet another important report from Life Extension...
Title: Grow New Brain Cells - Sept. 2015 issue of Life Extension's monthly magazine. The back cover's description: "Taurine Regenerates Aging Brain Cells - Recent studies show that the amino acid taurine triggers new brain cells to grow in the area of the brain associated with memory."

[www.lifeextension.com]


Jackie

I think this study merits repeating often ! I've been managing an AFib/PAC condition that returned about 6 weeks ago. I have gained significant results from the combination of Taurine and L-Argenine. I need both, as other seem to also. I am also discovering not to be reserved about dosage of these amino acid supplements. I started with 2 grams/day of both and witnessed improvement, but the arrhythmia would return, usually in the wee hours of the morning There are sites stating that nearly 5-10 times that dosage is tolerated long term. I also discovered an L-Argenine/Citruline formulation that prolongs the presence of L-Argenine in the blood stream (Citruline is a precursor to L-Argenine, which is used to create nitric oxide). The formulation recommends 2X daily =5g LA + 1G Cit, which I plan to begin today. I am hopeful this will (for the most part) eliminate the arrhythmia.



Abstract
We searched for nutrient deficiencies that could cause cardiac arrhythmias [premature atrial contractions (PACs),
premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)] and sinus pauses, and found literature support for deficiencies of taurine
and L-arginine. Case histories are presented showing 10 to 12 grams taurine per day reduced PACs by 50 percent and
prevented all PVCs but did not prevent pauses. Adding 4 grams of L-arginine immediately terminated all remaining
pauses and PACs, maintaining normal cardiac rhythm with continued treatment. Effects of taurine useful in preventing
arrhythmias include regulating potassium, calcium and sodium levels in the blood and tissues, regulating excitability of
the myocardium, and protecting against free radicals damage. L-arginine may have potent anti-arrhythmic properties
resulting from its role as a nitric oxide (NO) precursor and from its ability to restore sinus rhythm spontaneously. It is
hypothesized that L-arginine prevents cardiac arrhythmias by NO stabilization of the sinus node. It is further
hypothesized that cardiac arrhythmias having no known cause are symptoms of deficiencies of one or both of these
amino acids.

[pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]