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Best Taurine Supplements 2024: Benefits, Side Effects & More
Updated on
- Written by Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by
Melissa Mitri, MS, RD
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Life Extension Taurine
- Improves nerve and liver health
- Ideal for brain and heart health
- Boosts healthy metabolism
GNC Taurine
- Good for eye health
- Taurine supplement in tablet form
- Easy to cut tablets into two
BulkSupplements Taurine Powder
- Comes in a variety of package sizes
- Easy to use taurine powder form
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, yeast-free
Have you ever encountered taurine supplements while seeking ways to improve your health? Taurine supplements are a great source of taurine, an amino acid that your body needs for different functions.
These supplements are available in tablet, capsule, and powder form. You only need to swallow them or mix the taurine powder with a healthy drink. Doing so will boost taurine levels in your body and prevent taurine deficiency. It also helps boost energy pre-workout by increasing fat metabolism.
Best Taurine Supplements To Buy In (April. 2024)
- Life Extension Taurine – Editor’s Choice
- GNC Taurine – Best for Eye Health
- BulkSupplements Taurine Powder – Best for Heart Health
- Thorne Research Taurine – Best for Detoxing
What Is Taurine?
Taurine is an essential amino acid (protein-building block) in the body in the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, eyes, and many other organs. The amino acid is crucial in protecting cells and improving overall health.
There are natural sources of taurine like meat and fish. But, you can also take taurine supplements to boost levels in your body if you’re not getting in enough. Ensure you follow the right dosage as overconsumption can lead to side effects.
Here are 4 of the best taurine supplements on the market.
4 Best Taurine Supplements To Improve Performance In 2024
Life Extension Taurine
Life Extension Taurine helps to boost body health. It comes in capsule form, and there are 90 vegetarian capsules in the bottle.
- Improves nerve and liver health
- Ideal for brain and heart health
- Boosts healthy metabolism
- Proper supplement for vegetarians
- Non-genetically modified organisms (GMO) 1000 milligrams (mg) capsules
- Can cause mild headaches
- Leads to nausea
Every person has some essential amino acids, and taurine is among them. When you want to keep your taurine amino acid levels high, take the Life Extension dietary supplement. It’s a high-quality supplement that comes in capsule form.
The functions of taurine amino acids in the body include transporting electrolytes, water, and calcium on the cellular level. These nutrients move in and out of cells for proper organ function.
Another benefit of taurine is its role in supporting brain health. By taking a taurine supplement you automatically improve the amount of taurine in your brain. This is important since taurine can guard your central nervous system against issues like oxidative stress[1].
Also, you can’t go wrong with taurine supplements since your muscles love these amino acids. Taking taurine powder in capsule form can also improve athletic performance as part of a healthy lifestyle. Taurine can also support muscle health.
GNC Taurine
There are 50 taurine supplement tablets in one bottle. It’s generally safe to consume taurine supplementation to boost mental and physical performance.
- Good for eye health
- Taurine supplement in tablet form
- Easy to cut tablets into two
- Supports muscle function
- Safe to take daily
- Can lead to diarrhea
- Causes gas
These taurine supplements have loads of health benefits for your body. Among the top health benefits is supporting muscle function. You can experience better mental and physical performance when taking the 500 mg tablets. Plus, it’s good for muscle recovery as a pre-workout supplement.
Besides boosting athletic performance, the dietary supplement is good for eye health. Taurine makes it possible to have better nervous system function and is also important for visual pathways.
This product is vegetarian-friendly, meaning it’s dairy-free, egg-free, and kosher. It’s also non-GMO and gluten-free. It’s made and packaged in the USA. Each bottle contains 50 taurine supplement tablets.
BulkSupplements Taurine Powder
BulkSupplements is a taurine powder that’s ideal for both male and female consumption. This amino acid supplement is easy to use and is free of artificial flavorings or sugars.
- Comes in a variety of package sizes
- Easy to use taurine powder form
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, yeast-free
- Unflavored taurine powder
- No additives or sugar
- May cause nausea and vomiting
- May lead to stomach pain
One of the health benefits of consuming taurine is better exercise performance. Taurine improves your energy levels by boosting energy production in the cells. This is essential, especially when taking part in endurance sports or training. All you need to do is mix the powder in your pre-workout drink, and you’re good to go.
Also, BulkSupplements taurine supports heart health by boosting its overall function. Taurine is an essential amino acid the heart needs to work correctly. It enables a healthy mineral balance in the blood and promotes healthy blood flow.
BulkSupplements are made in the USA and adhere to set Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards. This ensures the manufacturer follows the highest production, packaging, labeling, and storage standards There is also extensive in-house testing performed to guarantee the quality of the product.
Thorne Research Taurine
Thorne Research Taurine is made using healthy ingredients to make safe-to-consume supplements. The product is made in the USA, and the manufacturer maintains full chain transparency.
- Ideal for detoxing
- Unflavored and contains no additives
- Gluten-free, vegetarian taurine supplement
- Free of major allergens- peanuts, nuts, and eggs
- May lead to headache
- May cause nausea and vomiting
When you consume Thorne Research Taurine, you can enjoy better exercise performance. Taurine boosts your energy levels by increasing energy production. Cells in your body need this as you engage in physical exercise, endurance sports, or training. Always follow the dosage that the manufacturer states on the label.
Another benefit of taking this specific taurine supplement is promoting brain health. Consuming this taurine supplementation improves the amino acid level in your brain. This helps guard your central nervous system from oxidative stress leading to cell degeneration.
Health Benefits Of Taurine
Why take taurine supplements? Well, many health benefits accompany taurine supplementation. Below are some of the main benefits to expect when you have proper taurine levels in your body.
Improve Athletic Performance
Taurine is handy for active people who want to experience better athletic performance. When you take it as a pre-workout supplement, it helps delay muscle fatigue[2] and boosts muscle contraction. Plus, it enables better fat metabolism during workouts to deliver more energy to your body.
A proper taurine supplemented formula helps with muscle recovery and lessens the chances of muscle damage. Your body will experience improved oxygen uptake so you have more power and stamina.
Boosts Heart Health
Folks with heart conditions[3] like cognitive heart failure and cardiovascular diseases can benefit from taurine supplements. Consuming this conditionally essential amino acid helps regulate blood pressure, especially for people suffering from high blood pressure. Still, always consult a healthcare professional before you consume taurine supplements.
There’s also scientific evidence[4] that indicates higher taurine levels in the body can lead to lower cholesterol. As a result, heart failure patients can experience renewed cardiovascular health.
A study[5] was done involving people experiencing heart failure who took 500mg taurine supplementation 3 times per day for 14 days. The results showed lower cholesterol levels in the body when taken as a pre-workout supplement. In addition, there was a reduction of CRP (C-Reactive Protein) and triglycerides.
Taurine helps your body lower blood pressure. When you consume it on a regular basis[6], there’s better blood flow in blood vessel walls.
Reduce The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
You may enjoy better insulin sensitivity when you take part in a taurine treatment under the supervision of a healthcare professional. People with diabetes tend to have lower taurine levels in their bodies. This is according to a study[7] done that revealed the taurine concentrations could be 25% lower.
As a result, taurine can help support healthy blood sugar management.
More research is still needed to determine taurine’s true role when it comes to blood sugar levels.
Promote Brain Health
Another reason to take the best taurine supplement is to promote better brain health. It’s important to ensure your body and brain have the right amount of taurine. Age decline[8] can lead to taurine deficiency.
Scientific research shows that taurine plays a crucial role in protecting the brain[9]. This conditionally essential amino acid can prevent cognitive changes. These come about because of living or being in specific environments.
Therefore, taurine is a crucial amino acid that your brain needs for proper development. It’s a protective barrier[10] for brain cells against external toxins. In addition, taurine helps boost energy production by preventing mitochondria dysfunction, the energy centers of our cells.
Folks who suffer from brain inflammation due to neurodegenerative diseases[11] can also benefit from taking taurine supplements. This is because taurine has the potential to reduce inflammation.
A study[12] done on mice by Swiss scientists revealed that taurine is essential for brain cell growth. The results showed that feeding mice taurine led to the rapid generation of brain stem cells. Another study with human participants showed the same results in human brain stem cells.
Promote Eye Health
Human eyes contain high levels of taurine. This amino acid is high in the retina of all mammals, including humans. It’s possible to get taurine from eating healthy foods.
However, there are taurine supplements that you can take to promote eye health. Low levels of taurine in your body can lead to retinal damage[13]. This happens primarily in the photoreceptor layer of the eye. As a result, you may experience retinal toxicity leading to cone damage and RGC (Retinol Ganglion Cells) depletion.
Also, having less taurine in your eye can lead to health issues[14] like dry eye and cataracts. Therefore, eye health relies on a regular intake of taurine.
Protecting The Liver
Liver health is crucial, and taurine, an amino acid, is essential in ensuring this is the case. Patients suffering from liver disease experienced a reduction in taurine in the body. Taking taurine supplements can solve this and protect you from liver injury[15] and chronic complications.
Promote Kidney Function
Research shows[16] that taking taurine supplements can help folks suffering from kidney diseases. Taurine has a therapeutic effect on the kidneys.
Therefore, taking the supplement will ensure proper taurine balance for your kidneys. It’s also worth noting that combating inflammation is among the top effects of taurine.
What Does Taurine Do?
Taurine is an essential amino acid present naturally in the body. You must have the right amount of taurine[17] in the body since it’s instrumental in healthy cellular activity. Taurine is present in all major organs in the body, such as the heart, brain, liver, and eyes.
It’s possible to get taurine from foods like meat and fish[18]. However, taking taurine supplements is another way to promote overall health if you’re not eating enough of these foods or following a vegan diet. Taurine is also important for better exercise performance for those leading an active, healthy lifestyle.
The body needs taurine to promote healthy metabolism and digestion. The liver needs taurine to produce bile salts that are essential in fat metabolism. Plus, taurine boosts exercise capacity by boosting energy production when you want to promote fat burning.
Potential Side Effects
It’s crucial to ensure you have the right amount of taurine in your body. Doing so keeps you healthy and happy. But, as you take taurine supplements, it’s worth noting that there are some possible side effects.
One source of taurine is a caffeinated energy drink that you can take as a pre-workout supplement. While you benefit from taurine in energy drinks, the high caffeine[19] content isn’t healthy. The high caffeine content in an energy drink can lead to health complications.
Therefore, it’s better to avoid energy drinks when seeking taurine supplementation. Consuming them leads to irregular heartbeats, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Proper taurine supplement intake has no known negative side effects[20]. But, excessive consumption can hurt the body. Effects of excess taurine include liver pain, headache, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting.
There’s a need for further research to ascertain whether taurine causes these side effects or other ingredients. But, to be on the safe side, always stick to the dosage on the supplement bottle. In addition, consult with a healthcare professional before you take taurine supplements.
How To Choose The Best Taurine Supplement?
Taking taurine supplements is a great way to boost overall body health. However, you have to be vigilant when seeking the best taurine supplements. This essential amino acid is available in tablet or capsule form. Also, there’s a taurine powder that you mix in drinks.
One of the key ways to locate the best taurine supplement is by noting the ingredients. The best taurine supplement is non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegetarian. As a result, many people can consume the amino acid and enjoy better health.
Also, note where the taurine supplement is made. The best taurine supplement is made under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). guaranteeing high quality. There should be no artificial flavorings or colors present, making it ideal for human consumption.
Final Thought
Taurine is an essential amino acid that has so many vital roles in the body. This is why a lack of taurine can lead to health complications. Foods like meat and fish are good sources of natural taurine.
But, it’s also possible and may be necessary, to take taurine supplements, especially as a vegetarian. These supplements help maintain proper taurine levels that come in handy during physical performance.
Other parts of your body that need taurine are the heart, brain, eyes, and liver.
While proper taurine supplement intake has no side effects, taking excess amounts can harm your body. Effects of taurine include headaches, stomach pain, nausea, liver pain, and vomiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taurine is safe for kidneys and even plays a protective role. The right amount of taurine may help prevent kidney diseases[16]. Some of these diseases include toxicity-induced glomerulonephritis. This is the inflammation of the glomeruli, tiny kidney filters responsible for removing waste and fluid from the bloodstream.
Taurine can help with insomnia by promoting better sleep[21]. A study published in 2010 showed that taking taurine can increase total sleep by 50%. Folks with poor sleeping patterns leading to insomnia can take taurine for better results.
Taurine is an essential amino acid that contains sulfur in your body. You must have the right amount of taurine[17] in the body since it’s instrumental in healthy cellular activity. Taurine is present in all major organs in the body, such as the heart, brain, liver, and eyes.
Taking taurine in the right dosage benefits your body. However, overdoing it can lead to liver and stomach pain, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
+ 21 sources
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Written by:
Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
