Taurine Doesn’t Raise Your Risk Of Blood Cancer, What This New Study Actually Means

Most people don’t consider energy drinks to be a healthy beverage. Some are bursting with added (or fake) sugars, preservatives, and even artificial colors. 

However, many include ingredients you would naturally get through food or supplements: Caffeine (not in extreme doses of course), vitamin B12, guarana, and taurine. Each of these ingredients actually have quite a bit of scientific data showing benefits to health (including alertness, cognition1, energy support, and even heart health). 

Recently, a new preclinical study2 has thrust one of these ingredients into the spotlight: Taurine. Taurine is an amino acid that’s vital for energy production and mitochondrial health3. It’s found in some animal proteins, energy drinks, and supplements. Plus, your body also makes some taurine on its own.

Researchers from the University of Rochester2 investigating aggressive forms of leukemia recently found a novel way cancer cells in mice and test tubes interact with taurine. 

Results from this study provide unique insights that will drive further research and therapy development for various types of leukemia. Before your mind goes to the worst-case scenario, it’s important to note that this study in no way shows taurine is linked to cancer risk in animals or humans.

For this study, researchers mapped interactions between leukemia stem cells and surrounding bone marrow cells using single-cell RNA sequencing in mice. 

They then analyzed human leukemia stem cell data from patient samples and performed experiments on those cells in a lab. 

Because this was a mechanistic study (focused on understanding the biochemical pathways between taurine and leukemia stem cells), an extremely large dose of taurine was administered to the mice and cells. When roughly translated to what that dose would look like in humans, it's about 10 to 75 times higher than the average daily intake of taurine from food.

The study found that leukemia stem cells use taurine—brought into the cell via a transporter called TAUT—to survive and grow.

They also found that as leukemia progressed in these models, certain cells in the bone marrow started to increase internal production of taurine (we’ll review sources of taurine in a bit).

In short: The study uncovered a critical pathway between the bone marrow environment and leukemia stem cells—highlighting taurine and its transporter TAUT as potential new therapeutic targets (like medications) for the disease. 

Taurine-containing energy drinks are often given to leukemia patients to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy. As a conservative approach, the study’s author Jeevisha Bajaj, PhD., “suggests that it may be of interest to carefully consider the benefits of supplemental taurine in leukemia patients.”

As for healthy individuals, taurine intake and status have been shown to be beneficial for health and low taurine availability is detrimental4. 

Taurine intake has been studied in humans as a way to improve exercise performance. 

In fact, this review of 19 studies concluded that taking 1-3 grams of the amino acid one to three hours before a physical stressor improved strength, power, and muscle soreness. For reference, intake of up to 6 grams a day has been shown to be safe and beneficial for people. 

A study pooling data from 25 randomized controlled trials 5(including over 1,000 participants) found that taurine supplementation consistently improved blood pressure as well as triglyceride levels (all good signs for heart health). 

And a study of 84 women found that women with depression had a taurine concentration that (on average) was 19% lower than their counterparts. 

Cancer profoundly changes how the body functions. Medications and diet should always be tailored (with healthcare provider oversight) to the individual's needs—even between different types of cancer. For example, previous research even shows that taurine may even be beneficial in helping to treat gastric cancer6.  

This preclinical study found a novel way that leukemia stem cells hijack a beneficial amino acid to fuel and proliferate disease progression. In doing so, they identified potential pathways to treat otherwise treatment-resistant leukemia with new therapies.