Taurine is an amino acid component of bile and contributes to a variety of other important health functions. Your body produces taurine from another amino acid and you can also obtain taurine by eating meats and seafood. Research has revealed protective effects of taurine on some aspects of heart function. Taurine deficiency may contribute to some heart conditions. Check with your doctor about using taurine to treat a heart condition.
Obesity
Taurine deficiency may promote obesity, a condition that stresses the heart and impairs heart health. In a study published in the 2006 issue of the journal "Endocrinology," obese laboratory animals or those fed a high-fat diet showed low taurine levels. The low levels were associated with decreased levels of an enzyme that is active in liver and fat tissue and may be involved in taurine synthesis. The enzyme acts on the amino acid cysteine, which is a precursor to taurine, leading researchers to surmise that taurine deficiency in obese individuals may promote continued obesity. Conversely, taurine supplementation may be helpful at breaking the cycle and preventing obesity.
Heart Failure
Taurine supplementation reduced symptoms of heart failure and improved exercise capacity in heart failure patients in a study published in the May 2011 issue of the "Journal of Cardiology." In the study, patients with heart failure, average age of 60, took 500 mg of taurine three times per day for two weeks. Exercise time and distance increased significantly in the taurine-supplemented group, compared to a group that did not receive taurine. The researchers concluded that taurine may be a useful adjunctive therapy, along with medication, to help some heart failure patients increase their ability to exercise.
Drug Therapy
Insufficient taurine levels may lead to heart damage in patients who undergo cancer chemotherapy, according to a study published in the April 2011 issue of the journal "Biochemical Pharmacology." In the study on laboratory animals, taurine supplementation suppressed oxidative stress and heart tissue damage from the drug doxorubicin. Taurine protected heart tissue by activating certain cell survival signaling pathways and inhibiting cell damaging molecules. Researchers concluded, from the results of this preliminary animal study, that taurine supplementation may be useful in cancer treatment to prevent chemotherapy-induced oxidative stress and heart damage.
Multiple Effects
Diets low in fish and seafood, major food sources of taurine, may be responsible for low taurine levels in some people, according to an Australian study published in the January 2011 issue of the journal "Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care." Taurine influences several aspects of heart health, including arterial disease, blood pressure, cholesterol and heart muscle function, by acting as an antioxidant. The author notes that the beneficial effects of taurine have not been adequately acknowledged and taurine supplementation may prevent heart disease.
References
- "Endocrinology"; Taurine (2-Aminoethanesulfonic Acid) Deficiency Creates a Vicious Circle Promoting Obesity; Nobuyo Tsuboyama-Kasaoka, et al.; 2006
- "Journal of Cardiology"; Effect of Taurine Supplementation on Exercise Capacity of Patients with Heart Failure; M.Beyranvand, et al.;
- "Biochemical Pharmacology"; Taurine Suppresses Doxorubicin-triggered Oxidative Stress and Cardiac Apoptosis in Rat Via Up-regulation of Pi3-k/Akt and Inhibition of P53, P38-jnk; J. Das et al.; April 2011
- "Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care"; Taurine in Cardiovascular Disease; A. Zulli, et al.; January 2011
- "Steroids"; Relative Acidity Scale of Glycine- and Taurine-conjugated Bile Acids Through Esi-ms Measurements; O.Bortolini, et al.; May 2011
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