However, additional studies are needed to confirm this. Studies with dietary supplements used 400 to 6,000 mg per day. However, the maximum toxicity limit is much higher and doses over 2,000 mg seem to be tolerated well. The most common dosage of taurine as a dietary supplement is between 500 and 2,000 mg per day. In conclusion: When taurine is consumed in reasonable amounts by a healthy person, it has no known negative side effects. However, the deaths could also have been caused by the high doses of caffeine or other substances that the athletes had ingested.Īs with most amino acid-based supplements, people with kidney diseases may experience problems. This has led several countries to ban or restrict the sale of taurine. Taurine side effectsĪccording to the best available research, taurine has no negative effects when taken in the recommended amounts.Īlthough there were no direct problems with taurine supplements, deaths of athletes in Europe have been linked to energy drinks containing taurine and caffeine.

If there is a deficiency during development, severe symptoms such as an impaired brain function and poor blood sugar control have been observed. This includes people with a heart or kidney failure or premature babies who are fed intravenously for a long time. In rare cases, higher amounts may be required, making taurine an 'essential' nutrient for some people. Regulation of the immune system and antioxidant function.Īs a 'semi-essential' amino acid, a healthy person can produce the minimum amount necessary for these essential daily functions.Support the general function of the central nervous system and the eyes.Regulation of minerals in cells such as calcium.Formation of bile salts, which play an important role in digestion.Maintaining a proper fluid balance and electrolyte balance in the cells.Additional work is needed though to address gaps in our understanding of how taurine affects females, since the majority of animal studies focused exclusively on male subjects.Taurine is in several organs and has a wide range of effects. Although the aged or diseased brain might benefit from taurine or caffeine supplementation, it appears that adolescents are not likely to benefit from supplementation and may, in fact, suffer ill effects from chronic ingestion of high doses.

The data suggest that age is an important factor in both caffeine and taurine toxicity. Key data from animal studies are summarized to highlight both reported benefits and adverse effects reported following acute and chronic exposures. The differential and combinatorial effects of caffeine and taurine on the developing brain are reviewed here with an emphasis on the adolescent brain, which is still maturing. An additional risk has been noted among college-aged consumers of energy drinks who appear at higher risk of over-consumption of alcohol when the two drinks are consumed together. Energy drink consumption by children has raised concerns, due to potential caffeine toxicity. Energy drinks contain a variety of ingredients, but many of the top-selling brands include high doses of caffeine and the amino acid taurine. Energy drinks are emerging as a major component of the beverage market with sales projected to top $60 billion globally in the next five years.

Effects of taurine in energy drinks