Improve Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure & Triglycerides With Taurine, Study Shows

Only 12% of adults1 in the U.S. are considered metabolically healthy. Meaning: All five commonly accepted markers of metabolic health are within the normal range without the use of medication: fasting blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol), blood pressure, triglycerides, and waist circumference. 

So most people have a lot of room for improvement. While diet and exercise play an outsized role in improving metabolic health, so can individual nutrients. A new sweeping study found that the amino acid taurine is one to watch2. 

You may be familiar with taurine from seeing it on the labels of energy drinks—yes, it is a popular energy drink ingredient (thanks to its role in cognition and energy production). But you also get it from foods (namely shellfish and dark meat), and it's one of the most abundant amino acids in the human body.

But unlike other amino acids, this one isn't incorporated into building muscle or connective tissue. Instead, it's vital for mitochondrial health (and therefore energy production). 

It may have positive effects on metabolic health as it helps regulate fluid and electrolyte balance (important for blood pressure), support insulin sensitivity, tame inflammation, and influence how the body uses and stores energy from carbs and fat.

Researchers of this new study analyzed data from 25 randomized controlled trials (including over 1,000 individuals) that looked at taurine use2 (via a supplement) and those five markers of metabolic health. 

The dose of taurine wasn't consistent across all of these studies and ranged from 0.5 gram to 6 grams daily. 

As mentioned, taurine is obtained through the diet via animal protein, and the average adult typically gets around 40-400 milligrams4 from food each day (likely on the lower end if you follow a predominantly plant-based diet). 

But it's still below the lowest end of the threshold associated with these therapeutic benefits. So if you want to reap taurine's full benefits, a supplement is the way to go.

Consider looking for an option that provides around 2 grams of taurine5 in each serving. And this amino acid pairs great with creatine. 

That's because creatine is extremely helpful in building lean muscle (when combined with strength training, of course). Having more lean muscle mass6 is linked to improved metabolic health. 

Although taurine may not be a household name yet, it likely soon will be as research is continually published7 showing its benefits.

This latest systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that this amino acid consistently improved multiple markers of metabolic health to increase a person's chance of chronic conditions like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.