Taurine is an amino acid-like compound found throughout your body, especially in the heart, muscles, brain and eyes. Your body makes some of it, and you get more from foods like seafood and meat. Despite its link to energy drinks, taurine isn't a stimulant. It helps your cells manage water and minerals, and a major 2023 study put it at the center of the conversation about healthy aging.
What is taurine?
Taurine was first isolated in 1827 from ox bile by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin, and it's named after the Latin word for bull, taurus (overview). It's often called an amino acid, though technically it's an amino sulfonic acid. Unlike most amino acids, it isn't used to build proteins. Instead, it floats freely inside your cells doing other jobs.
What does taurine do?
- Hydration at the cellular level. Taurine is one of the body's main "osmolytes," compounds cells use to balance their water and minerals and restore their volume when that balance is disrupted (Schaffer et al., 2010).
- Digestion. Your liver uses taurine to make bile salts, which help you digest fats.
- Heart, muscle and nerves. Taurine is concentrated in these tissues, where it helps regulate calcium and supports normal function.
The 2023 study on taurine and aging
In 2023, researchers led by Columbia University published a major study in Science. They found that taurine levels fall with age in mice, monkeys and people: people in their 60s had about a third of the taurine levels of young children. When the researchers gave taurine supplements to middle-aged mice, the animals lived longer and stayed healthier, and monkeys given taurine showed improved health markers (Columbia University).
These were animal studies, and the researchers say human trials are needed before anyone can say taurine slows aging in people. But it's one of the most exciting findings in longevity research in years, and many people in the health and biohacking world now take taurine daily as a precaution.
Where to get taurine
- Seafood: shellfish like clams, mussels, oysters and scallops, and fish such as tuna and salmon, are among the richest sources.
- Meat and poultry: especially dark-meat poultry and organ meats.
- Plants: contain very little taurine, so people who eat mostly or only plants get much less from food.
- Your own body: the liver makes taurine from other amino acids, though levels fall with age.
Taurine without the energy drink
Most people know taurine from energy drinks, where it shares a can with sugar or artificial sweeteners, synthetic dyes and a big hit of caffeine. If you want taurine as part of a daily routine, you don't need any of that.
Our Premium Electrolyte Mix includes 1g of taurine in every stick, alongside 1,000mg of sodium from Himalayan rock salt, 800mg of potassium, 100mg of magnesium glycinate and organic Irish sea moss. It's flavored with real organic fruit and sweetened with organic monk fruit, with just 1g of sugar per stick (4g in Mixed Berry) and no artificial sweeteners, dyes, "natural flavors" or anti-caking agents. Every batch is third-party tested for mold, mycotoxins, glyphosate and heavy metals.
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Frequently asked questions
What is taurine?
An amino acid-like compound found throughout the body, especially in the heart, muscles, brain and eyes. It helps cells balance water and minerals.
Is taurine a stimulant?
No. Taurine contains no caffeine and doesn't act as a stimulant, even though it's common in energy drinks.
What are the benefits of taurine?
Taurine supports hydration inside your cells, bile production for digestion, and normal heart, muscle and nerve function. A 2023 study linked it to healthier aging in animals; human research is still needed.
What foods have taurine?
Shellfish, fish, meat and dark-meat poultry. Plant foods have very little.
Is taurine made from bulls?
No. It was first discovered in ox bile, which is how it got its name, but taurine in supplements is made in a lab, not from animals.
How much taurine is in the Premium Electrolyte Mix?
1g per stick.