Taurine is an amino acid-like compound your body makes and also gets from meat, fish and shellfish. It drew longevity attention after a 2023 Science study reported that blood taurine falls with age and that taurine extended lifespan in mice. A larger 2025 Science study then found taurine doesn't consistently fall with age in people, so the case in humans is still open.
Taurine is also one of the most common ingredients in energy drinks, which is where many people first see the name. This guide covers what taurine is, how much you get from food, what the aging research actually found on both sides, and what safety reviews say about supplement amounts.
Last reviewed: November 10, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Adults make about 50 to 125 mg of taurine a day, mainly in the liver, and get roughly 40 to 400 mg a day from food, mostly meat and seafood.
- A 2023 study found taurine supplements extended median lifespan in middle-aged mice by 10% to 12% and improved several health measures in monkeys.
- Two 2025 studies challenged the idea that taurine drops with age in people: one found levels rose or held steady across three human cohorts, and another found no link with age or physical performance in 137 men aged 20 to 93.
- No large human trial has tested whether taurine supplements slow aging.
- A Norwegian food safety review judged up to 1,000 mg a day from supplements unlikely to cause problems in adults.
What is taurine?
Taurine is a sulfur-containing compound that the body makes mainly from the amino acid cysteine in the liver. Adults make about 50 to 125 mg a day. Taurine helps form bile salts, which the body uses to digest fat, and it takes part in calcium handling, fluid balance inside cells and nerve signaling (VKM, 2015).
It's often called an amino acid, but it isn't one of the amino acids used to build proteins. For more on how amino acids are used in the body, see the role of amino acids in metabolism.
What foods are high in taurine?
Taurine occurs naturally in food, especially in meat and seafood, and it's also passed into breast milk. Estimates of how much people get from their diet range from about 40 to 400 mg a day (VKM, 2015). Because it comes mainly from animal foods, people who eat little or no meat or fish get much less from their diet and rely more on what their body makes.
| Source | Taurine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Body's own production | About 50 to 125 mg a day | Made mostly in the liver from cysteine |
| Typical diet | About 40 to 400 mg a day | Mostly from meat, fish and shellfish |
| Energy drinks | Up to about 1,000 mg per 250 mL can | Based on the 4,000 mg per liter level EFSA used in its assessment |
Sources for the table: VKM 2015 (production and diet) and EFSA 2009 (energy drinks). We haven't listed amounts for individual foods because published figures vary widely by species, cut and cooking method.
Why is taurine linked to aging?
Taurine is linked to aging mainly because of one 2023 study in Science. Researchers reported that blood taurine fell with age in mice, monkeys and people, with older people's levels more than 80% lower than younger people's in their samples (Singh et al., 2023). They then tested what happened when they gave taurine back:
| Who | What they got | What the researchers reported |
|---|---|---|
| Middle-aged mice (14 months) | 1,000 mg per kg of body weight a day for life | Median lifespan up 10% to 12%; life expectancy at 28 months up 18% to 25% |
| Middle-aged rhesus monkeys (about 15 years) | 250 mg per kg a day for 6 months | Less weight gain, higher bone density at the spine and legs, and 19% lower fasting blood glucose than control monkeys |
| Worms (C. elegans) | Taurine added to their food | Median lifespan up 10% to 23% |
| People (EPIC-Norfolk, about 12,000 adults) | No supplement; blood levels compared | Higher taurine went along with lower body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio and with healthier blood sugar measures |
The same study found that blood taurine rose after a single graded cycling test in athletes. That fits with what we cover in exercise and longevity. The authors concluded that human clinical trials "seem warranted." Columbia University has filed patent applications related to the work, with one author named as an inventor, which the paper discloses.
Does taurine really decline with age?
Not consistently, according to newer research. A 2025 study from the U.S. National Institute on Aging, also published in Science, measured taurine in three human cohorts from different parts of the world, plus monkeys and mice. Whether the same people and animals were tracked over time or different age groups were compared, taurine levels rose or stayed the same with age, and the links between taurine and health measures varied widely from person to person (Fernandez et al., 2025).
A second 2025 study measured blood taurine in 137 men aged 20 to 93, some active and some inactive. It found no association between taurine and age, muscle mass, strength, physical performance or mitochondrial function (Marcangeli et al., 2025). Its authors wrote that the results challenge the idea that low taurine is a main driver of aging in humans.
So the animal results stand, but the reason for taking taurine, a drop with age that supplements could correct, hasn't held up well in people so far. That's the kind of gap our guide to healthspan vs lifespan talks about.
Have taurine supplements been tested in older adults?
Only in small studies so far. In one 14-week trial, 48 women with an average age of about 84 were split into four groups: exercise, 1.5 g of taurine a day, both, or neither. The researchers measured blood markers and a short cognitive screening test, and the only group whose screening score rose was the one that did both exercise and taurine (Chupel et al., 2018). With about 12 women per group, that's a lead for bigger studies, not proof.
How much taurine is safe?
Safety reviews have set cautious limits for supplements. A 2008 risk assessment found strong evidence of no adverse effects at supplemental intakes up to 3 g a day in healthy adults, while noting that higher amounts lacked enough data for a confident long-term conclusion (Shao and Hathcock, 2008).
Norway's Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) was more conservative in 2015. It concluded that 750 to 1,000 mg a day from supplements is unlikely to cause adverse effects in adults, but that 2,000 mg a day may pose a risk under its safety-margin method (VKM, 2015). For energy drinks, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in 2009 that taurine at typical and high regular intake levels was not a safety concern (EFSA, 2009). Energy drinks also contain caffeine, which is a separate question.
The mouse study used doses far higher per kilogram of body weight than any of these limits, so it doesn't tell you what a person should take. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting taurine, especially if you take prescription medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are under medical care.
Where does taurine fit in a healthy aging routine?
Most people who eat meat or seafood already get some taurine, and the body makes its own. The mouse and monkey results are strong enough that a proper human trial would be worth running, but until one reports, the habits with the best human evidence come first. Our guides to nutrition for healthy aging, sleep and aging and longevity supplements cover them. OPA Nutrition doesn't sell a taurine supplement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is taurine made from bull sperm?
No. That's a myth tied to the name, which comes from the Latin word for bull. The body makes taurine itself, and it's found in ordinary meat, fish and shellfish.
What does taurine do in the body?
Taurine helps form bile salts for digesting fat and takes part in calcium handling, fluid balance inside cells and nerve signaling.
Does taurine slow aging?
It extended lifespan in mice and worms in a 2023 study. In people, no trial has tested that, and newer studies question whether taurine levels fall with age at all.
What are the side effects of taurine?
Safety reviews found no consistent pattern of adverse effects in human studies at moderate supplemental amounts. Norway's VKM judged up to 1,000 mg a day unlikely to cause problems in adults.
What food is high in taurine?
Meat, fish and shellfish are the main food sources, so people who eat little or no animal food get much less taurine from their diet.
Is the taurine in energy drinks a problem?
EFSA concluded that taurine at typical energy drink intake levels isn't a safety concern. The caffeine and sugar in those drinks are separate considerations.
Sources
- Singh P, Gollapalli K, Mangiola S, et al. Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging. Science. 2023;380(6649):eabn9257. PubMed 37289866
- Fernandez ME, Bernier M, Price NL, et al. Is taurine an aging biomarker? Science. 2025;388(6751):eadl2116. PubMed 40472098
- Marcangeli V, Cefis M, Hammad R, et al. Experimental evidence against taurine deficiency as a driver of aging in humans. Aging Cell. 2025;24(10):e70191. PubMed 41061678
- Chupel MU, Minuzzi LG, Furtado G, et al. Exercise and taurine in inflammation, cognition, and peripheral markers of blood-brain barrier integrity in older women. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2018;43(7):733-741. PubMed 29474803
- Shao A, Hathcock JN. Risk assessment for the amino acids taurine, L-glutamine and L-arginine. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2008;50(3):376-399. PubMed 18325648
- VKM (Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety). Risk assessment of "other substances": Taurine. VKM Report 2015:22. vkm.no (PDF)
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food. The use of taurine and D-glucurono-γ-lactone as constituents of the so-called "energy" drinks. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(2):935. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.935; summary: EFSA news release
- Images: max pryer (featured image), Electra Studio, alleksana and César O'neill, via Pexels (free Pexels license).
Disclosure: OPA Nutrition sells supplements, including products mentioned in this article. This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before using any supplement, especially if you take medication or have a medical condition.
