Taurine is an amino acid that serves many functions in the body. Your body makes some of the taurine it needs for these processes, but there may be health benefits to consuming more in your diet.
Most animal products and byproducts contain taurine, like meat, fish, and dairy. It’s also available as a supplement, which studies show may help people manage certain conditions or diseases.
Energy drinks often include taurine as well, but are not a great source. These drinks are usually high in sugar and contain other ingredients that can be harmful in high amounts.
Why You Need Taurine
Your body makes much of the taurine it needs, but you need more from your diet to support the amino acid (organic compounds that make proteins) functions.
These processes include:
- Maintaining your body’s electrolyte balance and proper hydration
- Regulating the central nervous system
- Supporting eye and vision health
- Protecting and maintaining cells around your body
Research shows that getting extra in our diet may have other health benefits, however, and may be required for people with some health conditions.
On average, most people consume about 400 milligrams of taurine per day in their diet. Studies that point to potential health benefits require much higher doses and show that getting up to 3,000 milligrams per day is safe.
Adding more taurine to your diet can have health benefits like:
Lower Risk of Diabetes
Taurine plays a role in regulating your blood sugar levels. Its effect can help lower high blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance, both of which are risk factors of diabetes.
While more research is needed, maintaining high taurine levels may reduce your risk of developing diabetes and help manage the disease's symptoms.
Supporting Heart Health
While research is ongoing, it shows that taurine helps maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.
Studies indicate that taurine can manage cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which are fats in our blood that can block arteries and contribute to heart disease. It may also reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness, which are risk factors for heart problems.
Increasing Muscle Endurance
As an antioxidant, taurine helps protect your muscles from cell damage.
More research is needed, but studies suggest that taurine’s effects can reduce muscle fatigue, soreness, and damage during and after exercise.
It may even boost the amount of fat burned during exercise.
Foods With Taurine
The main taurine sources are meat, dairy, fish — and studies show cooking food doesn’t affect a food's taurine content.
Because there are few plant-based foods containing taurine, people who are vegetarian and vegan may require a taurine supplement to meet their desired daily intake. Talk to your doctor about whether more taurine in your diet would benefit your health and how you should take it.
The best natural sources of taurine include:
- Scallops
Shellfish have some of the highest taurine content, especially scallops. Whether you cook them or eat them raw, 100 grams of scallops can have up to 827 milligrams of taurine. Other good options include clams at 520 milligrams and mussels at up to 655 milligrams for the same portion. - Tuna
Whether you get it fresh or from a can, tuna is an excellent source of taurine. Though when choosing your fish, darker meat is richer in amino acids than white meat. Some varieties — like Yellowfin tuna — contain up to 964 milligrams per 100 grams, while other marine fish have high levels as well. Try cod for its 120 milligrams or salmon with 94 milligrams of taurine per serving. - Tilapia
Freshwater fish are high in taurine as well. Tilapia’s dark muscle has about 972 milligrams for a 150-gram filet, while the white meat has less than 120 milligrams. There’s also the dark meat from carp with 868 milligrams and catfish with almost 700 milligrams for the same serving. - Octopus
Octopus contains about 335 milligrams per three-ounce portion. Depending on your taste, squid has potent levels as well, with 219 milligrams for the same serving. - Turkey
With up to 306 milligrams per 100 grams, turkey has the highest taurine content of any animal meat. But like fish, the meat you choose matters. Only dark turkey meat has these high amounts, while light meat has just 30 milligrams. - Chicken
You can add chicken to almost any recipe — and with it, about 170 milligrams of taurine to your meal. However, as with turkey, go for the dark meat for the taurine benefits. Light meat like chicken breast has only 18 milligrams of taurine per 100 grams compared to cuts like chicken thighs. - Seaweed
Because most taurine sources are from animals, seaweed is an excellent option for people on a plant-based diet. Nori, the papery-like seaweed product used in making sushi, has up to 1,300 milligrams of taurine per 100 grams. While we don’t eat that much in a single sitting, sprinkling a sheet of nori into a dish or eating it with sushi can add about 40 milligrams of taurine to your meal. - Beef
Beef is rich in nutrients and amino acids, including taurine. While a high intake of red meats is linked to greater rates of chronic diseases, most people can have two to three servings a week without much risk. With these servings, you’ll add about 40 milligrams of taurine to your meal.