Taurine is one of my favorite prescriptions for perimenopause, menopause, sleep, mood, insulin resistance, and migraine prevention.
Taurine is an amino acid, but unlike most amino acids, it does not form protein. Instead, taurine has direct beneficial effects on the liver, brain, mitochondria, immune system, and nervous system. Taurine is so important that it makes up about 0.1 percent of total body weight.
Taurine is classified as semi-essential (or conditionally essential) because it can be made from methionine and cysteine. However, the rate of taurine synthesis is very low in humans so, for optimal health, taurine should also be consumed from animal foods such as meat, dairy, and fish. A common omnivore food provides about 400 mg of taurineand there is no taurine in plant foods.
👉🏽 Tip: Dietary or supplementary taurine is more important for women because Estrogen slows taurine biosynthesis.
Benefits of taurine for women’s health
Calms the brain and relieves anxiety
Taurine is a relaxing neurotransmitter similar in structure to glycine and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), two important calming neurotransmitters.
By interacting with GABA receptors, taurine helps support beneficial “GABAergic” tone or overall GABA activity, thereby improving sleep, migraine prevention, and relaxation of premenstrual and perimenopausal mood symptoms. And if you’re wondering why taurine is in energy drinks, it’s included to calm the nervous system and moderate the stimulating effects of caffeine.
👉🏽Tip: Taurine’s benefits for GABA and insulin make it particularly helpful for perimenopause and menopause hot flashes.
Improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic health
Taurine promotes healthy insulin sensitivity by supporting mitochondria and preventing harmful overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Along with magnesium, taurine can reduce inflammation, suppress appetite, and prevent obesity.
Supports healthy estrogen metabolism or detoxification
By supporting the healthy formation of bile acids, taurine can prevent gallstones and promote healthy detoxification of estrogen by the liver and intestines.
Aging can be slow
By reducing oxidative stress and maintaining mitochondrial function, taurine has been found improve aging-related biomarkers in humans and slow aging in animals. “Whatever we examined,” said a researcher“Taurine-supplemented animals were healthier and looked younger than controls. Taurine made them live healthier and longer lives because it affected all the main signs of aging.
Builds muscle and bone
Finally, by supporting healthy muscles, taurine can help to prevent osteoporosis. That’s because the The biology of bone and muscle are closely related.
How to add taurine
The therapeutic dose of taurine is 500 to 3000 mg and works best when taken with magnesium, another important nutrient for mood, mitochondria, and insulin sensitivity. I usually prescribe magnesium glycinate powder with 3000 mg of taurine. Magnesium taurate (a magnesium salt of taurine) is another option.
Is taurine safe with sulfur allergy?
“Sulfur allergy” is usually an allergy to sulfonamides (sulfa drugs) or a sensitivity to sulfites, usually in processed foods and alcohol. It is impossible to have an allergy to sulfur, the element found in taurine.
For more on taurine, check out my book Hormone repair manual: every woman’s guide to healthy hormones after 40.
