amino acid · for high blood pressure
Taurine
Seems to help blood vessels relax and widen, which takes pressure off the system.
Say that in clinical terms
Taurine is thought to lower blood pressure by improving how well blood vessels relax (endothelial function), reducing vascular resistance, and modulating sodium/calcium handling in vascular smooth muscle and the kidney.
How strong is the research?
Strong evidence
3 papers read, 3 supporting.
Tested as: oral taurine powder/capsules, 1.6-2.4 g/day, no special form specified (not a manufacturer-branded taurine ingredient)
How much to take
1600–2400 mg
Before you take it
- No NIH ODS Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for taurine; the NIH ODS does not publish a taurine fact sheet.
- EFSA (2012, EFSA Journal 10:2736) assessed supplemental taurine and concluded that doses up to 6,000 mg/day appear tolerable in healthy adults; this is a scientific opinion, not a regulatory UL.
- A commonly cited informal proposed safe upper level is 3,000 mg/day referenced in various safety assessments; this is not an IOM/NAS regulatory threshold.
- Lithium interaction: taurine may inhibit renal tubular clearance of lithium, potentially elevating serum lithium to toxic levels; patients on lithium therapy should consult a prescriber before supplementing taurine.
- Pregnancy and lactation: safety of supplemental taurine at doses above normal dietary intake has not been adequately studied; conservative guidance advises caution despite taurine being naturally present in human breast milk.
- Taurine is generally well-tolerated at clinical doses of 1,000–6,000 mg/day; no serious adverse events were reported in published RCTs or major safety assessments.