Taurine Linked to Lower Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Women struggling with high cholesterol levels may want to consider adding more taurine to their diet. According to a study published online ahead of print on February 3, 2012, in the European Journal of Nutrition, a diet high in taurine could significantly reduce their risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

Taurine is a nutrient your body biosynthesizes from your food. Foods high in taurine include red meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and milk.

Participants included 233 women with coronary heart disease and 223 controls without the disease. All of them were participants in the Women’s Health Study at New York University, where the researchers were based. Taurine serum levels were measured at the onset of the study and then once a year for two years.

After adjusting for outstanding factors, the researchers saw a 34% reduced risk of developing CHD in participants with the highest levels of serum taurine, compared to the participants with the lowest levels.

Most notably, the women with the highest total serum cholesterol levels (at least 250 mgl/mL) and the highest taurine levels saw a 61% reduced risk of CHD, compared to those with the lowest taurine levels.

Taurine has previously been linked with blood pressure regulation, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and bile acid conjugation. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or you just want a little extra boost in your taurine levels, consider adding a daily supplement of L-taurine to your diet.