Best Taurine Supplement 2023

The best taurine supplements around can give your training the additional boost it needs to help you hit PBs in the gym.

You may have seen taurine listed as an ingredient in your favourite energy drink before. However, what you may not know is how important this naturally occurring amino acid is to your body, or what potential health benefits it offers, just like some of the best multivitamins around.

For example, taurine has been linked to improving heart health and having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. That said, taurine is perhaps best known for its potential to boost your energy levels and exercise performance, one of the reasons why tuna, which contains taurine, is considered good for muscle growth.

As a result, taurine is sometimes used as an alternative to some of the best pre-workouts on the market, especially when consumed in energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster.

So, if you're looking to supplement your taurine intake, then we're here to help kick off your search. We've put together a list of top picks based on their specific ingredients, customer reviews, and any other features that we think make these particular supplements worth considering.

From standout taurine capsules, like these Nutricost tablets, to powdered alternatives, like Primaforce's Unflavoured Taurine, our list has you covered. So, without further delay, let's get into it...

Best taurine supplement

1. Nutricost Taurine Capsules
2. Primaforce Unflavoured Taurine
3. NOW Supplements Taurine Capsules
4. Horbäach Taurine Capsules
5. Solgar Taurine Vegetable Capsules

Credit: Nutricost

1. Nutricost Taurine

Best taurine supplement capsules

Nutricost boasts an impressive array of supplements, but among the brand's products, its taurine capsules stand out from the crowd.

Containing a substantial 400 tablets per container, each carrying 1,000mg of taurine, this offering is perfect for those aiming to significantly boost their daily taurine intake.

What distinguishes Nutricost is its dedication to accommodating various dietary preferences. Their taurine capsules are gluten-free, undergo rigorous third-party testing, and are entirely free of GMO ingredients. These attributes make it an accessible supplement for a broader range of people, ensuring that more individuals can seamlessly integrate it into their dietary routine.

For anyone seeking a hassle-free and effective method to augment their taurine levels, Nutricost's Taurine Capsules stand out as an excellent solution.

• Read More: Best protein powders

Credit: Primaforce

2. Primaforce Unflavoured Taurine

Best powdered taurine supplement

Taurine supplements don't just come as tablets. They also come in powdered form, providing greater versatility in how you consume it. Primaforce's Taurine powder is a great option for this, offering an unflavored blend containing 1,400mg of taurine, which can be easily mixed with a variety of beverages.

You could mix it, for example, into your pre-workout shake alongside your best EAA supplement so you're ready to exercise. Alternatively, it can be taken with water after your workout to aid in hydration. The potential uses for this product are nearly limitless.

This 250g container of Primaforce's Taurine powder provides a generous 178 servings, allowing ample opportunity to explore the benefits of taurine and determine its suitability for your diet. Ultimately, it's definitely worth considering adding to your supplement collection.

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Credit: NOW Supplements

3. NOW Supplements Taurine Capsules

Best budget taurine supplement

NOW Supplements has been previously recognised in our list of the best vitamin B12 supplements for its extensive range of high-quality and inexpensive vitamin and mineral capsules.

One such product in and amongst its impressive range is the NOW Supplements Taurine Capsules, which provides 500mg of taurine per tablet.

Notably, these capsules are non-GMO and suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. The ingredients are minimal, with taurine bound together using rice flour and hypromellose.

So, if you follow a plant-based diet and have been searching for a suitable taurine supplement, NOW Supplements offers a promising option to consider.

• Read More: Best BCAA supplements

Credit: Horbäach

4. Horbäach Taurine Capsules

Best extra strong taurine supplement

Horbäach is known for its extra strong dietary capsules which include these taurine tablets.

Per serving, you get an impressive 1,500mg of taurine to seriously boost your intake. However, Horbäach recommends three capsules per serving. So, if you'd rather slightly less taurine, then there's always the option to consume only one or two a day as well.

Horbäach also boasts its capsules are designed to quickly release the taurine so your body can begin to absorb and use the nutrients instantly in preparation for your workout.

It's worth mentioning as well that the tablets are free from gluten, wheat, soy, milk, lactose, artificial flavours, and preservatives. They also contain no GMO ingredients, meaning Horbäach's Taurine Capsules tick a lot of boxes in our books.

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Credit: Solgar

5. Solgar Taurine Vegetable Capsules

Best vegan taurine supplement

Our final addition to our list of the best taurine supplements is Solgar's vegan tablets, each offering a generous 500mg dose of taurine in a conveniently small capsule.

Solgar has wisely chosen to use free-form taurine as the key ingredient in this product. This decision is intended to optimise absorption and assimilation, ultimately delivering the best possible results.

What sets these taurine capsules apart is their broad dietary compatibility. Not only are they suitable for vegans, but they also adhere to the requirements of both kosher and halal diets. Additionally, they are entirely free from gluten, wheat, and dairy, ensuring that they accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions.

Ultimately, the versatility of Solgar's Taurine Capsules makes them an excellent choice, designed to cater to a wide range of dietary preferences and restrictions.

• Read More: Best vegan protein powders

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Getting your head around what supplements to take can be quite tricky at times. Don't worry though because we've answered some of the most frequently asked questions about taurine to help get you started.

What does taurine do?

Taurine is a natural sulphur-containing amino acid found predominately in excitatory tissues, such as your heart, brain, retina, and skeletal muscles.

Its primary functions include regulating your hydration and electrolyte balance, forming bile salts, regulating minerals like calcium within your cells, supporting your central nervous system, and managing immune system health.

With this in mind, why take it as a supplement? Well, taurine has been linked to improving your heart health. One review by Yan-Jun Xu et al. found a wealth of experimental information to suggest that taurine could be beneficial against cardiovascular disease.

Moreover, studies have found a connection between taurine and fighting diabetes due to its possible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

A study by Inam-U-Llah et al., in particular, supports this theory. Taurine treatment was found to perform well against oxidative stress in the brain, increased the secretion of desired hormones, and protected against neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy in diabetes compared to the control group.

However, what people often associate taurine with is its potential to boost your energy levels and exercise performance.

A review of 19 studies by Kurtz et al. found taurine was linked to an increase in oxygen uptake, an increase in time to fatigue and recover, reduced muscle damage, and improved overall power during exercise, thus demonstrating its possible influence on athletic performance.

How much taurine do you need?

There's not really an agreed-upon amount of taurine you should consume, although it's thought most people consume somewhere around 400mg as part of their everyday diet.

Taurine is said to be relatively safe though, with the European Food Safety Authority suggesting you should be safe to take up to 6g per day if you desire.

Therefore, choosing how much taurine to add to your diet really comes down to personal preference. Be warned though that taurine is found naturally in some of the best foods for protein like meat, fish, and dairy products, so you'll likely be consuming some taurine already as part of your diet if you're looking to supplement as well.

Should taurine be taken on an empty stomach?

There is no strict requirement dictating whether taurine should be consumed on an empty stomach or with food.

Nonetheless, opting to take taurine supplements on an empty stomach may prove advantageous since taurine is an amino acid, and amino acids might be better absorbed when there is less competition in the stomach. However, if you encounter discomfort when taking taurine on an empty stomach, it might be best to consume it alongside a meal to minimise the likelihood of experiencing any adverse effects.

It's worth noting though that there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that taking taurine on an empty stomach is more effective than taking it alongside food. Prior to initiating any supplement regimen, it is crucial to adhere to recommended dosages and consult with a healthcare professional for guidance.

Can taurine slow ageing?

Ageing is a complex biological process influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors, so determining whether one individual amino acid can slow the rate of ageing is difficult to assess.

However, a recent study by Singh et al., which included over 50 researchers and is said to have been 10 years in the making, looked into whether taurine deficiency is a driver of ageing and, as a result, crucial in slowing the ageing process. To bridge this gap in knowledge, studies were undertaken to test taurine in the bloodstream throughout the ageing process. Additionally, the impact of taurine supplementation on both the health span and life span of multiple species was examined.

The results show much promise. For example, taurine-fed mice of both sexes survived longer than the control mice, with the median lifespan increasing by around 10 to 12%, and life expectancy at 28 months increased by about 18 to 25%. What's more, taurine-fed middle-aged mice saw improved functioning of bone, muscle, pancreas, brain, fat, gut, and immune system, suggesting an overall increase in health span. Similar effects were also found in monkeys and multicellular worms, although the life span of unicellular yeast showed no replicative effects.

The results also went on to show positive effects on several other key ageing factors. For example, taurine was found to reduce cellular senescence, protect against telomerase deficiency, suppress mitochondrial dysfunction, decrease DNA damage, and attenuate inflammation.

This all seems very promising. However, human supplementation has not yet been directly tested, so it's unclear whether the same effects apply. Also, the severing in most taurine supplements is way beyond the amounts used in these trials, which means it's even more unclear how much taurine humans actually need to potentially slow the ageing process. But, the research concludes with "human trials are warranted to examine whether taurine supplementation increases healthy life span in humans," so, we may gain more insight into taurine soon.

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