Summary
- What is taurine? Taurine plays many functions in our bodies and in those of dogs and cats, but there is generally no need to supplement with taurine because it is produced in the body from other nutrients in the diet (See What It Is).
- Do taurine supplements help? Diets that do not provide nutrients needed to produce taurine or taurine itself, can lead to taurine deficiency. This is most likely to occur among vegetarians and pets fed non-conventional diets. Taurine supplementation can help reverse deficiency. In addition, it may be helpful in people with congestive heart failure or liver disease and in dogs and cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition often linked to diet and taurine deficiency (See What It Does).
- What did CL's tests of taurine supplements find? ConsumerLab.com found no problems with the quality of a selection of taurine products sold in the U.S., but there were large differences in the cost to obtain taurine. The cost to get 500 mg of taurine ranged from just 1 cent to 18 cents in supplements for people. The cost was even higher (up to 49 cents) with pet formulations (See What CL Found).
- Top Picks for taurine — Among the products Approved in testing, Top Picks that provide the best value and convenience were selected for people as well as for pets.
- How much taurine should I take and when? Taurine is typically taken at a dose of 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg (1 to 2 grams) twice or three times daily. For pets, the dose depends on the weight of the animal and ranges from 250 mg to 1,000 mg twice daily (See What to Consider When Using).
- Safety and side effects of taurine? Taurine is generally considered to be safe as a supplement at moderate doses but may modestly reduce blood pressure (see Concerns and Cautions).
