Amino Acid Taurine Balances Blood Sugar in Animal Study

By VRP Staff

Researchers have uncovered some of the possible mechanisms by which the amino acid taurine supports healthy blood sugar levels.

In humans, taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is involved in the control of blood sugar balance. However, the mechanisms by which the amino acid affects blood glucose levels have until now remained unknown. Consequently, scientists used an animal model to study these mechanisms.

The study authors gave mice taurine for 30 days and then assessed blood glucose balance by using a glucose tolerance test. They also studied taurine’s effects on the function of islet cells, the cells in the pancreas that control insulin secretion.

Islets from taurine-supplemented mice had significantly higher insulin content. In addition, during the glucose tolerance test, the animals given taurine experienced increased insulin secretion and increased glucose metabolism and the expression of genes involved in blood sugar control was increased. Moreover, taurine supplementation significantly improved insulin metabolism in skeletal muscle and liver tissues through its effects on insulin receptors. Taurine-supplemented mice also showed an improvement on the glucose tolerance test and experienced a greater degree of insulin sensitivity. During pre-diabetes, the body becomes less sensitive to the effects of insulin. When this happens, after exposure to a glucose load, more and more insulin is needed to lower blood sugar. Increasing insulin sensitivity is therefore an important part of blood sugar control.

According to the researchers, “These results indicate that taurine controls glucose homeostasis by regulating the expression of genes required for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In addition, taurine enhances peripheral insulin sensitivity.”

Reference:
Carneiro EM, Latorraca MQ, Araujo E, Beltrá M, Oliveras MJ, Navarro M, Berná G, Bedoya FJ, Velloso LA, Soria B, Martín F. Taurine supplementation modulates glucose homeostasis and islet function. J Nutr Biochem. 2008 Aug 15. Published online ahead of print.

Taurine is available both as a stand-alone supplement and is found in Optimum D, a multivitamin formulated for people with blood sugar concerns.