In a recent study published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes , researchers meta-analyzed randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to assess the impact of taurine supplementation on metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related variables. MetS is an international health problem defined by abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) values. The condition raises the risk of cardiovascular disorders, diabetes mellitus type 2, and stroke.
Studies identify taurine as a probable MetS treatment agent due to taurine's involvement in mitochondrial function, osmoregulation, cell membrane integrity, antioxidative defense, and cation balance regulation. However, the conflicting results make it difficult to evaluate whether taurine lowers MetS risk. Study: Taurine reduces the risk for metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials .
Image Credit: M.Photografer / Shutterstock In the present meta-analysis, researchers performed meta-regressions on taurine's impact on MetS parameters, indicating its efficacy in reducing risk factors in the general population. The researchers examined the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.
gov, and Web of Science databases for records published until 1 December 2023. The study focused on known metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria, such as diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), HDL, and triglycerides. T.
