I think it’s an overlooked miracle drug.
Taurine’s Interaction with GABAergic Signalling
Taurine is a β-amino sulfonic acid abundant in brain tissue and acts as a neuromodulator. It binds and activates certain subtypes of the GABA_A receptor (ionotropic inhibitory receptor) in the human/mammalian brain, although with lower potency than GABA itself — for example, EC₅₀ ≈ 116 µM for taurine vs ~3.7 µM for GABA in one study. Taurine’s activation is subunit-dependent: it preferentially activates extrasynaptic GABA_A receptors containing subunits such as α4β2δ, which mediate tonic inhibition (constant, low-level inhibition) rather than fast synaptic phasic inhibition. In the thalamus, taurine application in brain slices reduced neuronal firing and input resistance, through tonic currents via extrasynaptic GABA_A receptors — revealing its physiological modulatory role of dampening excitability.
Chronic taurine administration in animal models influences GABAergic system regulation: it increases the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, enzyme making GABA), and may shift GABA_A receptor subunit composition (β2/β3) to favour chloride influx/hyperpolarisation. Because GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, taurine’s effect via GABA_A modulation supports neuroprotective, sedative/a-anxiolytic functions rather than classic stimulant effects.
For example, researchers found that taurine may make the brain feel more “calm” rather than “wired”, which might paradoxically contribute to energy-drink “crash” phenomena when co-ingested with stimulants.
Implication: Supplementing taurine likely enhances inhibitory signalling in neural circuits by engaging GABA_A receptors (especially extrasynaptic subtypes), which can moderate excitability, may reduce jitter/over-activation, support neuroprotection, and modulate mental-state tension. But it does not act as a direct stimulant for focus/alertness in the classical sense — its primary role via GABA is dampening rather than activating.
Abbreviated Summary of Other Findings
Energy & Focus: Human trials show modest physical-endurance improvements (e.g., longer time-to-exhaustion) with taurine (1–6 g doses) mainly in exercise contexts; cognitive focus/attention benefits from taurine alone are weak or null.
Longevity & Aging: Observational human population data show higher taurine levels correlate with lower incidence of cardiovascular/metabolic disease and better health in older adults; animal data show taurine supplementation extends lifespan (~10–12 % in mice).
Safety: Taurine supplementation (commonly up to ~3 g/day) is widely well-tolerated in adults, with minimal side-effects. Caution in children, pregnancy, or high-dose long-term usage due to limited data.
Source URLs (GABA / Taurine Mechanism)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5933890/ https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1271203/full https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30892104/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6671153/ https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2008/02/scientists-close-taurines-activity-brain https://jbiomedsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1423-0127-17-S1-S14 https://journals.lww.com/nrronline/fulltext/2024/01000/emergence_of_taurine_as_a_therapeutic_agent_for.10.aspx