Question

I’ve just been reading some new research findings from a group in Canada who have found low levels of a chemical called taurine in people with Long Covid.

I’ve checked on the internet and found that taurine is being promoted as a treatment for fatigue and that you can purchase taurine supplements quite cheaply.

Could you explain what taurine is and does in the body and whether it could be a ‘breakthrough treatment ’for people with Long Covid and ME/CFS.

Answer

Taurine is a type of chemical known as an amino sulfonic acid. It occurs naturally in the body and is present in foods such as meat, fish and eggs.

At a cellular level, taurine is involved in energy production – where it could obviously be relevant to improving energy production in Long Covid and ME/CFS.
Claims have been made that taurine supplements can be used to treat heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes – as well as fatigue. However, there is very little scientific evidence from well-conducted clinical trials to support any of these therapeutic claims. Taurine supplements, at a recommended dose, appear to be safe but they can interfere with some prescribed drugs.

While the results from this Canadian research, which has found decreased levels of taurine in some people with Long Covid, are clearly interesting they have to be regarded as being very preliminary. And it’s impossible to conclude from this research that taurine supplementation is going to be an effective treatment for Long Covid(or even ME/CFS). This would require evidence on safety and efficacy from well-controlled clinical trials where a taurine supplement is compared to a placebo/dummy pill – which is what the research group recognise and propose to do.

More information on research into taurine and Long Covid here