Study Links Taurine in Energy Drinks to Increased Leukemia Risk

Rochester, New York — A recent study has linked taurine, a common ingredient in energy drinks, to the progression of leukemia, raising concerns among researchers and healthcare professionals regarding its consumption.

The amino acid taurine, found naturally in foods like meat and fish, is often added to energy drinks such as Red Bull and Celsius for its perceived health benefits. However, researchers at the University of Rochester have found that taurine can act as fuel for leukemia cells, contributing to disease progression.

The study, published in the journal Nature, indicates that taurine supplementation could significantly accelerate disease progression. In experiments involving mice, researchers discovered that leukemia cells thrive on taurine, which fuels glycolysis, a process that breaks down glucose for energy, further worsening cancer growth.

“Taurine can be used by leukemia cells to promote growth,” said Jeevisha Bajaj, PhD, a member of the research team. “Developing new methods to block the cancer cells’ ability to take in taurine may improve outcomes for leukemia patients.”

As energy drinks proliferate across supermarkets, scientists urge caution. They suggest that leukemia patients consult with healthcare providers before consuming such products, given the potential risks associated with taurine. While taurine has been touted for its possible benefits in alleviating chemotherapy side effects, this study highlights the need to reconsider its use in patients already battling blood cancer.

The researchers emphasize that further studies will investigate taurine’s levels in human leukemia cases, following their findings in mice, which indicated elevated taurine levels in the bone marrow of leukemia-affected subjects compared to healthy controls.

Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical contributor, pointed out that excessive taurine from energy drinks could potentially fuel leukemia cells, stressing the importance of further research to determine effective ways to impede taurine uptake by these malignant cells.

“Our findings suggest that it would be helpful to develop ways to block taurine from entering leukemia cells,” Bajaj concluded.