the blaylock wellness reportnewsletters.newsmax.com/blaylock/issues/taurine/blaylock... · 2016....

Edited by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

Blaylock Wellness ReportLiving a Long, Healthy Life

December 2016 Vol. 13, No. 12

Key Points• Taurine stimulates stem

cells that repair the brain

• As people age, the level of taurine in their bodies declines

• Stroke damage can be limited with sufficient levels of the amino acid

• Taurine increases blood flow to the brain to heal head trauma

• Many types of pain can be inhibited by taurine

• Taurine triggers insulin release to fight diabetes

• It helps protect tissues from harmful chemotherapy drugs

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• How do you stop blood clots?

• What is cerebrovascular disease?

Although most people still haven’t even heard of it, taurine is actually the most abundant amino acid in the human body, with especially high concentrations occurring in the brain, retina, and heart.

Usually, amino acids act as building blocks for proteins. But some, such as taurine, act alone to carry out many critical functions.

Unfortunately, most doctors ignore the benefits and essential nature of taurine. This oversight can lead to myriad problems for the large number of people who might benefit from supplementation with this safe and necessary amino acid.

Worse yet, they ignore it because they do not read medical literature and research that does not focus on prescription drugs, the usual clinical studies, or mainstream treatments. As a result, too many people suffer needlessly.

In this month’s newsletter, I will correct that oversight by telling you some of the impressive things researchers have learned about this simple but powerful amino acid, taurine.

Reducing Heart Attack DamageThe heart normally has a very high concentration of taurine as well

as glutamate, another amino acid that drives heart muscle contraction and regulates heart nerves. But excessive glutamate can make the heart irritable, leading to arrhythmia — abnormal heart contractions.

Taurine counteracts heart muscle excitations to prevent this from happening.

In addition, taurine increases heart muscle energy production by stimulating the mitochondria in heart tissue cells, the main sources of energy.1 When glutamate is released, taurine is released at the same time to protect against potential damage by the glutamate, should its levels get too high.

In one study of 50 people with atrial fibrillation (a common and dangerous type of arrhythmia), researchers found high levels of glutamate and taurine.2

One of the major causes of death after a heart attack is arrhythmia, which occurs because the heart is suddenly flooded with too much

Taurine: The Miracle Amino Acid

The

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oxygen as blood flow resumes in the damaged heart.In one study, researchers using an animal

model of a human heart attack demonstrated that a derivative form of taurine called taurepar completely prevented post-heart attack arrhythmias such as extrasystoles, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation.

This prevented experimental animals from dying after suffering a heart attack.3

The result was confirmed in a similar study that used a taurine-magnesium combination.4

Taurine deficiencies have been detected in people with several different types of irregular heartbeats, including premature atrial contractions (PACs), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), and atrial fibrillation.

In one study, giving 10 to 20 grams of taurine a day reduced PACs by 50 percent and prevented all PVCs.5 When arginine was added to the dosage, PACs were eliminated altogether.

Taurine reduces these arrhythmias through antioxidant action and by decreasing lipid peroxidation, both of which are major contributors to the damage that occurs from heart attacks and heart failure.

Another study found that ventricular fibrillation — a major cause of death following a heart attack — was reduced from 83 percent in untreated hearts to 36 percent in those given taurine.6

In the period following the heart vessel blockage (which precipitates heart attack), ventricular fibrillation was reduced to 16 percent.

In all such studies, lipid peroxidation within the damaged heart was dramatically reduced.

Taurine has also been shown to significantly improve the effectiveness of traditional arrhythmia prevention drugs.7

All of these studies demonstrate that taurine can improve heart muscle function and heart energy metabolism, as well as reducing heart muscle inflammation and oxidative stress — thus preventing the potentially fatal arrhythmias that occur after a heart attack.

Stimulating Memory Formation, Protecting Against Brain Aging

Like the heart, the nervous system contains very high levels of taurine, which balances excitation and inhibition of neurons.

This is not only vital for preventing brain damage, but also necessary for normal brain function and behavior.

Taurine occurs in very high concentrations during brain development, and has been shown to stimulate the neural stem cells necessary to produce neurons (brain cells) during development. 8

It is particularly important in the development of the visual areas of the cortex.9

Please note: All information presented in The Blaylock Wellness Report (including answers to reader questions) is for informational purposes only, and is not specifically applicable to any individual’s medical problem(s), concerns, and/or needs. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All information presented in The Blaylock Wellness Report should not be construed as medical consultation or instruction. You should take no action solely on the basis of this publication’s contents. Readers are advised to consult a health professional about any issue regarding their health and well-being. Any action you take on the basis of the information provided is solely at your own risk and expense. The opinions expressed in The Blaylock Wellness Report do not necessarily reflect those of Newsmax Media, Inc.

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In fact, taurine plays a major role in stimulating many types of stem cells, even in adults. These stem cells are important for brain repair, especially in older adults.10

Inflammation damages these reparative stem cells, interfering with older people’s recovery from various types of brain injury and disease. And as we age, our brains become progressively more inflamed, leading to loss of brain cells.

One of the earliest brain areas damaged by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s are the synaptic connections between neurons.

Taurine stimulates repair of these damaged synapses.11

Loss of synaptic connections is also one of the most common findings associated with brain aging.

Studies have shown that taurine deficiency can lead to memory impairment, and that supplementation can improve memory and memory retention in older animals.12

One way taurine improves memory is by stimulating what’s called long-term potentiation (LTP), which is the process that the hippocampus uses to form memories.13

Another effect of brain aging is a decrease in special brain cell receptors called GABA(A) receptors, which calm neurons by counteracting excitation caused by the amino acid glutamate.

This prevents brains cells and synapses from being damaged by excitotoxicity.

Studies have shown that taurine prevents age-related loss of GABA(A) receptors.14

It is also known that dopamine-releasing neurons in the brain play a major role in memory formation. Taurine supports their function as well.15

One of the most important ways taurine protects the brain is by reducing inflammation. It does this by forming a compound within inflammatory white blood cells called macrophages.16

The compound, called taurine chloramine, inhibits nitric oxide and reduces the inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha, both of which play a role in the damage that occurs with aging.

This anti-inflammatory effect is so powerful that some have proposed it should be used to treat autoimmune disorders, especially psoriasis, vitiligo, alopecia areata, and possibly even rheumatoid arthritis.17

Glutamate is the most abundant amino acid in the brain, but it also has the potential to cause the most damage to the brain’s cells if it is outside the cells in too high a concentration. (The concentration of glutamate inside brain cells should be 1,000 times higher than outside.)

For this reason, the brain has elaborate mechanisms to keep glutamate levels low outside of brain cells.

But sometimes these protective mechanisms fail, and the glutamate levels outside brain cells rise, leading to destruction of certain brain cells and their connections.

We call this destructive process excitotoxicity, because the brain cells become excited to the point that they die.

Considerable evidence suggests that excitotoxicity plays a role in a great number of neurological disorders, including:

• Alzheimer’s dementia• Parkinson’s disease• ALS • Huntington’s disease• Strokes• Head injuries• Brain infections (encephalitis and meningitis)• Autoimmune disorders (multiple sclerosis)

Aging Lowers Taurine LevelsAs people age, the level of taurine in their

bodies declines. As a result, organs and tissue become vulnerable to serious damage from chronic inflammatory disorders such as autoimmune diseases, latent infections, smoldering infections, and aging itself.

Chronically ill patients, especially those who require intensive care for prolonged periods, experience rapid and dramatic decrease in taurine tissue levels, which can profoundly affect their recovery.

Taurine has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antipain, and antidepressant properties, as well as enhancing mitochondrial function. All of these properties make useful it for recovering from and preventing a number of diseases.

In the brain, taurine acts as a neuromodulator, which means it balances excitation of the nervous system — vital for brain protection and healthy brain function. It also regulates the water content of cells.



Brain inflammation is a major cause of glutamate leaking out of brain cells and triggering excitotoxicity.

I coined the term immunoexcitotoxicity to describe this link between inflammation and excitotoxicity.18

Taurine can protect the brain from excess glutamate outside of cells. When glutamate receptors are activated, there is a simultaneous release of taurine into the spaces around brain cells and synpases.19

If there is not enough taurine, excitotoxicity will occur.The main source of brain

inflammation is activation of special immune cells called microglia, which are scattered throughout the brain.

Microglia are to the brain what white blood cells are to the rest of the body — they go to a source of infection to destroy the infecting agent.

In the absence of infection, microglia remain quiet, yet they are always busy sampling the fluid around brain cells and synapses to make sure glutamate levels are not too high and that no foreign organisms have entered the brain.

But these immune cells are activated easily and rapidly (within a number of seconds), and under certain circumstances can remain active for very long periods — even decades — as occurs with head injuries.20, 21

When microglia are activated, they release a number of destructive compounds, including inflammatory chemicals (cytokines, chemokines, and interferons), prostaglandins, and excitotoxins (glutamate, aspartate, and quiniolinic acid).

Microglia activation is now recognized as a major factor in a number of different neurological conditions, including:

• Neurodegenerative diseases• Strokes• Multiple sclerosis• Brain trauma• Brain infections• Brain aging Taurine can quiet microglial activation, thus

protecting the brain from these conditions.While taurine has not been adequately tested in

human cases of Alzheimer’s disease, it has been tested in animal models of the disease.

In one such study, researchers added taurine to animals’ drinking water for six weeks and found that it restored their brain function to the level of normal control mice.22

Other studies suggest that taurine may be beneficial in Alzheimer’s dementia.23

Studies of patients with Alzheimer’s have shown that those with more severe disease have higher spinal fluid levels of glutamate and aspartate, and lower levels of taurine.24

From this evidence, we can assume that supplementing such patients with taurine would benefit. More carefully conducted studies will tell us for certain.

Preventing Stroke DamageLike many other neurological

disorders, strokes damage the brain through the process of immunoexcitotoxicity.

What this means is that the part of the brain most damaged by a stroke becomes inflamed and experiences excitotoxicity.

Microglial activation occurs throughout the zone of the damaged brain, particularly surrounding the center of the stroke.

These activated immune cells trigger immunoexcitotoxicity.

At the same time, other glial cells release taurine in

Other studies suggest that taurine may be beneficial in Alzheimer’s dementia. Studies of patients with Alzheimer’s have shown that those with more severe disease have higher spinal fluid levels of glutamate and aspartate, and lower levels of taurine.

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an effort to protect the brain cells from damage.In a study that used a rat model of human stroke,

researchers found that feeding the animals taurine significantly reduced the amount of brain that was damaged by the stroke.

In addition, the animals recovered much better than untreated animals did.25

Examination of the animals that were given taurine also demonstrated significant elevation of antioxidant enzymes and other protective compounds (SOD and glutathione) in the brains, more energy (ATP) production, and reduced amounts of lipid peroxidation products.

Brain cells damaged by a stroke are not all killed — some are merely injured, and if they are protected can recover.

Unfortunately, doctors in many stroke centers do not use methods known to protect these injured brain cells. As a result, a stroke victim will be much worse off than they would have been had these special methods of protection been used.

One of the most damaging reactions that can occur after a stroke is a process called a reperfusion injury. What happens is that for a short time after a stroke occurs, a large amount of blood is channeled into the brain area of surrounding damage (referred to as the penumbra). This influx of blood exposes brain cells to high concentrations of oxygen.

Unfortunately, this makes the damage worse because enormous numbers of free radicals and lipid peroxidation products are formed.

Reperfusion injury can change a minor stroke into a major one, leaving the stroke victim with severe paralysis.

Studies have shown that taurine significantly protects injured brain cells from reperfusion damage, and greatly improves the neurological outcome and possibility of better recovery.26

By protecting these damaged — but not dead — neurons, taurine greatly reduces the area of damage in the brain. It was also shown to reduce brain swelling and lower inflammation (less interleukin in experimental animals that suffered a stroke.)

In addition, taurine reduced nitric oxide in the area, adding to the protection.27

One of the primary methods for treating a stroke is to give the patient an enzyme to dissolve the clot. While this treatment restores blood flow to that part of the brain, it also raises the risk of reperfusion damage, which can be deadly.

In an animal stroke model that used such an enzyme, researchers found that the area of the damaged brain was greatly reduced, the animal had far less neurological damage, and there was better blood flow to the damaged brain if animals were given supplemental taurine.28

Reducing Epileptic SeizuresIn both animal models and human

cases of epilepsy, there are high levels of glutamate and low levels of taurine in the hippocampus, which means that the brain is hyperexcitable.

In animal models of epilepsy, taurine has been shown to reduce seizures.

In the few studies done on humans with seizures, taurine initially reduced the incidence of seizures but over a long period the seizures returned.

There are several reasons why this may have happened. One is that

taurine is slow to enter the brain and may require higher doses taken over a longer period. In addition, many foods contain excitotoxin additives in high concentrations, which would counteract the benefits of the taurine.

Early studies suggested that in people with epilepsy, supplementing with taurine not only raised taurine levels in the spinal fluid but also lowered the high levels of glutamate. High levels of glutamate are associated with causing the seizures.

Because high levels of free radicals

and lipid peroxidation products and inflammation are all associated with seizures, things that reduce these processes, such as taurine, curcumin, luteolin, apigenin, resveratrol, hesperidin, DHA oils, magnesium, and quercetin would all reduce the risk of seizures occurring — especially if used in combination.

It is also important to avoid sugar and high glycemic foods, because hypoglycemia is a major trigger for seizures. A high intake of vegetables, avoiding red meats, and avoiding omega-6 oils will also reduce seizures.



But keeping your taurine level high by taking a daily supplement is better than trying to convince a doctor to let you have the taurine after you have a stroke.

Unfortunately, most doctors won’t even consider it, because they have never heard of this research and know nothing about taurine.

Healing Head InjuriesIt’s estimated that 1.7 million people sustain head

injuries each year in the United States alone. Of those, some 52,000 will die as a result of their

injury. Of course, a lot of attention has recently been

focused on repeated head injuries associated with contact sports — especially football — leading to a dementia-like neurodegenerative disorder called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

In the past, scientists believed that most of the

damage to the brain occurred at the time of the accident.

But newer research has shown that a great deal of the damage actually occurs after the incident, and involves a number of complex reactions within the injured brain. The principal one of these reactions is immunoexcitotoxicity.

Most research on traumatic brain injuries is done using animals exposed to controlled impact brain injury.

In this way, researchers are able to grade the injury as mild, moderate, or severe.

Such models also allow researchers to study what is going on in the brain, even on a subcellular level, after the injury occurs.

In one such study, researchers found that feeding animals taurine increased blood flow to the brain, improved energy production by mitochondria within the injured brain cells, and significantly reduced the amount of damage sustained after a head trauma.29

One of the major areas that is damaged in a head injury is the white matter, which contains the neural tracts in the brain.

Taurine has been shown to protect these neural tracts in brain-injured animals.30

When the brain is injured, there is a large buildup of inflammatory cytokines, not only in the area of direct damage, but also in the surrounding brain.

As noted, these chemicals are secreted from activated microglia, which release high levels of glutamate at the same time.

Microglia can remain activated in some brain injury cases for as long as 17 years after the incident. In such cases, the microglia would constantly release these damaging immunoexcitotoxic compounds for almost two decades.31

Taurine has been shown to lower the levels of inflammatory cytokines and improve the

A note from Dr. Blaylock: Advertisements for various supplements may appear in the newsletter or attached to the newsletter. I have nothing to do with these advertisements and do not endorse them. The only

supplements I endorse are those that I list in the newsletter. This is not to say that I object to the supplements; it’s just that I am not familiar with the supplements being advertised.

Please note that this advice is generic and not specific to any individual. You should consult with your doctor before undertaking any medical or nutritional course of action.

Taurine Prevents Hearing LossThere are many cause of hearing loss, but one of

the most devastating is sensorineural hearing loss in which there is damage to the nerves within the hearing apparatus of the ear, primarily the cochlea. This type of hearing loss is common with aging, and also affects young people who are exposed to loud music.

A recent study found that taurine could stimulate cochlear stem cells and improve their ability to survive — which means it could significantly improve the repair of damaged hearing nerves.

In animal models, it improved hearing and prevented neurodegeneration of the cochlea.

Immunoexcitotoxicity plays a major role in damage to the cochlea in hearing loss, and taurine has been shown to reduce excitotoxic damage as well as inflammation in the cochlea.


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neurological outcome of the animals following a head injury.32

It also lowers glutamate levels, inhibits microglial activation, acts as an antioxidant, inhibits inflammatory prostaglandins and nitric oxide, reduces brain swelling, protects the blood-brain barrier, and increases brain antioxidant enzymes and glutathione — all of which protects the brain from suffering greater damage.33

Counteracting Toxic SubstancesAll of us are exposed to numerous toxic substances

such as lead, mercury, aluminum, arsenic, manganese, pesticides, and even anesthetic agents — and on a daily basis.

One of the most damaging of these toxins is aluminum, which we are exposed to through vaccines. This dramatically increases levels of lipid peroxidation products and free radicals in the brain.

Aluminum also weakens the body’s protective antioxidant systems and interferes with cell energy production.

Aluminum has been shown to increase brain levels of glutamate (which causes excitotoxicity) and lower brain levels of taurine, which leads to problems with memory and learning.

In addition, aluminum reduces the levels of the protective receptors for GABA(A).

It can also activate microglia, thus triggering immunoexcitotoxicity.

Supplementing with taurine corrected all of these abnormalities, as well as improving memory and learning.34

Manganese is another major brain toxin. When it is found in high concentrations, it is associated with Parkinson’s disease.

One of the major effects of manganese is that it raises the level of an enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) that destroys acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter associated with memory.

Manganese also decreases the enzyme that forms new acetylcholine (choline acetyltransferase).

Taurine protects against manganese damage to the brain by correcting both of the defects of acetylcholine metabolism.35

Pesticide exposure is strongly correlated to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

In a recent study, researchers found that taurine could protect rats from brain damage caused by both chlorpyrifos (a commonly used organophosphate pesticide) and lead.36

Rotenone, another common pesticide that is also used to kill invasive fish in lakes and rivers, is strongly connected to Parkinson’s disease.

A recent study found that taurine, or taurine

Chelation Treats Vascular DiseaseOver the years, I have been

asked about chelation therapy for atherosclerosis, particularly in preventing heart attacks and peripheral vascular disease. The medical literature I examined was inconclusive, but most such studies were not objective. Rather, they were attempts to prove the procedure was worthless.

When I was still in practice, I was invited by an owner of a chelation clinic to review his results and tour his clinic. I found the clinic filled with patients with advanced cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease — most of whom

the medical profession had declared incurable.

The owner agreed to allow me to interview some of his patients. One man told me that before chelation treatments he had such bad angina that he couldn’t even do simple tasks around the house. But after several months of chelation, he was walking long distances and enjoying life once again.

One of the most impressive studies I read was an examination of 77 patients with calcified coronary arteries — considered a high-risk sign for heart attack — who were treated with a combination

of chelation, tetracycline, and a complex of vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids. They were then re-tested after four months of treatment. The researchers reported that angina (chest pain) was significantly reduced or disappeared in 84 percent of patients getting chelation treatment. And the calcium in their coronary arteries was significantly reduced — something traditional medicine says cannot be done.

Interestingly, the patients’ lipid profiles returned to normal, an outcome that cannot be achieved by statins.

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combined with NAC, protected against the brain-damaging effects of this pesticide.37

Taurine was also shown to protect against alcohol damage to the cerebellum, a major site of injury caused by chronic alcoholism.38

One of the most commonly used anesthetic agents is called isoflurane, which is known to cause memory and learning problems in patients after surgery.

Studies using rats exposed to isoflurane found that taurine could prevent damage to the hippocampus (where memories are created), and prevented memory loss in the animals.39

Protection of EyesLike the brain, the retina — the light-sensitive layer

of tissue in the eye — has a very high taurine level, which functions to protect these delicate neurons from damage by inflammation, free radicals, lipid peroxidation products, and excitotoxins.

Studies have shown that producing a taurine deficiency in animals can lead to destruction of the retina, with damage occurring to both photoreceptor cells (cones) and retinal ganglion cells.

These are the two most sensitive types of retinal cells to taurine deficiency.40

A particular seizure drug is known to cause severe depletion of taurine from the retina, and therefore can cause severe retinal damage.41

The same study found that taurine could prevent destruction of the retinal ganglion cells in animal models of glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa — two conditions that often lead to blindness.

Diabetes, like glaucoma, causes the formation of abnormal blood vessels in the retina that deprive it of taurine.

In animal models, supplementing with taurine protected the retina against diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma damage.42, 43

The main protective effect of taurine is blocking excitotoxicity in the retina — the principal cause of destruction of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Reduction of Nerve PainA great deal of research has demonstrated that

immunoexcitotoxicity is playing a major role in pain, especially chronic pain.

Diet: First Line of Defense Against FluOne of the illusions perpetuated

by vaccine manufacturers is that vaccines are the answer to preventing infectious diseases such as the flu. Vaccines increase antibodies against a particular strain of microorganism, but our main defense against infections is not antibodies.

Rather, cellular immunity is our primary defense against infection. These cells are the early responders to infection and do most of the killing. And vaccines can actually suppress cellular immunity.

Your main defense against infections, which can have both positive and negative effects, is diet.

Diets that include a lot of meat, especially beef, supply large

amounts of absorbable iron, which can worsen infections and increase free radical damage.

High levels of simple carbohydrates and sugar feed bacteria, suppress immunity, and stimulate free radical damage by increasing advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in tissues.

We see high levels of AGEs in people with diabetes. Diets high in sugars and simple carbohydrates are also a major cause of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

High intake of nutrient-dense vegetables (cruciferous vegetables), along with some fruits and spices can reduce one’s risk of infections.

Many of the flavonoids in

plants inhibit viral replication and therefore prevent viral infection of cells. They are also quite potent anti-inflammatories and strengthen tissue barriers to microorganism invasion.

People should eat at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. However, be warned that the fruits are high in sugars, so should be eaten only in limited amounts.

Water should be either filtered or distilled. I prefer to use a distiller that distills and also removes volatile contaminants by a carbon filter.

You can then add a capsule of magnesium citrate/malate to the water, which will reduce fluoride toxicity and reduce inflammation.

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In many painful conditions — such as the chronic pain that can follow herpes zoster (shingles) — intense inflammation and excitotoxicity is occurring within the ganglia (nerve cell clusters) and spinal nuclei that carry pain impulses.44, 45

By reducing inflammation and excitotoxicity, taurine has been shown to reduce chronic pain.

One particular form of pain that is especially overwhelming is trigeminal neuralgia, a spasmotic triggering of intense, lightening-like pain striking one side of the face.

The pain can be so intense that it has even driven people to suicide.

One study found that taurine significantly reduced pain responses in the trigeminal nucleus neurons, a site where the pain originates.46

It appears to do this by stimulating special pain-inhibiting receptors called glycine and GABA(A) receptors in the pain-regulating nucleus of this nerve. These receptors counteract excitotoxicity.

Taurine has also been shown to inhibit a number of other types of pain, and should be especially useful against diabetic neuropathy.47

Taurine Fights DiabetesDiabetes is especially damaging to the brain. Things

that improve insulin function and release of insulin improve all aspects of diabetes.

Taurine has been shown to stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas and also to improve insulin sensitivity within the tissues themselves — two important processes that are impaired in cases of diabetes.48

Mouse models of diabetes have also shown that taurine supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance (control of blood sugar).49

Diabetes is especially harmful to the brain because it suppresses major antioxidant enzymes and glutathione.

The disease also increases enzymes that destroy the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and another enzyme that forms this memory-associated neurotransmitter. This means that diabetes impairs memory and learning, especially in the elderly.

Diabetes also triggers inflammation in the brain, which taurine reduces by inhibiting microglial activation and by stimulating anti-inflammatory mechanisms as well.

It also improves the glucose transporter in the brain, which is responsible for getting glucose — fuel — into brain cells.50

Taurine has been shown to reverse all of these harmful effects of diabetes on the brain.51

Because of its effects on insulin secretion, taurine should always be taken with meals for those having reactive hypoglycemia.

Diabetics should take it on an empty stomach, at least 45 minutes before or after a meal.

Taurine Protects the Body During Chemotherapy

Most of the studies on taurine’s relation to cancer have used animal models of human types of cancer. In one study, taurine was shown to inhibit breast cancer by altering cancer cell metabolism.52

Taurine plays a more direct role in breast cancer by actually killing breast cancer cells themselves.53

Research has also shown that taurine kills colon cancer — another very common type. It appears to kill these cancer cells by stimulating a gene called the p53.

Taurine can reduce side effects — including damage to healthy organs and tissues — of commonly used chemotherapy agents.

In one study, researchers recruited 40 young adults undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.54

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, they

How to Take TaurineTaurine most often comes in a capsule with doses

of either 500 or 1,000 mg. Fortunately, it is water-soluble, which means you can avoid taking a lot of capsules by emptying the capsules in 2 to 4 ounces of filtered or distilled water.

The dose varies with the condition being treated. For maintenance, take 1,000 mg three times a day. For serious illnesses, the dose may be as high as 4 to 10 grams three times a day. If you have a 1,000 mg capsule, that would be approximately 4 to 10 capsules three times a day.

It is best absorbed on an empty stomach, but if you have reactive hypoglycemia, you might have to take it with food.

Taurine is very safe, even in large doses.



found that the patients receiving the taurine had improved function of the liver and kidneys, organs that are frequently damaged by chemotherapy. They also had less oxidative damage.

In addition, those on taurine had higher white blood cell counts, offering them better protection against infections — a major complication for leukemia patients.

A related study found taurine also dramatically reduced nausea and vomiting in leukemia patients receiving chemotherapy.55

Many chemotherapy agents cause serious damage to the intestines, a condition called mucositis.

Researchers used rats exposed to the commonly used chemotherapy agent 5-fluorouracil, which causes severe mucositis.56 They found that the animals given taurine along with the chemotherapy agent had a dramatic reduction in mucositis.

Taurine also markedly prevented 5-fluorouracil’s usual severe damage to the kidney, testis, and prostate.

Finally, taurine was also shown to dramatically protect the liver from damage from the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin.57

Taurine’s Other Beneficial EffectsOne of the most dramatic effects of taurine is liver

protection. Studies have shown that taurine protects the liver from many types of injury, such as parasitic damage.

It also lowers very low-density cholesterol, improves milder cases of hepatic cirrhosis-related brain damage (hepatic encephalopathy), protects the liver from iron overload, and reduces alcoholic liver damage.58-62

Of particular importance, taurine has been shown to protect the liver in cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (steatohepatitis) — a disorder linked to high fructose corn syrup use that has been increasing dramatically in the United States, even among the young. 63, 64

Taurine deficiency has been linked to obesity. It is also essential to muscle function and protecting muscles from inflammation and loss of muscle mass with aging.65

Taurine also reduces the inflammatory effect of abdominal fat accumulation, a major cause of many diseases.66

A number of “energy drinks” have added taurine, but

also contain very high levels of caffeine. Several deaths of young people have occurred from consuming these drinks in excess.

The question has been asked if taurine plays any part in this problem. It was concluded after examination that, in fact, taurine protected the heart from many of the harmful effects of excess caffeine.67

In my opinion, these drinks should be taken off the market as they not only adversely affect the heart, they also damage the brain. It may be that even higher doses of taurine would have been even more protective.

REFERENCES1. Vermeulen MA et al. J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2016;40(2):264-72.2. Schaffer SW et al. Amino Acids 2016;48(2):549-58.3. Takano S et al. Dis Markers 2016;2016:7650976.4. Krylova B et al. Bull Exp Med 2015;169(2):228-30.5. Zhao L et al. Drug Res 2013;63(4):185-91.6. Eby G, Halcomb WW. Med Hypothesis. 2006;67(5):1200-4.7. Chahine R, Feng J. Arzneimittelforschung 1998;48(4):360-4.8. Li P et al. Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao 1996;17(2):122-4.9. Hernandez-Benitez R et al. J Neurosci Res 2010;88:1673-81.10. Neuringer M et al. Prog Clin Biol Res 1990;351:415-22.11. Gebara E et al. Stem Cells Res 2015;14(3):369-79. 12. Shabaraj MC et al. PLoS One 2012;7(8):e42935.13. Suarez LM et al. Amino Acids 2016;48(5):1199-208.14. del Olm N et al. Eur J Neurosci 2004;19(7):1875-86.15. El Idrissi A et al. Amino Acids 2013;45(4):735-50.16. Suarez LM et al. Neuropharmacol 2014;79:101-1117. Kim BS et al. Drug Dermatol 2013;12(5):551-7.18. Kontny E et al. Inflamm Res 2006;55(10:446-55. 19. Blaylock RL Altern Ther Health Med 2008;14(6):46-53.20. Oja SS, Saransaari P. Adv Exp Med Biol 2013;775;135-43.21. Blaylock RL. Maroon J. Surg Neurol Int 2011;2:107. 22. Blaylock RL. Surg Neurol Int 2013;4:118.23. Kim HY et al. Sci Rep 2014;4:7467.24. Louzada PR et a. FASEB J 2004;18(3):511-8.25. Csernansky JG et al. Neurology 1996;46(6):1715-20.26. Zhu XY et al. Brain Res Bull 2016;124:295-305.27. Chen PC et al. Adv Exp Med Biol 2013;775:167-75.28. Sun M et al. Amino Acids 2012;42(5):1735-47. 29. Wang Q et al. Amino Acids 2016;48(9):2169-77.30. Gu Y et al. Neuroscience 2015;291:331-40.31. Ramlackhansingh AF et al. Ann Neurol 2011;70:374-83.32. Su Y et al. Neurosci 2014;266:56-65.33. Sun M et al. J Neurotrauma 2015;32(10;66-74.34. Qiao M et al. Biotechnol Lett 2015;37(8):1579-84. 35. Wenting L et al. Neurol Sci 2014;35(10):1579-84.36. Lu CL et al. Biomed Sci 2014;21:51.37. Akande MG et al. Envir Toxicol Pharmacol 2014;37(1):315-25.38. Alkhlifi FK, Albers DS. Brain Res 2015;1622:409-13.39. Taranukhin AG et al. Amino Acids 2012;431(4):1705-11.40. Zhang Y et al. Neurochem Res 2016;41(10:2517-25.41. Gaucher D et al. Amino Acids 2012;43(5):1979-93.42. Froger N et al. Adv Exp Med Biol 2013;775:69-83.43. Froger N et al. Prog Retin Eye Res 2014;41:44-63. 44. Folger N et al. PloS One 2012:7(10:e42017.45. Watanabe C et al. Neurosci Lett 2016;617:236-9. 46. Sommer C, Kress M. Neurosci Lett 2004; 361:184-187.47. Nguyen TT et al. Neural Plast 2013;2013:740581.48. Terada T et al. Can J Anaesth 2011;58(7):630-7.49. Carneiro EM et al. J Nutr Biochem 2009;20(7):503-11.50. Ribeiro RA et al. Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2009;25(4):370-9.51. Aqca CA et al. Food Chem Toxicol 2014;71:116-21.52. Javed H et al. Neurol Sci 2013;34(120:181-92.53. He YU et al. Anticancer Res 2916;36(2):533-43.54. Zhang X et al. In J Mol Med 2015;35(1):218-26.55. Islambulchilar M et al. J Cancer Ther 2015;11(2):426-32.56. Islambulchilar M et al. Amin Acids 2015;47(1):101-9.57. Al-Asmari AK et al. Human Exp Toxicol 2016;35(1):10-20.58. Nagai K et al. Anticancer Drugs 2016;27(1):17-23.59. Yu YR et al. In J Parasitol Drugs Resist 2016;6(1):35-43. 60. Murakami S et al. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2016;43(3):372-8. 61. Saito M et al. Hepatol Res 2016;46(2):215-24. 62. Zhang Z et al. Mol Med Rep 2014;10(5):2255-62. 63. Lin CJ et al. J Med Food 2015;18(12):1219-8.64. Terashima Y et al. Arch Biochem Biophys 2014;555-556:55-65. 65. Li M et al. J Nutr Biochem 2015;26(3):267-76.66. Terrill JR et al. J Physiol 2016;594(11)3095-110.67. Lin S et al. Mol Nutr Food Res 2013;57(12):2155-65.


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How Do You Treat Meniere’s?Q: My son has Meniere’s disease. He also has rheumatoid arthritis that is being treated with Humira. His physician has suggested oral magnesium. Do you think curcumin will help?

— Marion R., Fort Collins, Colo.

A: Meniere’s disease is an inner ear condition that causes dizziness and vertigo. It can be very debilitating. Magnesium is important to take, and it is critical to avoid all excitotoxin food additives and foods high in glutamate.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) will precipitate episodes, so you should avoid high-glycemic foods, which will cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash.

Arthritis worsens the condition because of the high levels of inflammation.

Curcumin, quercetin, and silymarin will help, along with the B vitamins benfotamine ( long-acting form of vitamin B1), pyridoxal-5 phosphate, and riboflavin-5-phosphate. Taurine should help as well.

Avoid omega-6 oils and increase intake of omega-3 oils.

Can Blood Clots Be Controlled?Q: My fiancee’s parents both died from blood clot complications, and an uncle and brother had heart attacks. Is there a regimen that could help her avoid blood clot problems?

— Terence S., Alexandria, Va.

A: One of the best ways to control blood clots is to increase intake of slow-release magnesium. A number of natural compounds reduce coagulation, including ginkgo biloba, omega-3 oils, vinpocetine,

and curcumin. The anticoagulation in most of these is mild to moderate. Water intake is important as well.

Can I Reduce Parkinson’s Drug?Q: I was diagnosed about three years ago with Parkinson’s disease. I am taking carbidopa. If I begin taking other supplements and eat a healthier diet, can I reduce my prescription?

— Diana S., Rainier, Ore.

A: The most important early step to take with Parkinson’s is to control your diet. This means getting a high intake of nutrient-dense vegetables, and avoiding red meats, all sources of supplemental iron, omega-6 oils, food additive excitotoxins, pesticides/herbicides, vaccines, and fluoride.

It is also important to increase intake of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA.

Take multiple B vitamins daily, as well as mixed tocopherol and tocotrienol vitamin E. Take the following dissolved in extra virgin olive oil: curcumin, quercetin, silymarin, and baicalein. Taurine and slow-release magnesium are also important.

Regular moderate exercise is also critical. This is the basic beginning.

What About Medicinal Mushrooms?Q: I know your thoughts on mushrooms and excitotoxicity. Does that apply medicinal mushrooms such as reishi, chaga, lions mane, and cordyceps? What do you think of collagen powder?

— Kristen H., Carefree, Ariz.

A: Medicinal mushrooms are used mostly for immune stimulation. If they are purified they can be

Ask Dr. BlaylockAttention Blaylock Readers:Dr. Blaylock welcomes any questions or comments you would like to share.Each month, he will select a few to be published and answered in the newsletter.Please remember that he cannot answer every question.When submitting a question or comment, please include full name, city, and state.Please e-mail the doctor at: [email protected].



useful, but I prefer beta-1,3/1,6-glucan instead, which is the active ingredient in these mushrooms.

As to your second question, I do not like protein powders because of the excitotoxicity. Collagen powders do have high levels of glutamate, so they should be avoided.

There are other alternatives to these products for joint pains, such as taurine, curcumin, quercetin, hesperidin, EGCG, omega-3 oils, luteolin, apigenin and magnesium. In combination they work even better.

What Is Cerebral Vascular Disease?Q: Two years ago, I was diagnosed with cerebral vascular disease. No-one seems to have heard of it. What is my outlook, and what should be my diet?

— Valerie F., Loughton, Essex, U.K.

A: Cerebrovascular disease is actually fairly common, and involves mostly smaller arteries. Inflammation plays a major role in this disorder.

Keeping well-hydrated is important. Omega-3 oils

will reduce the inflammation and improve blood flow in the brain. Ginkgo biloba will do the same.

Curcumin, quercetin, and magnesium all play important roles in treatment. Vitamin C will strengthen the walls of the blood vessels, which is important.

Drinking white or green tea three times a day will also reduce inflammation in the brain and blood vessels.

Will Vitamin B12 Cause Cancer?Q: I just purchased vitamin B12 lozenges, and each one is 1,000 mcg. Is this too much daily, or will it cause cancer cell growth?

— Donna T., Escondido, Calif.A: There is no known toxic dose of vitamin B12 in its natural form, such as methylcobalamin. I take 10,000 mcg a day in the sublingual form.

As far as stimulating cancer cell growth, cancer cells depend on DNA generation, which is linked to vitamin B12 and folate, but studies have not shown any link to cancer causation.

About Dr. BlaylockDr. Russell Blaylock is a nationally recognized, board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author, and

lecturer. He attended the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his internship and neurosurgical residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. For 25 years, he has practiced neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice. He recently retired from his neurosurgical duties to devote his full attention to nutritional studies and research. Dr. Blaylock has authored four books on nutrition and wellness, including “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills,” “Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life,” “Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients,” and his most recent work, “Cellular and Molecular Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorders,” edited by Anna Strunecka. An in-demand guest for radio and television programs, he lectures extensively to both lay and professional medical audiences on a variety of nutrition related subjects.

He is the 2004 recipient of the Integrity in Science Award granted by the Weston A. Price Foundation. He serves on the editorial staffs of the Surgical Neurology International and the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, official publication of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. He also serves as an assistant editor-in-chief for the journal Surgical Neurology International. He was also a lecturer for the Foundation on Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. At present, he is a reviewer for the journal Food & Chemical Toxicology and other journals.

Dr. Blaylock previously served as clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.

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