These findings have provided impetus for the use of taurine in infant formula, nutritional supplements and energy drinks. Because taurine regulates fundamental events in the cell, while altering the balance between life and death, interest in taurine’s physiological functions has grown. Although taurine possesses many functions in mammals, its cytoprotective actions have attracted the most attention, as they dramatically alter the health and nutritional status of various species. Taurine is a β-amino acid found in very high concentration in most cells, with levels particularly high in excitable tissues. The review also addresses the functions of taurine (regulation of antioxidation, energy metabolism, gene expression, ER stress, neuromodulation, quality control and calcium homeostasis) underlying these therapeutic actions. In addition, taurine is extremely effective in the treatment of the mitochondrial disease, mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), and offers a new approach for the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, and inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis. The present review summarizes studies supporting a role of taurine in the treatment of diseases of muscle, the central nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. Today, taurine has been approved for the treatment of congestive heart failure in Japan and shows promise in the treatment of several other diseases. The discovery that taurine is an effective therapy against congestive heart failure led to the study of taurine as a therapeutic agent against other disease conditions. These findings have spurred interest in the potential use of taurine as a therapeutic agent. In some species, taurine is an essential nutrient but in man it is considered a semi-essential nutrient, although cells lacking taurine show major pathology. Taurine is an abundant, β-amino acid with diverse cytoprotective activity.

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