![]() ![]() We randomly allocated 47 patients to receive four grams of taurine, and 39 patients to receive a placebo, once a day over a 12 week period. Psychosis usually has its first onset in a person’s late teens or early twenties and affects around three out of every 100 people in their lifetime. They were taking low-dose antipsychotic medication and attending early intervention services in Melbourne. We tested the effects of taurine on 86 patients aged 18 to 25 who had experienced their first episode of psychosis. This historical evidence suggested taurine was worth investigating as a potential complementary treatment for first-episode psychosis. The effects of taurine have also been tested on patients with health conditions including depression, heart disease, diabetes, growth retardation and an eye disease called retinal degeneration. Higher levels of taurine in the frontal cortex – an area of the brain associated with cognition – of people with schizophrenia, were found to be associated with better cognitive functioning, specifically faster information processing. Taurine concentrations have been shown to be decreased in people with schizophrenia, a condition in which people experience constant symptoms of psychosis. They experienced fewer psychiatric symptoms compared to a historical comparison group who hadn’t received taurine. In the study, 22 patients undergoing treatment for alcohol withdrawal were given one gram of taurine three times a day over seven days. Humans have an estimated average intake of 40 to 400mg per day naturally in their diet.Ī study conducted in 1977 suggested taurine may help reduce severe psychiatric symptoms such as delirium, hallucinations and mental impairment. It is also used as an additive in energy drinks and baby formula and can be taken as a supplement. It has an inhibitory influence on the activity of the nervous system – the network of nerves and cells that carry signals to and from the brain.Īpart from being present throughout the body, taurine is found naturally in various foods including scallops, fish, poultry, dairy and breast milk. ![]() Taurine helps protect the brain from inflammation, toxins and protein deficiencies. It has various functions, including aiding the function of the brain and cardiovascular system, made up of the heart and blood vessels. Taurine is an important compound that naturally occurs in the body. Because of this, complementary treatment options are greatly needed. ![]() We found no difference in cognitive function between the group given taurine and placebo.īut taurine was found to be both safe and well tolerated.Īntipsychotic medication is the first line treatment for psychosis, but it is not always effective, with a proportion of patients experiencing ongoing symptoms or unwanted side effects. People experiencing psychosis commonly have impairments in cognitive function including reduced concentration, memory, and problem solving ability. People given taurine also showed improvement in depression symptoms and overall social and occupational functioning. Our results showed people given taurine had significantly improved overall mental health symptoms, including those of psychosis, compared to those given placebo. The most notable is a loss of contact with reality where someone perceives things that are not real (known as hallucinations) or holds beliefs not based in reality (known as delusions). In our recent study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, we tested whether supplementing standard treatment with taurine would improve cognition and other mental health symptoms in young people who had experienced their first psychotic episode.Ī psychotic episode is an episode of psychosis, an umbrella term that represents a range of severe mental health symptoms. from Ī compound found in many foods and energy drinks can decrease symptoms of depression and psychosis, which is where the person loses contact with reality. People given taurine had significantly improved overall mental health symptoms. ![]()
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