Taurine and four other beef nutrients for human health
What it found
Taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline are abundant in beef and have many roles in the body.
The paper says these nutrients support muscles, nerves, the heart, the immune system and healthy ageing.
What they found
Studies in people
Taurine supplements in people
Taking 0.4 to 6 g of taurine a day improved blood metabolic profiles and cardiovascular function in healthy people and in patients with overweight, diabetes, hypertension or heart failure. In people with chronic liver disease, 2 g a day for 4 weeks reduced the frequency, duration and intensity of muscle cramps.
Taurine and endurance
A meta-analysis of adults taking 1 to 6 g of taurine a day in single doses for up to 2 weeks found that taurine improved overall endurance performance. The authors also describe taurine as a potential aid for preventing muscle damage and lowering oxidative stress with endurance exercise.
Animal and lab studies
Taurine in animals and cells
In diabetic rats, taurine supplementation prevented cardiomyopathy and reduced oxidative stress. In lab studies, taurine protected brain cells from damage by reactive oxygen species, excess metals such as nickel and manganese, and ammonia.
Studies in people and animals
Taurine and eye damage
A lack of dietary taurine led to retinal degeneration in cats and in children, which was corrected with taurine supplements. Infants and children do not make enough taurine on their own even when their diets provide the building blocks.
Other findings
Where taurine is found
Taurine is present in all mammalian and avian tissues, including blood, intestine, liver, skeletal muscle, heart, brain, kidneys and retina. A 70-kg person holds about 70 g of taurine, with about 70% stored in skeletal muscle.
Taurine in beef and plants
Taurine, carnosine, anserine and creatine are absent from all plants tested, including corn, peanuts, potatoes, soybeans, wheat flour and white rice. The authors say vegetarians are at greater risk of falling short on these nutrients, especially if they exercise.
What the authors conclude
“Red meat (including beef) is a functional food for optimizing human growth, development and health.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline are beneficial for preventing and treating obesity, cardiovascular dysfunction and ageing-related disorders.
- They state that these nutrients may also help the immune system fight infections by bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, including coronavirus.
- They describe red meat, including beef, as a functional food for optimising human growth, development and health.
How it was done
The authors say beef consumption has fallen amid concerns that red meat raises the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer and Alzheimer's disease. They wanted to give the public accurate information about the beneficial nutrients in animal-source foods like beef.
The authors reviewed published studies on taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in people and in animal models. They also measured these five nutrients in chuck, round and loin cuts from beef carcasses at three commercial packing plants in the United States.
What it can’t tell you
- This is a review of other studies, not a new experiment, so it cannot prove that these nutrients cause the health effects described.
- Many of the findings come from animals or cells, which cannot show what happens in people.
- The review does not settle how much of each nutrient a person needs or how much beef is best to eat.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The author declares no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Texas A&M University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Important roles of dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in human nutrition and health
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Wu G (2020). Important roles of dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in human nutrition and health. Amino acids. doi:10.1007/s00726-020-02823-6Free full textPubMed 32072297DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error