Specialties & Diseases > Oncology & Hematology

This 'energizing' supplement increases leukemia risk

By MDLinx staff

Published May 19, 2025

Key Takeaways

Industry Buzz

"While taurine is common in energy drinks and pre-workouts, this is a reminder that 'natural' doesn’t always mean harmless—especially for people with underlying health conditions." — Tracy Hockenberry, functional nutrition coach

Taurine shows up everywhere these days. It’s in energy drinks. It’s sold in capsules as a “longevity molecule.” It’s even used in cancer care settings to help patients tolerate chemotherapy.

But new research is raising concerns that this common amino acid supplement may be doing more harm than good, particularly when it comes to leukemia.

In a recent Nature study, researchers from the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute found that taurine can actively support the growth of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Human samples and mouse models showed that leukemia cells absorb taurine via the SLC6A6 transporter, using it to ramp up glycolysis—essentially fueling their own growth.^[] When researchers blocked taurine uptake, disease progression slowed.

From chemo support to cancer risk?

We first covered this mechanism at MDLinx, when earlier data began pointing to taurine’s role in cancer metabolism. But this latest research pushes it into clearer territory—and complicates the idea that taurine is a benign or even beneficial supplement in cancer care.

“Since taurine is a common ingredient in energy drinks and is often provided as a supplement to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy,” the authors wrote, “our work suggests that it may be of interest to carefully consider the benefits of supplemental taurine in leukemia patients.”^[]

Jane Liesveld, MD, a Wilmot oncologist and co-author of the study, put it more bluntly: “Dr. Bajaj’s work shows that local levels of taurine in bone marrow may enhance leukemia growth, suggesting caution in use of high-dose taurine supplementation.”^[]

Patients are drinking—and dosing—it daily

Taurine isn’t only taken in supplement form. It’s a staple in many energy drinks, often delivering 1–2 grams per can. Patients drink them like water, assuming they’re harmless—or healthier than soda. And because they don’t think of energy drinks as supplements, they rarely mention them in clinic.

That’s a problem. Most patients (and more than a few doctors) are unaware that taurine is doing more than boosting energy. It may be giving cancer cells a leg up. And while this study focused on AML, the researchers are already exploring taurine’s impact in other cancers, including colorectal.

What does this mean in practice?

If you haven’t asked about taurine lately, now’s the time—whether it’s from a bottle, a preworkout packet, or a brightly colored can. Because while it may still have therapeutic roles in certain settings, the days of thinking of taurine as a harmless, feel-good additive may be numbered.

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