Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of weight-loss diet combined with taurine supplementation on body composition and some biochemical markers in obese women: a randomized clinical trial

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Amino Acids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Taurine (Tau), an endogenous non-protein and sulfuric-amino acid, is involved in various biological pathways including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, insulin resistance inhibition, and lipid profile improvement. According to some experimental and clinical studies, insulin resistance and excess body weight are associated with reduced serum level of Tau. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate Tau supplementation and a diet-induced weight-loss intervention on body composition and some biochemical indices of obese women. Participants were divided randomly into the intervention (standard weight-loss group + cap Tau 3 g/day for 8 weeks, n = 20) and control (standard weight-loss group + cap placebo for 8 weeks, n = 18) groups. To achieve weight loss, all participants received an individualized diet that included a 30% reduction in their total energy intake. Chi-square test was applied to compare categorical variables between two groups at baseline. Paired t test and independent-sample t test were also used to analyze the parametric continuous data within and between the two groups, respectively. Analysis of covariance was run for controlling the confounding variables. At the post-intervention, the mean changes of total cholesterol (p = 0.03), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.03), leptin (p = 0. 006), total adiponectin (p = 0.04), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.03) decreased significantly in Tau group compared with the control group. No significant results were found in the mean changes of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, anthropometric measurements, glycemic indices, and liver enzymes between the two groups (p > 0.05). The findings showed that Tau supplementation along with a weight-loss diet may be more effective in improving the lipid profile and metabolic risk factors compared with a weight-loss diet alone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ALT:

Alanine transferase

AST:

Aspartate transaminase

Tau:

Taurine

FBS:

Fasting blood sugar

HOMA-IR:

Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance

TG:

Triglyceride

TC:

Total cholesterol

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

GGT:

Gamma-glutamyl transferase

hs-CRP:

High-sensitivity c-reactive protein

MCP 1:

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1

PPAR:

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α

PGC-1α:

Co-activator protein-1α

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

BMI:

Body mass index

IPAQ:

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire

WC:

Waist circumference

FM:

Fat mass

FFM:

Fat-free mass

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

ANCOVA:

Analysis of covariance

WAT:

White adipose tissue

BAT:

Brown adipose tissue

NF-κB:

Nuclear factor kappa B

IκB-α:

Inhibitory protein κB-α

C/EBP-α:

CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α

SREBP1c:

Sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1c

UCP1:

Uncoupling protein 1

AMP:

Adenosine 5-monophosphate

AMPK:

AMP-activated protein kinase

References

  • Alzubaidi NAK, Aldiwan MA (2012) The role of taurine in reducing the effects of induced hypercholestrolimia in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus). Basrah J Vet Re 11(2):182–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Batista TM, Ribeiro RA, da Silva PM, Camargo RL, Lollo PC, Boschero AC, Carneiro EM (2013) Taurine supplementation improves liver glucose control in normal protein and malnourished mice fed a high-fat diet. Mol Nutr Food Res 57(3):423–434

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Batitucci G, Brandao CFC, De Carvalho FG, Marchini JS, Pfrimer K, Ferrioli E, Cunha F, Papoti M, Terrazas SIBM, Junqueira-Franco MVM (2019) Taurine supplementation increases irisin levels after high intensity physical training in obese women. Cytokine 123:154741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bianchi VE (2018) Weight loss is a critical factor to reduce inflammation. Clin Nutr ESPEN 28:21–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonfleur ML, Borck PC, Ribeiro RA, Caetano LC, Soares GM, Carneiro EM, Balbo SL (2015) Improvement in the expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid metabolism in obese rats supplemented with taurine. Life Sci 135:15–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buonani C, Rossi FE, Diniz TA, Fortaleza AC, Viezel J, Picolo MR, Fernandes RA, Freitas Júnior IF (2019) Concurrent training and taurine improve lipid profile in postmenopausal women. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte 25(2):121–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caetano LC, Bonfleur ML, Ribeiro RA, Nardelli TR, Lubaczeuski C, Da Silva JDN, Carneiro EM, Balbo SL (2017) Taurine supplementation regulates Iκ-Bα protein expression in adipose tissue and serum IL-4 and TNF-α concentrations in MSG obesity. Eur J Nutr 56(2):705–713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camargo RL, Batista TM, Ribeiro RA, Branco RC, Da Silva PM, Izumi C, Araujo TR, Greene LJ, Boschero AC, Carneiro EM (2015) Taurine supplementation preserves hypothalamic leptin action in normal and protein-restricted mice fed on a high-fat diet. Amino Acids 47(11):2419–2435

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang YY, Chou CH, Chiu CH, Yang KT, Lin YL, Weng WL, Chen YC (2011) Preventive effects of taurine on development of hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat/cholesterol dietary habit. J Agric Food Chem 59(1):450–457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaoyue W, Fengna L, Yehui D, Qiuping G, Wenlong W, Lingyu Z, Jianzhong L, Shanping H, Wen C, Yulong Y (2019) Dietary taurine regulates free amino acid profiles and taurine metabolism in piglets with diquat-induced oxidative stress. J Funct Foods 62:103569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goc Z, Kapusta E, Formicki G, Martiniaková M, Omelka R (2019) Effect of taurine on ethanol-induced oxidative stress in mouse liver and kidney. Chin J Physiol 62(4):148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo Y-Y, Li B-Y, Peng W-Q, Guo L, Tang Q-Q (2019) Taurine-mediated browning of white adipose tissue is involved in its anti-obesity effect in mice. J Biol Chem 294(41):15014–15024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haidari F, Asadi M, Ahmadi-Angali K (2019) Evaluation of the effect of oral taurine supplementation on fasting levels of fibroblast growth factors, β-Klotho co-receptor, some biochemical indices and body composition in obese women on a weight-loss diet: a study protocol for a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Trials 20(1):315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim KS, Jang MJ, Fang S, Yoon SG, Kim IY, Seong JK, Yang HI, Hahm DH (2019) Anti-obesity effect of taurine through inhibition of adipogenesis in white fat tissue but not in brown fat tissue in a high-fat diet-induced obese mouse model. Amino Acids 51(2):245–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee S, Olsen T, Vinknes K, Refsum H, Gulseth H, Birkeland K, Drevon C (2019) Plasma sulphur-containing amino acids, physical exercise and insulin sensitivity in overweight dysglycemic and normal weight normoglycemic men. Nutrients 11(1):10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu Z, He X, Ma B, Zhang L, Li J, Jiang Y, Zhou G, Gao F (2019) Dietary taurine supplementation decreases fat synthesis by suppressing the liver X receptor α pathway and alleviates lipid accumulation in the liver of chronic heat-stressed broilers. J Sci Food Agric 99(13):5631–5637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maleki V, Mahdavi R, Hajizadeh-Sharafabad F, Alizadeh M (2020) A comprehensive insight into potential roles of taurine on metabolic variables in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Pharm Sci. https://doi.org/10.34172/PS.2020.17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milito A, Brancaccio M, D’Argenio G, Castellano I (2019) Natural sulfur-containing compounds: an alternative therapeutic strategy against liver fibrosis. Cells 8(11):1356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murakami S (2015) Role of taurine in the pathogenesis of obesity. Mol Nutr Food Res 59(7):1353–1363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murakami S (2017) The physiological and pathophysiological roles of taurine in adipose tissue in relation to obesity. Life Sci 186:80–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nandhini LP, Desai A, Sahoo J (2019) Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. Lipocrinology: the relationship between lipids and endocrine function, 1st edn. Jaypee, New Delhi, pp 73–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Naz L, Mahboob T (2017) The therapeutic effects of taurine against hepatotoxicity induced through carbon tetra chloride in rats. Int J Adv Med 1(6):11–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahmani A, Sayehmiri K, Asadollahi K, Sarokhani D, Islami F, Sarokhani M (2015) Investigation of the prevalence of obesity in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Acta Med Iran 53(10):596–607

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosa FT, Freitas EC, Deminice R, Jordao AA, Marchini JS (2014) Oxidative stress and inflammation in obesity after taurine supplementation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eur J Nutr 53(3):823–830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sak D, Erdenen F, Müderrisoglu C, Altunoglu E, Sozer V, Gungel H, Guler PA, Sak T, Uzun H (2019) The relationship between plasma taurine levels and diabetic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biomolecules 9(3):96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Softic S, Kahn CR (2019) Fatty liver disease: is it nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or obesity-associated fatty liver disease? Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 31(1):143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsuboyama-Kasaoka N, Shozawa C, Sano K, Kamei Y, Kasaoka S, Hosokawa Y, Ezaki O (2006) Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) deficiency creates a vicious circle promoting obesity. Endocrinology 147(7):3276–3284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wen C, Li F, Zhang L, Duan Y, Guo Q, Wang W, He S, Li J, Yin Y (2019) Taurine is involved in energy metabolism in muscles, adipose tissue, and the liver. Mol Nutr Food Res 63(2):1800536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • You JS, Zhao X, Kim SH, Chang KJ (2013) Positive correlation between serum taurine and adiponectin levels in high-fat diet-induced obesity rats. Taurine 8:105–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang M, Bi LF, Fang JH, Su XL, Da GL, Kuwamori T, Kagamimori S (2004) Beneficial effects of taurine on serum lipids in overweight or obese non-diabetic subjects. Amino Acids 26(3):267–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Y, Ceglarek U, Huang T, Wang T, Heianza Y, Ma W, Bray GA, Thiery J, Sacks FM, Qi L (2016) Plasma taurine, diabetes genetic predisposition, and changes of insulin sensitivity in response to weight-loss diets. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 101(10):3820–3826

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This article as a part of degree Ph.D. dissertation is drafted by Maryam Asadi. This RCT was financially supported by Nutrition and Metabolic Disease Research Center of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Grant number: NRC-9714). We hereby appreciate the participants of the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Fatemeh Haidari

  2. Diabetes Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Maryam Asadi

  3. Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Javad Mohammadi-Asl

  4. Faculty of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Kambiz Ahmadi-Angali

Authors
  1. Fatemeh Haidari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maryam Asadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Javad Mohammadi-Asl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kambiz Ahmadi-Angali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maryam Asadi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Handling editor: H. Jakubowski.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Haidari, F., Asadi, M., Mohammadi-Asl, J. et al. Effect of weight-loss diet combined with taurine supplementation on body composition and some biochemical markers in obese women: a randomized clinical trial. Amino Acids 52, 1115–1124 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-020-02876-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-020-02876-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation