An ingredient in popular energy drinks may increase the risk of blood cancers, a study suggests.
Researchers in New York are warning consumers to exercise ‘caution’ when it comes to consuming taurine, found in energy drinks including Red Bull and Celsius.
They found for the first time that the amino acid acts as fuel for leukemia cancer cells which form in bone marrow, a spongy substance found in the center of bones.
Taurine is produced naturally in the body, and it’s been used as a supplement to curb chemotherapy side effects in leukemia patients.
But consuming extra amounts could make blood cancer more aggressive, the team of experts hailing from the University of Rochester warn.
‘Since taurine is a common ingredient in energy drinks… our work suggests that it may be of interest to carefully consider the [risks and] benefits of supplemental taurine in leukemia patients,’ the study says.
They also said while the research is still early, they are ‘very excited’ because targeting taurine production from leukemia cells ‘may be a possible avenue for treatment of these aggressive diseases.’
In an experiment on mice and human leukemia cells, the researchers found stopping taurine from entering cells could slow the progression of the disease.
The study, published in the journal Nature, comes as additional research works to understand if taurine could fuel other forms of cancer like colorectal cancer.
Researchers in New York found taurine, an ingredient in energy drinks, could fuel the growth of leukemia cells (stock image)
Taurine is an non-essential amino acid found naturally in the bone marrow, brain, heart and muscles. It’s also found in meat and fish and is used in certain beverages to energize cells and boost mental clarity.
It’s thought to help regulate the amount of calcium in nerve cells and control inflammation, among other things.
The new study looked at mice with a SLC6A6 gene, which transports taurine from different areas of the body.
They also took samples of human leukemia cells and transplanted them into the mice.
The team discovered taurine is produced by a subset of healthy cells in bone marrow, where leukemia grows.
The SLC6A6 gene then transports taurine from the bone marrow to leukemia cells.
They believe this is the first time taurine has been found in bone marrow, worsening leukemia – a blood cancer that strikes 67,000 Americans and 10,000 people in the UK every year.
About 23,000 Americans and 5,000 Brits are expected to die of the disease this year.
Additionally, as leukemia cells feed on taurine, they go through glycolysis, a process in which cells break down the sugar glucose to produce energy.
Glycolysis gives cancer cells the energy to divide and multiply, making leukemia more aggressive, causing more cancer cells to form.
Dr. Jeevisha Bajaj, lead researcher from the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester, said in a press release that further studies should investigate levels of taurine in leukemia patients and look at how to lower levels.
This is especially crucial because taurine supplements are often recommended to cancer patients, as it may lower inflammation and reduce side effects from chemotherapy.
‘Our current data suggest that it would be helpful to develop stable and effective ways to block taurine from entering leukemia cells,’ Dr. Bajaj said.
Taurine is considered safe in small amounts, but higher levels have been shown to cause vomiting, upset stomach, dizziness, diarrhea and constipation.
It’s still unclear the exact role taurine plays in other forms of cancer, though researchers have suspected it could be linked to the alarming rise of colon cancer in young people.
The above graph from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows rates of leukemia have remained steady, though deaths are decreasing
In a phase two trial, a team at the University of Florida is recruiting adults ages 18 to 40 who have not been diagnosed with colon cancer.
Half of the group is meant to consume at least one Red Bull or Celsius drink every day, and researchers will compare their gut bacteria to a control group who didn’t consume the drinks.
The goal of the study, which is still recruiting participants, is to see if taurine fuels hydrogen sulfide (HS2) metabolizing bacteria, which are ‘overrepresented’ in colon cancer cases and have been shown to cause inflammation in the colon.
