Ingredient Found In Many Energy Drinks Linked To Aggressive Cancer In New Study

ROCHESTER, NY — A common ingredient in many energy drinks and protein powders might do more than boost your energy, according to a new scientific study.

Scientists at the University of Rochester say that the chemical taurine has been found to help leukemia cells grow. Taurine is an amino acid that supports immune health and nervous system function. It is found naturally in the body and can come from food sources are meat, fish, and eggs, as well as in many popular energy drink brands.

In recent lab studies, researchers at the Wilmot Cancer Institute discovered that leukemia stem cells rely on taurine to survive. Leukemia growth stopped when the research team blocked taurine from entering the cancer cells, according to the University of Rochester study, which was published in Nature.

Researchers say they discovered that as leukemia cells "drink up" taurine, it feeds cancer growth. "Prior to this, the authors said, it was not known that taurine might have a cancer-promoting role," according to information from the University of Rochester.

The study was led by Jeevisha Bajaj, PhD.

According to information from the University of Rochester, Bajaj and the research team discovered that:

...Taurine is produced by a subset of normal cells in the bone marrow microenvironment, the tissue inside bones where myeloid cancers begin and expand. Leukemia cells are unable to make taurine themselves, so they rely on a taurine transporter (encoded by the SLC6A6 gene) to grab taurine from the bone marrow environment and deliver it to the cancer cells.

The discovery occurred as scientists were mapping what happens within the bone marrow and its ecosystem—a longtime focus among Wilmot researchers, who have advanced the science around the microenvironment with the goal of improving blood cancer treatments.

Should energy drink fans be worried?

Not necessarily. The study didn’t test taurine from drinks or supplements, only how the body produces and uses it during leukemia.

There’s no direct evidence that consuming taurine causes cancer, though energy drinks should still only be consumed in moderation.

But the findings do reveal a previously unknown way cancer may fuel itself. Researchers say taurine could become a promising target for future treatments.

What’s more, taurine is often included in energy drinks and protein powders used by cancer patients trying to regain strength during chemotherapy. That raises new questions.

"Since taurine is a common ingredient in energy drinks and is often provided as a supplement to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy," the Wilmot team wrote in Nature, "our work suggests that it may be of interest to carefully consider the benefits of supplemental taurine in leukemia patients."

Future studies should look at taurine levels in people with leukemia, the team said.

"We are very excited about these studies because they demonstrate that targeting uptake by myeloid leukemia cells may be a possible new avenue for treatment of these aggressive diseases," lead Bajaj told the University of Rochester.

"Our current data suggest that it would be helpful to develop stable and effective ways to block taurine from entering leukemia cells."

READ MORE:

• CDC Warns To Avoid This Product After Cruise Ship Salmonella Outbreak
• Joe Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Cancer
• Living Within 1 Mile Of These Places Doubles Parkinson’s Risk: What To Know