I did recently write a post all about Taurine and the many effects it has on the body, some of which really should affect autism.
Taurine for subgroups of Autism? Plus, vitamin B5 and L
Carnitine for KAT6A syndrome?
Having read
the literature, it looked to me that anyone over 50 years old is likely to benefit
from a little extra Taurine, but it certainly was not clear whether it would
make my 21 year old’s autism better or worse. I went ahead and ordered some to
investigate.
In theory
one of the many effects of Taurine is negative. Taurine does affect the KCC2 transporter
that takes chloride out of neurons the “wrong” way. The other effects include
on calcium homeostasis, which we know is disturbed in most autism.
N = 2 Trial
Subject #1 (Peter)
I took 2g a
day for a month and noticed no effect at all, other than some mild GI
irritation.
In adults
the long-term effects are numerous and varied throughout the body. Even the
cells that remodel your bones (osteoblasts and osteoclasts) have special
taurine transporters, whose sole role is to let taurine inside – taurine makes the
osteoblasts work harder, while encouraging osteoclasts to take a break. The net
effect should be stronger bones. As you get
older your natural levels of taurine fall substantially. There are taurine-rich
foods you can eat and if you engage in strenuous exercise your liver starts making
more taurine.
Subject
#2 (Monty)
There is a
clear contradiction when it comes to Taurine and sleep. Many energy drinks
contain Taurine to keep you alert, but in theory Taurine should be calming and
many people take it add bedtime to improve sleep.
Monty, aged
21 with ASD, likes getting up early and going to bed early.
Adding 2g a day of Taurine at breakfast shifted his circadian rhythms, so that he now goes to bed at a time typical for a 21 year old, but still wants to get up at 7am. Monty even fell asleep on the sofa watching TV late one night, something big brother often does. Indeed, Monty received a nod of approval when big brother discovered him in the early hours.
The most
beneficial change has been on his spring and summertime aggression. This has
been controlled for years using an L-type calcium channel blocker. This does
not resolve the allergy at all, but it “switches off” the consequential
anxiety/aggression. With the addition of allergy therapies and the
immunomodulation of Pioglitazone (in peak allergy season) the problem behaviors
are controlled.
It appears
that Taurine has a similar anti-anxiety/aggression effect. Maybe its effect
on calcium channels and broader calcium homeostasis is the reason why. Anyway,
it works – simple, cheap, OTC and effective.
It has no effect on allergy, in case you are wondering.
Conclusion
Taurine can
be bought as a bulk powder for very little money. It is not like those numerous
expensive supplements that would cost you several hundred dollars/euros/pounds
a year.
If you have your
own “healthspan polytherapy”, to ward off high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
type 2 diabetes, dementia, arthritis, osteoporosis etc, consider spending a few
pennies more and add a scoop of taurine.
The people who
write to me and tell me how Verapamil has transformed life at home, by banishing
aggression and self-injurious behaviors, should seriously consider a trial of
Taurine.