A 2023 review has exposed taurine as a game changer in male fertility.1 In Australia, more than a third of infertility cases are attributed to the male partner.2 With infertility and pregnancy loss on the rise, and as the age of parents conceiving increases, it’s time to rethink the nutrition status of dad-to-be.
In couples experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss, downregulation of taurine transporters (TauT) and a deficiency of taurine has been observed. In men, this leads to impaired sperm morphology that can affect early embryo development.3
Taurine is ten times higher in semen than in the blood. Extensive in vitro and animal research unfolds the multiple mechanisms it drives in male reproduction:
- In the hypothalamus and pituitary, taurine stabilises the secretion of GnRH and stimulates LH secretion, promoting spermatogenesis and improving sperm quality.14
- Taurine is necessary to maintain sperm physiological functions including sperm motility, sperm hyperactivation (a change in motility pattern prior to fertilisation called capacitation) and sperm capacity to penetrate the oocyte protective layer and fertilise an oocyte (called acrosome reaction).5
- In addition, taurine inhibits Na+-K+ ATPase activity, increasing sperm fertilising ability by reducing cellular K+ influx in the fallopian tube.6
Taurine also plays an important role in the management of increasing modern day fertility pressures. In diabetic patients, taurine reduces testicular tissue damage, DNA damage and apoptotic cell count by reducing hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress, as well as inhibiting endoplasmic reticular stress and inflammation.1 It can also support male patients suffering from erectile dysfunction by regulating androgens through the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis.1,7
With environmental toxicity continually on the rise, taurine reduces testicular tissue damage induced by BPA, formaldehyde or heavy metals, such as cadmium and aluminium, by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory markers and inhibiting testicular tissue apoptosis.1,8
Important Note: As tempting as it may be to go out and buy some taurine, please resist this urge. I cannot stress enough the importance of consulting a fertility trained natural health professional, like a qualified naturopath, who is able to assess your individual needs and make recommendations based on these. In addition, these naturopaths have access to high quality supplements.
You can read more about the importance of healthy sperm and factors that influence their motility, numbers and fragmentation in my book which is available on Amazon.
References:
- Li Y, Peng Q, Shang J, et al. The role of taurine in male reproduction: Physiology, pathology and toxicology. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;14(January):1-16. doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1017886
- Research HI of M. Male Infertility. https://www.hudson.org.au/disease/reproductive-health/male-infertility/
- Wu H, Zhang X, Yang J, et al. Taurine and its transporter TAUT positively affect male reproduction and early embryo development. Hum Reprod. 2022;37(6):1229-1243. doi:10.1093/humrep/deac089
- Yang J, Wu G, Feng Y, Lv Q, Lin S, Hu J. Effects of taurine on male reproduction in rats of different ages. J Biomed Sci. 2010;17(SUPPL. 1):1-8. doi:10.1186/1423-0127-17-S1-S9
- Molina LCP, Luque GM, Balestrini PA, Marín-Briggiler CI, Romarowski A, Buffone MG. Molecular basis of human sperm capacitation. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2018;6(July):1-23. doi:10.3389/fcell.2018.00072
- S.Meizel RJM. Inhibition of hamster sperm NA+, K+-ATPas activity by taurine and hypotaurine. Life Sci. 1985;36(3):271-275.
- Ruan Y, Li M, Wang T, et al. Taurine Supplementation Improves Erectile Function in Rats with Streptozotocin-induced Type 1 Diabetes via Amelioration of Penile Fibrosis and Endothelial Dysfunction. J Sex Med. 2016;13(5):778-785. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.164
- Rezaee-Tazangi F, Zeidooni L, Rafiee Z, et al. Taurine effects on bisphenol a-induced oxidative stress in the mouse testicular mitochondria and sperm motility. J Bras Reprod Assist. 2020;24(4):428-435. doi:10.5935/1518-0557.20200017
