The effects of taurine supplementation on oxidative stress indices and inflammation biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Reduced serum level of taurine in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was shown to be associated with the metabolic alterations and clinical complications of diabetes. Dietary supplementation with taurine may attenuate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in T2DM as well as alleviate diabetes-induced complications. Hence, this study evaluated the effect of taurine supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with T2DM. METHODS: Fifty patients with T2DM were randomly allocated to two groups to consume either taurine (containing 1000 mg taurine), or placebo (containing crystalline microcellulose) three times per day for 8 weeks. Anthropometric data, dietary intake, serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were assessed before and after intervention. RESULTS: = 0.001) in the taurine group compared with the placebo group. There were no differences in the serum levels of IL-6 or TAC. CONCLUSIONS: The protocol of this clinical trial is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.IRCT.IR, identifier: IRCT20121028011288N16).