United States: One substance in many energy drinks could cause an increased chance of blood cancers, according to reports.
The New York researchers advise consumers to be ‘cautious’ about including taurine, found in drinks like Red Bull and Celsius, in their diets.
They found for the first time that amino acid is used as fuel for the leukemia cancer cells that develop in bone marrow, the spongy material found in the center of bones.
Leukemia Cells Feed on Taurine
Our bodies create taurine naturally, and it’s been tried as a supplement to help decrease side effects in people receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, dailymail.com reported.
Taking more nutrients than needed could cause blood cancer to become more severe, warns the team from the University of Rochester.
WA DC pols & staff def gonna hate 2 read dis cuz dey drink several cans of Celsius daily! Doctors issue urgent warning over ingredient found in popular drinks that turbocharges CANCER. https://t.co/4SE9ezfubg
— willwinforever (@willwinforever) May 14, 2025
“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,” as the study stated.
Furthermore, they also stated that while the research is still early, they are ‘very excited’ as targeting taurine production from leukemia cells “may be a possible avenue for treatment of these aggressive diseases.”
By preventing taurine from moving into the cells, researchers observed a slower disease progression in mice and human leukemia models.
The new study, presented in the journal Nature, is part of research aimed at finding if any additional cancers, like colorectal cancer, might be treated with taurine.
Taurine is naturally present in your body’s bone marrow, brain, heart, and muscles. We also get B vitamins from meat and fish, and some beverages add them to help improve cell energy and mental focus.
Some believe it assists with the control of nerve cell calcium and reduces inflammation, dailymail.com reported.
A new study looked at mice that had an SLC6A6 gene, which helps move taurine through the body.
After exploring, the team found that cells in bone marrow, where leukemia occurs, can make taurine by themselves.
After that, the SLC6A6 gene brings taurine to the leukemia cells from the bone.
They claim that taurine has never been seen in bone marrow before, and that it makes leukemia, a cancer affecting 67,000 in America and 10,000 in the UK, worse.