How Taurine Can Help Fight Bacterial Infections

Recent studies have shown that a nutrient found in meat and salmon may reduce the risk of bacterial infections. This news is important due to the questions surrounding excessive antibiotic usage.

Antibiotics transformed health care. Prior to their discovery, the average lifespan was 47 years and infectious diseases like pneumonia were prevalent. Still, antibiotics have some risk. For instance, between 2011 and 2015, there were nearly 70,000 emergency room visits for children who had adverse reactions to antibiotics. That number does not include children who may have been treated for adverse reactions at their doctor’s office, in urgent care, or simply at home.

In addition, bacteria are developing resistance. In 2013, the CDC published their Antibiotic Resistant Threats Report, which found that a minimum of 2 million people experienced antibiotic-resistant infections annually, and approximately 23,000 of those people died from the infections. More recent findings from 2019 suggest that over 2.8 million individuals experienced an antibiotic-resistant infection, and approximately 35,000 of them died.

Therefore, it is key to remain current on non-antibiotic options that may help prevent an infection, including oregano oil, manuka honey, vitamin C delivered by IV, thiamine and hydrocortisone, and taurine found in salmon.

Taurine May Help Fight Bacterial Infections

Researchers from five institutes led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease identified one way that your gut microbiota may protect you from bacterial infections. Scientists have known for some time that there are beneficial bacteria. What has not been known is the mechanism by which beneficial bacteria help us.