The study found that leukemia cells extract taurine from bone marrow to accelerate malignancy growth.
The University of Rochester Medical Center has raised fresh health concerns about taurine, a common ingredient in energy drinks, following research linking it to cancer cell growth.
Published in Nature in May 2025, the study found that leukemia cells extract taurine from bone marrow to accelerate malignancy growth. This discovery has prompted questions over whether consuming additional taurine—often added to energy drinks—could fuel the disease.
“Our current data suggest that it would be helpful to develop stable and effective ways to block taurine from entering leukemia cells,” said lead researcher Jeevisha Bajaj, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical genetics.
Co-author and oncologist Jane L. Liesveld, MD, noted, “Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer… the focus is expanding to understanding how leukemia cells hijack various metabolic pathways for their survival.”
Taurine occurs naturally in meat, fish, and dairy, but can also be synthesized. The body produces it naturally, making deficiencies rare. Cutting back on energy drinks—or opting for taurine-free options—can reduce intake.
While the findings highlight a potential risk, researchers stress the link between dietary taurine and leukemia growth remains inconclusive.
Further studies are planned to investigate taurine’s role in cancer progression.