Common Energy Drink Ingredient May Increase Risk Of Blood Cancer, Study Claims

A new study has revealed that a common ingredient found in popular energy drinks could increase the risk of blood cancers. According to the study, published in Nature, taurine, a widely used amino acid in energy drinks such as Red Bull, can act as a fuel source for leukaemia cancer cells, which develop in bone marrow. Researchers explained that leukaemia cells use taurine to fuel their growth process through a process called glycolysis. This is the process where cells break down glucose to produce energy, which cancer cells use to grow.

Taurine is naturally produced in the human body and found in foods such as meat and fish. It is also added to many energy drinks for its purported benefits, such as improving mental performance and reducing inflammation. However, in the study, researchers explained that the excessive intake of taurine, especially through energy drinks, could exacerbate leukaemia by providing additional fuel for cancer cells. 

For the study, researchers looked at mice with a special gene called SLC6A6, which helps move taurine around the body. They also gave these mice human leukaemia cells to see how they would react. 

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The study authors found that healthy bone marrow cells produce taurine, which the SLC6A6 gene then transports to the leukaemia cells, potentially helping them grow. 

Researchers warned consumers to exercise caution when consuming drinks containing the metabolism boosting ingredient, which are sold at supermarkets around the world. 

"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 leukaemia patients," the study said. 

The study is still in its initial phases, but the researchers are optimistic that targeting taurine production in leukaemia cells could represent a new approach for treating these aggressive diseases.