**5. Conclusion**

Taurine appears to be able to prevent hypercholesterolemia and hepatic steatosis induced by high-fat and high-cholesterol diets in most animal models. The major mechanism by which taurine lowers serum cholesterol levels is by increased utilization of cholesterol for bile acid synthesis. In mice, rats, and hamsters, dietary intake of taurine cause reduction in dietinduced serum cholesterol accompanied by enhanced mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of 7a-hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme of bile acid synthesis. In normal diets taurine does not appear to modify serum and liver cholesterol levels.

Dietary supplementation with taurine is indicated to have cardiovascular benefits. The effect on atherosclerosis appears to be highly dose- and model-dependent. In animal experiments using high-fat diets to induce increased levels of lipids, taurine has been demonstrated to significantly alleviate atherosclerotic lesions. The effects of taurine appear to be related to increased degradation and excretion of cholesterol as bile in the feces and the most common feature is that taurine increases expression and activity of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase. Only a few studies have evaluated the effects of taurine in human subjects.

From the available data it is not possible to conclude about the proposed antihyperlipidemic and antiatherosclerotic, therefore more basic and clinical research on the effects of taurine supplementation on hypercholesterolemic and atherosclerotic effects are warranted. Randomized clinical trials of dietary taurine and taurine sources may provide further knowledge about the potential hypocholesterolemic and antiatherogenic effects of long-term dietary taurine supplementation in healthy volunteers and humans with hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.
