Researchers say this discovery offers new insights on how to potentially combat an aggressive form of cancer.
What we put in our bodies can matter in the long run, especially when it comes to cancer risk. As experts at the MD Anderson Cancer Center point out, certain foods and beverage, including diet soda, have been linked to cancer. This means that making informed choices about the things we eat and drink could offer significant protection against the deadly disease.
But on the days where your brain could use an extra boost, you may find yourself reaching for a certain type of caffeinated beverages: energy drinks. Health experts say these popular drinks are consumed by 30% of U.S. adults and up to half of adolescents, but new research shows it might be worth cutting back.
That’s because a 2025 Nature study found that taurine—an amino acid naturally produced by the body, but also found in energy drinks and foods such as seafood or meat—could fuel the growth of leukemia, a form of blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow. The National Cancer Institute estimates that over half a million Americans are living with leukemia, and more than 23,000 could have their lives shortened this year as a result.
Using a special method called single-cell RNA sequencing to look at how bone marrow cells interact with leukemia stem cells over time, a group of cancer researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that both taurine and a taurine transporter were essential for leukemia development. As explained by the Cleveland Clinic, taurine is considered a “semi-essential” amino acid, as it “plays a role in a number of different physical processes.” The research team was ultimately able to block leukemia growth in both mouse models and in human cell samples by “using genetic tools” to prevent taurine from entering into the cancer cells.
The findings, per a University of Rochester news release, “occurred as scientists were mapping what happens within the bone marrow and its ecosystem,” described as a “longtime focus” of the researchers. The team also discovered that when the leukemia cells—which are notably not able to make taurine on their own—use taurine, a breakdown of glucose occurs, which helps feed cancer growth.
This discovery is noteworthy, reports the team, because taurine had not been previously identified as a potential cancer enabler. The results of the study could also prove helpful for future cancer patients, as the study’s text notes that “Taurine … is often provided as a supplement to mitigate the side-effects of chemotherapy,” suggesting that “it may be of interest to carefully consider the benefits of supplemental taurine” for patients with leukemia.
Next time you need a bit of caffeine, previous research suggests coffee and green tea could deliver additional health benefits as you sip.
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