Summary

Taurosodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is a bile salt and liver supplement naturally produced by our gallbladders that has many health benefits. [1]

Benefits and Effects

TUDCA works either by its interactions with other bile salts or by preventing cells from apoptosis. [1]

Gallstones

Taking bile salts is a long-established way for people to prevent gallstones. [4] TUDCA also helps to dissolve gallstones that may already be forming. [5]

Diabetes and Hyperglycemia

TUDCA may help with diabetes by making the liver and the muscles more sensitive to insulin, allowing them to use glucose more effectively and cause fewer blood sugar drops and spikes. [6]

Liver Detox

TUDCA can be used as a therapy for fatty liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis disease, and liver problems caused by cystic fibrosis. [10, 11, 12]

TUDCA also protects the liver from damage caused by sleep apnea. The lack of oxygen can damage organs by causing oxidative damage and increasing stress on cell structures – TUDCA prevents this liver damage and alleviates this stress. [15]

Kidney Protection

TUDCA reduces some of the stress on the endoplasmic reticulum protecting the kidney against injury from toxins, diseases, and normal wear and tear. [16]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

TUDCA renders IBS symptoms less intense and improves the diversity of the bacteria in the bowels and digestive system. [17]

Stroke

While strokes will always cause some damage, people on TUDCA experience less – nearly half as much in some studies – damage from strokes and better healing over time. [18]

Nerve Protection

TUDCA’s protective property is mostly for the same reasons that it protects against stroke damage – much of the nerve damage is from apoptosis, which TUDCA prevents from happening. [1, 20, 23]

TUDCA has been shown to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and to reduce their symptoms. [24]

How TUDCA Works

TUDCA is water soluble, not fat soluble like other bile salts. This means that it does not have a detergent-like effect, making it less damaging. [1]

TUDCA vs UDCA

The advantage of TUDCA is that it is better absorbed and stored by the body, meaning that a dose of TUDCA would have a larger benefit than the same dose of UDCA. [28] Therefore, TUDCA is better to take. [29]

Dosage

To protect the liver, about 10-13mg are used daily.

In insulin sensitivity or fatty liver, this dose can be as high as 1750mg daily.

Higher doses reduce cholesterol but have few other additional benefits or side effects. [14]

Side Effects

The most common, and possibly the only, side effect on record is diarrhea, which is usually not severe enough to be life-threatening. [14]

Drug interactions

TUDCA has no reported interactions with statins or other drugs,

TUDCA vs Milk Thistle

Milk thistle can be taken with TUDCA (with caution) or on its own. However, milk thistle has a high risk of allergic reactions, higher risk of side effects, and lower effectiveness, making TUDCA a better option to take on its own. [30, 31]