Taurine Another Overlooked Fat Loss Supplement?

The osmoregulative effect of taurine has been long established and is also well-known in the community of fitness-enthusiasts and bodybuilders who consume taurine mostly for its "cell-volumizing" effect on skeletal muscle. "Juicers", i.e. (pro-)hormone consumers, also appreciate its ability to reduce the painful back- and chin-pumps associated with some of the so-called "dry", i.e. non-aromatizing, steroids. As in the case of arginine (cf. Arginine as a Fatburner) taurine does yet appear to have beneficial effects on weight loss and body fat reduction, as well.
Apart from positive effects on the lipid profile of the participants, a study (Zhang. 15 Dec 2003) published in Amino Acids, found what they call a "significant" weight-loss effect (-2% body weight, without other dietary interventions or exercise programs) of 7 weeks of taurine supplementation at 3g/day in 15 obese, but otherwise healthy Japanese college students - cf. Table 2 from Zhang. 15 Dec 2003:

In his overview over the effect of taurine on health and exercise performance Mauro Di Pasquale (Di Pasquale, M.G.: Amino Acids and Proteins for the Athlete. 2008. p. 312) writes:

"Taurine has also been shown to increase glucose sensitivity and enhance mitochondrial metabolic function. The data in this study suggest that taurine administration has a marked effect on lipid metabolism, and can therefore be beneficial to persons looking to lose body fat. Also, that restoration of plasma taurine level could be critical in preventing or improving obesity-related cell dysfunction.
A recent study found that taurine supplementation may be an effective treatment for glucose intolerance and fat=lipid accumulation observed in type 2 diabetes associated with obesity. Taurine has been shown to be an important amino acid in several tissues in the body, including
muscle."

With taurine being another standard ingredient of the "old" generation of preworkouts this finding could be another argument against flushing your last bottles of NO Xplode, White Flood, Super Pump 250, VPX Shotgun & Co. down the toilette.