Evidence supporting the use of: Taurodeoxycholic acid
For the health condition: Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
Synopsis
Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 3
Taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) is a taurine-conjugated bile acid. Bile acids—including TDCA—are essential for the emulsification and absorption of dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins. In cases of gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) or “sluggish” gallbladder function, bile flow and storage are altered, which can impact digestion. There is scientific rationale for supplementing with bile acids in these scenarios, and ox bile extracts (which contain TDCA among other bile acids) are sometimes used in medical and nutraceutical practice to aid fat digestion in people lacking adequate natural bile flow.
Scientific validation comes from studies showing that bile acids facilitate lipid absorption and can compensate for impaired endogenous bile secretion. For example, bile acid supplementation has been shown to improve symptoms such as steatorrhea (fatty stools) in patients with biliary insufficiency. However, most clinical studies and systematic reviews have focused on broader bile acid supplementation (often ox bile extracts) rather than isolated TDCA. There is a lack of robust clinical trials specifically investigating purified TDCA for these indications.
In summary, while the use of taurodeoxycholic acid or bile acid supplements in general for gallbladder dysfunction or post-cholecystectomy has a basis in physiological science and is supported by some clinical evidence, the direct evidence for TDCA alone is limited. Thus, the evidence is moderate (3/5)—scientifically plausible and used in practice, but not strongly validated by high-quality, targeted trials.
More about Taurodeoxycholic acid
More about Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
Other ingredients used for Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
American LiverleafAngelica
apple
artichoke
atractylodes
avens
Baccharoides anthelmintica
barberry
beet
Berberis (unspecified)
bile
bile acid
bile salt
birch
bitter grass
bitter principals
black nightshade
Boerhavia diffusa
boldo
bovine
Brassica
Bupleurum
bupleurum falcatum
bur-reed
burdock
carqueja
castor oil
chicory
cholic acid
cleavers
colocynth
cornsilk
costus
couch grass
cynarin
dandelion
dehydrocholic acid
Dianthus
duodenal substance
endive
enzymes blend (proprietary)
fat liver oil
fiber
Fumaria parviflora
fumitory
ginger
goldenrod
Hedyotis
Herb Robert
horseradish
Indian bael
Kefir
Kokilaksha
lemon
licorice root
lipase
Milk thistle
Momordica
mustard seed
Myrrh
oregon grape
ox bile
pancreatin
papaya
parsley
pear
peony
phellodendron amurense
phosphatidylcholine
probiotics
punarnava
rockweed
Sete sangrias
Sichuan Lovage
Silybum
silymarin
Solanum indicum
Southern Tsangshu
Taraxacum
Taurocholic acid
Taurodeoxycholic acid
Triphala
turmeric
Varuna
Wax Gourd
Winter Begonia
Wulinshen
Other health conditions supported by Taurodeoxycholic acid
Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)Gall Stones
Liver Detoxification
