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)
appleartichoke
barberry
beet
bovine
bupleurum falcatum
burdock
chicory
turmeric
dandelion
ginger
horseradish
lemon
licorice root
lipase
milk thistle
mustard seed
oregon grape
ox bile
pancreatin
parsley
pear
phellodendron amurense
phosphatidylcholine
silymarin
triphala
atractylodes
papaya
Indian bael
punarnava
fumaria parviflora
peony
goldenrod
bile salt
myrrh
cornsilk
birch
couch grass
cleavers
enzymes blend (proprietary)
Avens
Angelica
American Liverleaf
Brassica
Berberis (unspecified)
Bitter Grass
boldo
Baccharoides anthelmintica
Bur-Reed
Bile
Black Nightshade
Bitter principals
bile acid
Bupleurum
Boerhavia diffusa
cholic acid
Carqueja
Cynarin
Costus
Castor Oil
Colocynth
Dianthus
Duodenal Substance
Dehydrocholic acid
Endive
Fiber
Other health conditions supported by Taurodeoxycholic acid
Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)Gall Stones
Liver Detoxification