Did I Make a Mistake The Other Week?

Last week I wrote an article on the benefits of TUDCA (Tauroursodeoxycholic acid). TUDCA is a bile acid used as a digestive aid and for liver support.

I then had someone reach out to me on Twitter (‘X’) with a link to a post talking about the dangers of TUDCA. Or more specifically UDCA (ursodeoxycholic acid).

The difference between TUDCA and UDCA is that TUDCA is UDCA which has bound to an amino acid called Taurine.

The post linked to a study that talked about the dangerous side effects of UDCA. Here is a quote from the abstract of the study:

“UDCA has “unanticipated” toxicity, pronounced by more than double number of deaths, and eligibility for liver transplantation compared to the control group in 28 mg/kg/day in primary sclerosing cholangitis, necessitating trial halt in North America. UDCA is associated with increase in hepatocellular carcinoma in PBC especially when it fails to achieve biochemical response (10 and 15 years incidence of 9% and 20% respectively). “Unanticipated” UDCA toxicity includes hepatitis, pruritus, cholangitis, ascites, vanishing bile duct syndrome, liver cell failure, death, severe watery diarrhea, pneumonia, dysuria, immune-suppression, mutagenic effects and withdrawal syndrome upon sudden halt. UDCA inhibits DNA repair, co-enzyme A, cyclic AMP, p53, phagocytosis, and inhibits induction of nitric oxide synthatase. It is genotoxic, exerts aneugenic activity, and arrests apoptosis even after cellular phosphatidylserine externalization. UDCA toxicity is related to its interference with drug detoxification, being hydrophilic and anti-apoptotic, has a long half-life, has transcriptional mutational abilities, down-regulates cellular functions, has a very narrow difference between the recommended (13 mg/kg/day) and toxic dose (28 mg/kg/day), and it typically transforms into lithocholic acid that induces DNA strand breakage, it is uniquely co-mutagenic, and promotes cell transformation. UDCA beyond PBC is unjustified.”

Sounds pretty ugly. I received the recommendation for TUDCA from Dr. Eric Berg, a chiropractor with a huge YouTube following. He reached out to me after one of my podcasts and recommend I try it for my assisted living residents.

I did some of my own research, talked to my clinicians at A Mind for All Seasons, brought it up to some families, and started using it with some of our residents. Some of the families told me they were already using TUDCA for themselves. We’re just starting to use it so it’s too soon to tell if it’s working for us.

When I searched for more information, most sources regarded it as safe. However, I’m not above admitting I am wrong. I am just interested in what works and what doesn’t harm any of my residents. And I am going to keep asking questions until we are sure this will work.

I am also sharing this study with A Mind for All Seasons and my families so they are aware.

In my opinion, that’s how health care should work. The idea of ‘informed consent’ should be one of the most important parts of anyone trying to help others become healthier.