TUDCA doesn’t help with ALS: the phase 3 trial failed.
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The difficulties with anything caused by mitochondrial failure is that fixing it requires fixing the mitochondria.
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It seems that indeed, in worms at least, UDCA is beneficial at moderate dose while TUDCA is highly detrimental: Ora Biomedical Million Molecule Challenge Results - #452 by adssx
fwiw @Davin8r…
[March 2026 EDIT] This was wrong: Ora Biomedical Million Molecule Challenge Results - #465 by adssx
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Thanks for linking to that! I’m looking into prices to potentially switch. It might actually be cheaper than the Nootropics Depot brand TUDCA im taking.
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“TUDCA alleviates AD-related cognitive deficits partly through modulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis while also acting via microbiota-independent mechanisms, supporting its potential as a promising therapeutic strategy for AD”
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The usual disclaimers: Chinese paper, Tier 3 university, low-quality journal, in mice.
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P-1649. Impact of Ursodeoxycholic Acid on COVID-19 Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 2026
We found no statistically significant differences between UDCA and non-UDCA groups regarding mortality (RR = 0.99; 95% CI [0.80, 1.23]; P = 0.94), or COVID-19-related hospitalization (RR = 0.98; 95% CI [0.89, 1.08]; P = 0.74). However, the UDCA group demonstrated significant improvements in COVID-19 symptoms, including cough (OR = 0.43; 95% CI [0.31, 0.60]; P < 0.00001), muscle or joint pain (OR = 0.70; 95% CI [0.51, 0.96]; P = 0.03), and pharyngalgia (OR = 0.28; 95% CI [0.09, 0.82]; P = 0.02).
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“At the molecular level, UDCA activated PPARγ/Nrf2 antioxidative signaling while inhibiting NF-κB-mediated inflammation, and network pharmacology analysis identified 225 potential targets (including TNF-α, IL6, and NF-κB) within lipid/atherosclerosis pathways, collectively underscoring UDCA’s multimodal protective mechanisms against NAFLD.”
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Just sharing a video that sings the praises of TUDCA. I guess I’ll be adding this for insulin sensitivity …
- Video Overview: Nick Norwitz discusses TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid), a gut-made bile acid supplement, for reducing atherosclerosis plaque via anti-inflammatory mechanisms, not cholesterol reduction.
- Key Mechanism: Western diets trigger ER stress, ATF4 activation, inflammasomes in macrophages, forming foam cells and impairing cholesterol efflux; TUDCA interrupts this by suppressing ER stress/inflammasomes and boosting efflux.
- Evidence: Animal studies show dramatic plaque reduction; human plaques confirm pathway activation; no large human RCTs yet.
- Related Insights: Statins reduce GLP-1 via gut microbiome/UDCA depletion; TUDCA may counteract this, aiding insulin sensitivity.
- Dosing: Start 250mg/day with food, titrate to 500-1750mg split doses; well-tolerated, cycle optionally (e.g., 4 weeks on/2 off); GI side effects possible.
- Caveats: Preclinical promise strong but unproven in humans; not a miracle pill.
I can’t be more convinced that making stuff up is his forte.
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There’s no down side that I know of and I take it and my wife and several friends. But I can say that there’s a difference between brands and I wish I knew somebody that tested them all and could tell us which one is best. Some barely work at all.
Thanks for that @Bicep…. *adds to cart.
I just AI’d and I see Vitality Pro offers it. I could be wrong but it’s my impression they are one of the highest quality brands. Edit: I now see Adssx mentioned them which is probably why I knew it’s a good brand.
At some point I just got it in my head that UK brands are generally of higher quality than the US, but this might not be accurate!
Edit: @Bicep I see @Davin8r uses Nootropics and he is usually pretty good at sourcing. Nootropics is same cost per pill but nootropics is 500mg vs VP at 250mg
When they fill capsules the dust gets on the outside in small amounts. It’s unavoidable. My wife says if they taste like bile (which is awful) then they work. She needs it for her gall bladder. We are currently using Bulk Supplements brand and it does taste bad. It’s cheapest on rapadmin’s list too.
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@Bicep Excellent feedback. I’ll now reach out to Nootropics and Vitality Pro to confirm they have zero residue on their capsules and zero taste… I’ll be back to share what I learn.
I had my gallbladder taken out which was one of the best things to happen to me… . Undiagnosed for many years and felt awful… turns out it was gangrene… lovely!
Glad it’s helping your wife, but if she ever needed the surgery, I’ll share that for me, it was a big nothing…. And I’m even too wimpy to take an icky tasting supplement 
Transmissible gastroenteritis virus in pigs 
: Ursodeoxycholic acid against TGEV infection via the JAK-STAT1 signaling pathway 2026
Clinical effects of ursodeoxycholic acid in COVID-19 infection: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis 2026: “UDCA showed association with a lower risk of infection (OR,0.69;95%CI,0.55-0.86). And UDCA associated with lower severe infection risk (OR,0.75;95%CI,0.64-0.89), and ventilator use (OR,0.75;95%CI,0.62-0.90) compared to controls.”
On the other hand: Neither Metformin nor Ursodeoxycholic Acid Effectively Treats Postacute Sequelae of COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial 2026: “A 2-week course of metformin or UDCA did not significantly improve recovery from PASC.”
Bile Acids as Candidate Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis: Inverse Signal Analysis Using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System and Preclinical Validation 2026: “Inverse associations were identified for UDCA (odds ratio [OR]: 0.197, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.117–0.333) […] In the EAE model, UDCA was associated with lower clinical scores at the peak (day 18) and late phases (days 26–28)”
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This was wrong, see update here: Ora Biomedical Million Molecule Challenge Results - #466 by adssx
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Thanks for the update! I stopped taking TUDCA because of your previous findings (I am 34 so I prefer to reduce risks as much as possible) even if my biomarkers improve a lot with it. These new results are encouraging.
So, besides stopping if you have cancer due to its anti-apoptotic effect or if you feel is causing intestinal distress… we don’t have many issues with it?
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This study did not provide evidence supporting protective effects for severe COVID-19 outcomes. However, the results are limited by the small cohort of patients treated with UDCA.
Post-weaning protein restriction induces vascular and PVAT dysfunction and fibrosis in males, associated with ER stress. TUDCA significantly attenuates these alterations, supporting its potential as a therapeutic strategy for vascular complications associated with early-life undernutrition.
Preprint but NIA
A network pharmacology approach identified TUDCA and arundine as promising repurposing candidates in AD that rescue disease-relevant molecular phenotypes by acting on AD-associated genes through regulation of G protein signaling.
Here’s a good one!
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I could not find any warning flags issued by the FDA, so it is probably safe for most people.
However, it might be risky for anyone who has cancer, especially prostate cancer.
From Claude Opus 4.7. You can see the full response to the query:
I did this because of some previous responses to TUDCA
Query: Is there any evidence that tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) supplementation would increase cancer risk or be detrimental to someone who has cancer?
You can see the full response and explanations here.
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