It is particularly concentrated in your brain, eyes, heart and muscles 5 , 6. Unlike most other amino acids, it is not used to build proteins. Rather, it is classified as a conditionally essential amino acid. Your body can produce taurine, and it is also found in some foods. However, certain individuals — such as those with specific illnesses like heart disease or diabetes — may benefit from taking a supplement 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 9.
Despite common belief, this amino acid is not extracted from bull urine or bull semen. The name is derived from the Latin word taurus , which means ox or bull — so that may be the source of the confusion. Taurine is classified as a conditionally essential amino acid. It serves various important functions in your body. The main sources of taurine are animal foods, such as meat, fish and dairy Although some processed vegetarian foods contain added taurine, it is unlikely that these will offer sufficient quantities to optimize your levels Taurine is also often added to soda and energy drinks — which may provide —1, mg in a single 8-ounce ml serving.
However, it is not recommended to drink soda or energy drinks in high amounts due to other ingredients that may be harmful 11 , Because the form of taurine used in supplements and energy drinks is usually made synthetically — not derived from animals — it is suitable for vegans.
An average diet provides about 40— mg of taurine per day, but studies have used —6, mg per day 7 , The main dietary sources of taurine are animal foods, such as meat, fish and dairy.
Smaller amounts occur in some plant foods. It is also added to many energy drinks. Its direct roles include 2 , 6 , 14 , 15 , 16 :. However, higher amounts may be required in rare cases, making taurine essential for some people — such as those with heart or kidney failure, as well as premature infants that have been fed intravenously When a deficiency occurs during fetal development, serious symptoms like impaired brain function and poor blood sugar control have been observed Taurine plays many important roles in your body.
Although extremely rare, deficiency is linked to several serious health issues. Long-term supplementing decreased fasting blood sugar levels in diabetic rats — without any changes in diet or exercise Fasting blood sugar levels are very important for health, as high levels are a key factor in type 2 diabetes and many other chronic diseases 20 , Some animal research suggests that an increased intake of taurine could help prevent type 2 diabetes by reducing blood sugar levels and insulin resistance 22 , Interestingly, people with diabetes tend to have lower levels of taurine — another indicator that it may play a role in this disease While the amino acid is made naturally by the body, it's also a much-touted ingredient in such so-called "energy drinks" as Red Bull.
The prime focus of the study, however, was to find a site for the neurological activity of taurine. The thalamus, located deep in the brain's center, is involved in what neuroscientists call "behavioral state control," helping to regulate transitions between sleep and wakefulness, for example. The researchers exposed thin slices of thalamic tissue from the brains of mice to concentrations of taurine that were similar to what might be found in the human brain.
Scientifically reviewed by: Dr. Written By Maureen Fiona. New discoveries are highlighting the roles that taurine plays in preserving the human mind. The importance of supporting brain taurine concentrations, which decline with aging, is rising to the forefront of cognitive science.
In addition, recent studies show that this low-cost amino acid has brain-protective effects capable of preventing at least some of the cognitive changes associated with environmental toxins. Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in our bodies. It plays special roles in the brain, where it meets many of the criteria for being a neurotransmitter a molecule that transmits signals between brain cells.
Scientists have recognized for a decade or more that taurine is critical for normal brain development. The basic science of taurine in the brain is rapidly emerging, demonstrating that it may prevent brain aging via the following mechanisms:. Supplemental taurine has a major impact on the adult brain as well as the developing brain, with the ultimate result that the taurine-supplemented brain appears to age more slowly than it might otherwise.
Taurine appears to play a role in protecting brain cells against a variety of environmental toxins. Taurine supplementation may help to maintain these levels across the lifespan. Some scientists believe that this could fend off certain age-related neurodegenerative conditions. Some mice received the 6-week taurine supplementation, while some received a placebo. Mice that received the taurine showed improvements in Alzheimer-like learning and memory deficits. Further research is necessary to determine whether these same benefits apply to humans.
According to the review in Brain Defects Research , taurine imbalance also seems to play a role in epilepsy , autism , particularly in people who have experienced a brain injury. Animal studies have consistently shown that taurine helps alleviate symptoms of neurotoxicity and neurological impairment in rodents. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm whether taurine helps to protect against specific neurological conditions in humans.
Though there is limited research in the area, taurine may boost exercise performance in some people. A study investigated whether taurine supplementation would improve exercise performance in trained runners. Eight male runners took part in the study, which involved a 3km time trial on two separate occasions. Each participant took a taurine supplement on one occasion, and a placebo pill on the other.
Time trial performances were significantly better after taking taurine compared to placebo. Overall, the runners in the taurine condition saw a 1. However, taurine ingestion did not significantly affect heart rate, oxygen uptake, or concentrations of lactic acid in the blood. As such, it is still not clear how taurine improves exercise performance.
A animal study investigated the effects of taurine on glucose and fat metabolism in diabetic rats. Rats that were fed a taurine-supplemented diet for 12 weeks showed the following improvements compared to rats that received the placebo:. However, further research is necessary to determine whether taurine provides the same benefits in humans with diabetes. In general, energy drinks that contain taurine also tend to contain high amounts of sugar.
A diet that is high in sugar is damaging to health. Most energy drinks also contain a large dose of caffeine. As such, excessive consumption of energy drinks can result in caffeine intoxication CI. This can result in the following:.
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