Taurine awakens the bull in you – anyone who has previously held this notion should learn more about the diverse benefits of this organic acid. Taurine no longer has anything to do with bulls, but in elevated concentrations in important organs, it has a hand in the pie.
Table of contents
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1. Taurine - What is it?
You're probably familiar with taurine from various energy drinks that, according to advertising, are supposed to make you alert and active. But what is taurine anyway? Taurine is an organic acid —often incorrectly referred to as an amino acid—that is produced during metabolism through the breakdown of the amino acids cysteine and methionine .
Taurine is found throughout the body , but especially in the eyes, heart, blood, brain, and muscles. These are not only extremely important for high performance in sports. To function properly, they must therefore be supplied with sufficient amounts of important nutrients, such as taurine.
Many athletes like to take taurine because they believe it will enhance performance . The name, incidentally, is derived from the Latin word "taurus," meaning "bull" or "ox." However, the chemical name is 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid.
Taurine was long considered a non-essential amino acid because it is produced by the body itself . However, only in the quantities necessary for survival to maintain organ function.
The body produces about 125 mg of taurine per day , and with a balanced diet, another 400 mg is obtained through food. Therefore, a taurine deficiency is extremely rare and only occurs under specific circumstances.
Take-Home Message #1: Taurine is an organic acid that is partly produced by the body itself and partly absorbed through food.
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2. What is the effect of taurine?
You're probably familiar with amino acids from muscle building . Proteins are made up of amino acids, and the more protein your body gets, the more your muscles benefit. Taurine, however, is different: A low concentration of taurine can occur in the blood .
However, this concentration is particularly high in certain organs that depend on sufficient taurine concentrations: muscles , brain , and leukocytes . Based on this knowledge, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the nutrient's effects on the human organism [1].
Numerous indications of positive effects on the body have been found, which still require further research. However, the effects of taurine are far from being fully understood. These approaches do not yet allow for generally valid, health-related statements about taurine.
Further clinical studies are needed for this. Above all, the interaction between taurine and other nutrients continues to pose puzzles and lead to new insights. The amount of taurine produced by the body itself during metabolism is usually sufficient for the aforementioned functions.
Whether supplemental intake can have a positive effect on brain performance , mental performance, and the body's immune system has not yet been sufficiently proven . However, the following approaches based on clinical studies may be of interest to biohackers :
- A study by Victoria University in Melbourne using rats found that consuming taurine could increase performance and also reduce fatigue [2].
- Researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland examined the effects of taurine on middle-distance runners over a distance of 3 km [3]. They found initial evidence that taurine may be able to reduce muscle damage and soreness [4].
Take-Home Message #2: Human performance depends on the proper functioning of important organs. Studies have provided initial evidence of a diverse effect of taurine on various cells. Particularly high concentrations are found in muscles, leukocytes, and the brain.
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3. Does taurine have side effects?
As is often the case, it depends on the dose: In normal amounts, taurine is not harmful and has no side effects. The substance is generally considered safe. However, anyone who thinks they need to consume large amounts of taurine through dietary supplements should proceed with caution.
Excess taurine is excreted through the kidneys. This isn't a problem with normal amounts, but very large amounts can damage the kidneys . So why have energy drinks containing taurine fallen into such disrepute?
This isn't due to the added organic acid, as the dose is quite tolerable at an average of 600 to 1000 mg per drink. However, the other additives in these wake-up sodas are n't exactly beneficial to your health and can even be life-threatening.
The mixture of sugar , colorings , additives , and caffeine has already caused several collapses and is keeping doctors increasingly busy. The combination of taurine and caffeine , in particular, is viewed with skepticism . So far, there has been no definitive evidence that taurine enhances the effects of caffeine, but it is suspected.
In some countries, the sale of such drinks was subsequently banned, while other countries limited themselves to a maximum dose of taurine and caffeine per drink.
Each substance has its own effect, but the combination should be used with caution. A daily dose of 400 mg of caffeine is considered safe . However, if you take taurine at the same time, you should avoid overdoing it with coffee.
Take-home message #3: Taurine generally has no side effects. However, combining it with caffeine should not lead to overdose.
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4. Natural sources of taurine
If you want to increase your taurine levels through natural foods, you should choose animal products, as taurine is found in ...
- Meat
- Fish
- seafood
- eggs
- Dairy products
A balanced diet can easily cover your normal taurine needs. However, this becomes critical for vegetarians and vegans. While vegetarians get at least a small amount of the nutrient through eggs and dairy products, vegans get nothing at all.
Although the body can produce the small amount of taurine needed on its own, supplementation is recommended. A taurine deficiency weakens the immune system . While this is very rare, the risk increases with a purely plant-based diet without animal products.
5. How is taurine produced?
In 1827 , taurine was first isolated from ox bile by the chemists Leopold Gmelin and Friedrich Tiedemann. The connection between taurine and bulls is therefore not a coincidence. However, taurine production has changed significantly since then.
Today, the nutrient is produced synthetically , and not, as rumors suggest, from bull testicles or bull urine. Bull power is therefore a pure myth. Taurine is available as a dietary supplement online and in pharmacies in various forms :
- Taurine powder
- Taurine capsules
- Taurine tablets
Typically, you can consume a taurine dose of 500 to 2,000 mg per day through dietary supplements. However, the upper limit is very wide before an overdose can even occur.
Various studies have shown that regular intake of up to 3,000 mg is still well tolerated. Even up to 1,000 mg per kg of body weight does not appear to cause any side effects—but there is no conclusive evidence for this yet.
While energy drinks are discouraged due to their harmful additives such as sugar, colorings, and excessive caffeine content, pure taurine is considered a useful dietary supplement. [5] Note for vegans: Despite its animal-derived name , synthetically produced taurine is vegan and does not contradict the purely plant-based nutritional philosophy.
Take-Home Message #4: Taurine levels can be increased through animal foods and supplements.
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6. Conclusion
Taurine is an organic acid produced by the breakdown of cysteine and methionine. It is found throughout the body and is primarily used to enhance performance. Since your body produces taurine on its own every day and automatically absorbs more through your diet, additional supplementation is not necessary.
7. Sources
[1] https://jbiomedsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1423-0127-17-S1-S6#Abs1
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19423840
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22855206
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15042451
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19592001
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