Benefits of Taurine

What is Taurine? What are the benefits of taurine? What are taurine effects on the body? What are the types of food with taurine? Your questions are answered here.

Taurine is a major amino acid in muscle and brain tissues. It is also classified as a sulfonic acid, a strong organic acid. It is joined together with glycine, cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid in the bile to process dietary fat and clear cholesterol from the body.

Naturally, the sources of taurine are meat, fish and breast milk. And taurine is added as one of the major ingredients in energy drinks. An 8.4 fluid oz of energy drink such as red bull may contain up to 1000 milligrams of taurine. This amount is acceptable because the human body can take up to 3000mg of taurine, Since exercise depletes taurine, consuming energy drinks or taking taurine supplements may replace the loss and help regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood.

Taurine Benefits

One of taurine benefits is its ability to support neurological development. A report published by the Department of Internal Medicine University of Michigan showed that taurine has antioxidant properties and can reverse neurological and neurovascular deficits.

Studies have also shown that taurine may help lower blood pressure and for cardiovascular health. It acts as an enemy to angiotensin. Angiotensin is a type of protein that is secreted by one of the cells in the kidney that causes blood vessels to constrict and move the blood pressure up.

One of other benefits of taurine is that it may effectively develop, maintain, and help maintain the skeletal muscles. Among tests of lab animals, it was also noted that an intake of taurine helped reduce fatty deposits in the liver of the animals. This helps prevent liver disease in the test animals and yields a great deal of helpful research towards preventing liver disease and other such problems.

There are other reports that stated the benefits of taurine include decreasing the development of cataract. Taurine is also said to produce a calming effect and may help in reducing the symptoms of depression, anxiety, agitation, hyperactivity and insomnia.

Taurine Side Effects

So far, there are no recorded side effects of taurine. This is because any excess is eliminated by the kidneys. If there are any side effects such as irritability, increased heart rate or having trouble sleeping from drinking too much energy drinks, it could be due to the caffeine and sugar contents.

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