| Taurine | ||||||||
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- Why taurine is good for you
- Important taurine facts
- Groups at risk of taurine deficiency
- Symptoms of taurine deficiency
- Taurine and health
- Taurine in foods
- Taurine recommended daily intake (RDI)
- Taurine works best with
- Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for taurine
Taurine is classed as a semi-essential amino acid because it is essential for infants, who cannot produce it on their own, but it is normally produced in the body by all others. It is a key ingredient of bile, which is needed for fat digestion, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins as well as to control blood cholesterol levels in the body.
Taurine is also required for the proper use of potassium, calcium and sodium in the body, and for maintaining cell membrane integrity. It is thought to be helpful with anxiety, hyperactivity, poor brain function and epilepsy as well as hydrating the brain. Taurine, together with zinc is also required for proper eye health and vision.
- Taurine is one of the sulphur amino acids and is found throughout the body abundantly, but especially in the heart, eye, central nervous system, and the brain
- Taurine can be produced from methionine and cysteine
- The need for taurine increases during periods of illness, stress, anxiety, grief, or depression
- Taurine increases levels of the neurotransmitters histamine and acetylcholine in the brain
- Women require more taurine than men
- Taurine is an essential amino acid in newborns for proper growth and development (as they cannot produce enough of it on their own and require it to be supplied from their mother through breast milk)
Groups at risk of taurine deficiency
Most people would not need supplementation and even small children get enough of it from human milk, or infant formulas. The only groups that may be at risk of deficiency are:
- People on low protein diets - people who are not eating enough protein foods may not get enough taurine in their diet
- Vegans and vegetarians - people who are on a strict vegetarian diet may suffer from a taurine deficiency if their diet is deficient in protein
- People with metabolic disorders - may excrete much of their taurine in their urine
- Alcoholics - high intake of alcohol may cause the body not to be able to fully utilise taurine
- High urinary loss of taurine - cardiac arrhythmia's, disorders of platelet formation, intestinal problems, and overgrowth of candida, physical or emotional stress, zinc deficiency, are all associated with high urinary losses of taurine
- People with diabetes - diabetes increases the body's requirement for taurine
People in these groups at risk of taurine deficiency should talk to a medical professional about taurine supplementation BEFORE taking it.
Symptoms of taurine deficiency
Deficiency symptoms can present as:
- impaired vision
- problems with fat metabolism
- depression
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- Brain health - taurine has a protective effect on the brain, particularly when the brain is dehydrated
- Breast cancer treatment - taurine is used at some breast cancer clinics as a supplementary treatment for breast cancer
- Diabetes - studies show supplementation with taurine (and cystine) may decrease the need for insulin (more studies are required to confirm these initial findings)
Talk to a medical professional about taurine supplements BEFORE taking them
| FOOD | AMOUNT | Taurine (mg) |
|---|---|---|
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Taurine recommended daily intake (RDI)
| RDA | No information available |
|---|---|
| TOLERABLE UPPER LIMIT | 250-1000mg |
| TOXIC LEVELS | No information available |
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
- Manganese
- Cysteine
- Methionine
- Serine
- Tryptophan
Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for taurine
No toxicity has been determined.
references
- Osiecki H, Meeke F, Smith J, The Encyclopaedia of Clinical Nutrition - Volume 1: The Nervous System, BioConceps Publishing QLD 2004
