Taurine – amino acid for the heart and nerves

Taurine is considered an invigorating power substance. The amino acid is contained in energy drinks and boosters and is also present in increased concentrations in important organic processes in the body.

Taurine is a breakdown product of the amino acid cysteine ​​and is a common ingredient in energy drinks. Taurine is mainly used in Red Bull and Co. because of its invigorating, slightly stimulating effect. What is taurine, how does it work, and is the substance harmless? We will answer these questions for you in the following article…

Contents

• Taurine: what is it?
• How is taurine made?
• Taurine & effect: How does taurine work?
• Taurine – how and which supplement?
• Conclusion

Taurine: what is it?

What is Taurine? ...a substance that you are almost certainly familiar with, or to put it another way: you have already used one Energy-Drink drank to wake up? Then you know the organic acid that we are talking about here. We're talking about "taurine" or "2-aminoethanesulfonic acid", which, according to the marketing department of the big energy drinks, is supposed to make you awake and invigorate. The name of the active ingredient is derived from Latin. In Latin, Taurus means "bull" or "ox", which is why some well-known energy drinks - okay, RED BULL - have also used taurine as an opportunity to advertise with a bull in the past. Taurine is sometimes mistaken for an amino acid. However, that is not correct. The chemical name is “aminosulfonic acid”. This type of acid is produced by your body and is created during metabolism by breaking down Amino acids cysteine and Methionine. Taurine is the product of amino acids but is not itself an amino acid. (The amino acids cysteine ​​and methionine are also extremely valuable for the human organism and especially for your fitness goals, as they regulate your insulin levels and promote fat loss. But more on that elsewhere.) Taurine is present throughout your body and is mainly found in stored in the muscles, heart, brain and kidneys. If you eat a balanced, normal diet, your body contains around 0.4 to 1 g of taurine per kilogram of body weight. Assuming you weigh 70 kilograms, the taurine content, based on 1g taurine per kilogram of body weight, is 70 grams.

Where does taurine come from: Your body produces the acid itself and can absorb it through food

Where does taurine come from? There are two different sources: You take Toughness On the one hand, through food, on the other hand, the organic acid is produced by the human organism. Your body produces around 125 mg of taurine per day, and you probably consume another 400 mg through your diet. Taurine has long been considered a non-essential amino acid that can be produced by the human organism itself. This creates at least quantities necessary for survival that maintain organ function. Because taurine enters your body in different ways, a taurine deficiency is extremely rare and only occurs under certain circumstances.

Taurine is found throughout your body and various organs. But it is mainly found in the eyes, the heart, the blood, the brain and the muscles. If these organs are adequately supplied with taurine, you feel alert and productive, which is also reflected in your performance during sports: If your muscles, eyes and heart are functioning properly, you will certainly have a better workout than if you feel tired and exhausted (you will be given “wings 2”, so to speak). This makes taurine a popular ingredient in energy drinks and fitness supplements; Many athletes take taurine before training because they expect it to improve performance.

How is taurine made?

Taurine is both produced by your body and absorbed through food. In foods, the organic substance can be found primarily in foods of animal origin such as fish, meat and milk. Taurine is also produced chemically.

Taurine and bull testicles? A myth!

There are many myths surrounding the origin of taurine: Taurine, it is said, comes from the testicles of bulls. This story is actually not that far-fetched: Taurine was discovered in 1827 by the chemists Leopold Gmelin and Friedrich Tiedemann for the first time from the Bile from oxen (“Bos taurus”) isolated and was still called “Biliary Asparagine” at the time. In this respect, there is a connection between taurine and bull, even if it has nothing to do with the bull testicles. Since then, taurine production has changed and bile is no longer an ingredient,

Nowadays there is no longer a need for a bull for production because it Nutrient is produced completely synthetically. Taurine does not come from bull testicles or bull urine, and bulls are not involved in the production in any way. At best as a bull force that taurine works in you...

Taurine & effect: How does taurine work?

What does taurine do? There are various effects that can be observed in connection with taurine. Some of the insights gained here are considered relatively certain, while others are still vague and more of a guess.

As already mentioned, taurine is found in all parts and organs of your body. Your muscles, your brain and the leukocytes are particularly dependent on a sufficient taurine concentration. These are the human organs on which an effect can be most observed. You will find out what this effect of taurine looks like below.

For the time being, it should be noted that the effects of taurine have not yet been fully researched. However, there is increasing evidence that the acid has a positive effect, and the acid is generally considered to have great benefits. However, a generally valid statement cannot yet be derived from the current status.

This requires further clinical studies. Above all, however, the interaction of taurine and other nutrients continues to pose puzzles and lead to new insights. The taurine portion, which is produced by the body itself during metabolism, is usually sufficient for the functions mentioned.

Whether an additional intake of taurine has a positive effect on yours brain power, your psychological performance and the body's defenses, has not yet been fully proven. However, there are some interesting points that suggest that taurine can improve the following functions.

Does taurine have a positive effect on the brain?

Taurine makes you alert and increases your ability to concentrate. This is suggested by studies in which symptoms of fatigue could be reduced after consuming taurine. What should be mentioned here, however, is that the “subjects” in the study are rats. Comparable studies on humans are not yet available. In this respect, the study results should be viewed with caution.

What is considered certain, however, is that taurine is involved in the development of the central nervous system and the heart. It ensures a regular heartbeat and can regulate your heart rate even under stress. For this reason, long-distance runners sometimes take taurine before a longer distance. This ensures that the heart rate remains in a healthy range.

Sounds strange: Taurine calms you down before sleeping!

Regulating your heart rate with taurine also benefits you in a rather atypical situation, namely when you want to go to bed in the evening. The thought of turning to taurine, of all things, probably hasn't occurred to you yet, but the otherwise stimulating substance can actually calm your body when you find yourself in a carousel of thoughts. Taurine increases the amount of the neurotransmitter GABA, which calms your nervous system and reduces stress hormones. You become calm, your body releases melatonin, and you can sleep the sleep of the righteous undisturbed.

Taurine can do even more than the effects mentioned: it has an antioxidant effect and protects you against free radicals; it is said to promote fat loss and lead to peak performance. Athletes in particular benefit from the positive effects.

Effects of taurine: The most important effects at a glance

• Taurine is involved in the development of the central nervous system and the heart
• Taurine can boost fat digestion/burning
• Taurine is a natural stimulant

Taurine – how and which supplement?

Due to the above-mentioned positive effects of the organic acid taurine, taurine is an extremely popular dietary supplement that you can buy online or in well-stocked pharmacies in various forms. Taurine is commonly used as:

• Taurine powder 
• Taurine capsules 
• Taurine tablets 

Manufacturers usually sell taurine in the form of capsules, as this is more practical for taking small doses than the rather imprecise powder version. The manufacturers usually recommend taking 1 to 3 grams per day, divided into several doses. Some bodybuilders like to take taurine before training because they hope it will increase concentration and performance. With capsules, you should always make sure that they are taken with enough liquid. If you prefer to take taurine as a powder, you should make sure that you have the most accurate scale possible. Otherwise, the dosage cannot be exact and you will probably take more or less than intended. As with almost all other supplements, the powder version is a lot cheaper than capsules and is therefore a good alternative if you have a kitchen scale. When buying taurine, you should always make sure that it is purchased in pure, i.e. 100% pure and high quality form. Otherwise there isn't really much to consider here.

Taurine dosage: One is recommended Taurin-Dose from 500 to 2,000 mg per day. If you take taurine as a powder, it usually comes with a spoon to measure such a dose. Take this once a day, preferably before training. The effect begins in about 30 minutes. The limit of the recommended dose is still very wide open, as there are hardly any side effects and an overdose is only achieved at a significantly higher dose.

Various studies show that even an intake of 3,000 mg is still well tolerated. Higher doses of up to 1,000 mg per kg of body weight have not yet caused any side effects in studies. However, you should always dose dietary supplements carefully. However, you should note that we are talking about this here pure taurine speak as a dietary supplement. This must be clearly distinguished from Energy-Drinksthat of harmful additives like sugar, colorings and plenty of caffeine. Synthetically produced Toughness By the way, it is vegan and is consistent with a vegan diet.

Natural sources of taurine

Do you want to increase your taurine levels through natural foods? Then you should increasingly use products of animal origin. A high proportion of taurine is found in:

• Meat 
• Fish 
• seafood 
• eggs 
• dairy products

If these foods are regularly on your menu, you can easily cover your taurine needs. However, it is more difficult for vegetarians or vegans. While vegetarians absorb at least a small proportion of the nutrient through eggs and dairy products, vegans hardly have any natural sources. Although the body can produce the small necessary proportion of taurine itself, supplementation is recommended.

Does taurine have side effects?

Is taurine harmful? As is often the case, it depends on the dose: in normal amounts, taurine is not harmful and has no side effects. In general, the substance is classified as harmless. However, anyone who thinks they need to consume large amounts of taurine through dietary supplements should be careful: since excess taurine is excreted via the kidneys, they may be affected. So don't overdo it. Speaking of which Taurine & side effects: “If taurine has no significant side effects, why have energy drinks containing taurine fallen into disrepute?” you may be asking yourself. The answer is very simple: Most of the negative reports related to taurine do not only relate to the organic acid, as it is perfectly tolerated at an average dose of 600 to 1000 mg per drink. However, the situation is different with the other additives in awakening lemonades. Sugar, caffeine, etc. in large quantities are not exactly beneficial for your health. The combination of taurine and caffeine is particularly considered critical. The combination is suspected of increasing the effects of caffeine, which can cause heart palpitations and discomfort in some people. Energy drinks can also be abused, which is why they are banned in some countries. Other countries limited themselves to a maximum dose of taurine and caffeine per drink. Since you are hopefully not planning to satisfy your taurine needs with energy drinks anyway, we would just like to advise you not to exceed a daily dose of 400 mg when consuming caffeine.

Conclusion

Taurine is more than just a stimulant in energy drinks. The organic acid produced by your body and consumed through your diet has numerous positive effects on the body and mind, and can wake you up, increase your performance and concentration, and help you achieve your physical goals. Since taurine is mainly found in animal products, supplementation is particularly recommended for vegans and vegetarians. Other groups of people can also take the organic acid with a clear conscience, as there are no known side effects to date.

studies

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231716301197

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2586397/

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