This compound is arguably the most important compound in the human body. Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. It was discovered by German researchers in ox bile in the 19th century. Hayes KC, Carey RE, Schmidt SY. Trachtman H, Futterweit S, Maesaka J, Ma C, Valderrama E, Fuchs A, Tarectecan AA, Rao PS, Sturman JA, Boles TH. Researchers have also found that among people consuming a cholesterol rich diet, those who took taurine supplements for 3 weeks had a less significant increase in cholesterol levels than those who did not take taurine. However, the study authors point out that the sugar and caffeine content of many energy drinks can cause these side effects. A recent study shows that intense exercise significantly reduces levels of muscle taurine, but consuming taurine during exercise counters the loss and helps increase work capacity. Lake N. Depletion of retinal taurine by treatment with guanidoethyl sulfonate. In the neonatal mouse retina, for example, he reported that a 30 min exposure to parenterally administered glutamate (1 mM) produced a histopathological lesion characterized by swollen cell bodies in the ganglion cell layer, the proximal half of the inner nuclear layer, and extending to the inner plexiform layer. The word taurine stems from the Latin word taurus, which means bull or ox, because it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin. Young TL, Matsuda T, Cepko CL. The side effects included: People living with medical conditions such as adrenocortical insufficiency or epilepsy should ask their doctors if taking taurine is safe. Taurine may also have an impact on regulating blood pressure. While some research in animals suggests that taurine could be beneficial for mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, other studies have found that it could worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder and mania. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Izumi K, Donaldson J, Minnich JL, Barbeau A. Ouabain-induced seizures in rats: suppressive effects of taurine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. A group of researchers conducted a study of the effects of taurine on the adolescent brain. Mammalian taurine synthesis occurs in the pancreas via the cysteine sulfinic acid pathway. Is taurine safe, Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Energy Beverages: Content and Safety., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Cysteine, Taurine., Michigan State University: Stimulants - Exploring Ingredients., University of Rochester Medical Center: Taurine.. Kaczmarek LK, Davison AN. However, except during times of extreme illness and stress, the body is able to produce taurine on its own, and some research suggests that the body may excrete less to conserve levels when intake is low as well. Scientists need to carry out further research in humans, however, before doctors can begin recommending taurine as a treatment option. 2012; [Epub ahead of print]. A single beef heart could feed your cat for several meals. [61] Studies suggest the amino acid should be supplied at 10mg/kg of bodyweight/day for domestic cats. Olney JW, Ho OL. Accumulation in the rabbit lens. Excited Cats is reader-supported. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. It has become increasingly apparent that oxidative stress plays a major role in a broad range of human diseases. Research shows that taurine, when paired with caffeine, improves reaction time and reduces sleepiness in sleep-deprived people. N-acetylcysteine and taurine prevent hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance in vivo: possible role of oxidative stress. The highest level of taurine was, of course, in the vertebrate retina, and an ingenious experiment involving a judicious selection of normal and diseased mouse retinas enabled Cohen and coworkers [68] to quantify the distribution of taurine and other amino acids across the layers of retinal cells (Figure 2). Wen R, Song Y, Matthes MT, Yasumura D, LaVail MM, Steinberg RH. Taurine gets its name from the Latin term, taurus, which means bull or ox. Because it is one of the few amino acids not used in protein synthesis, taurine is often referred to as a nonessential amino acid, or more generously as a conditionally essential amino acid. Review: Taurine: A "very essential" amino acid. Taurine tends to be present in three areas of the brain: Scientists have also noticed disruptions in taurine balance in the brains of people with epilepsy. Taurine in breast milk is essential since prematurely born babies have low levels of the compound since they lack the necessary enzymes that convert cystathionine to cysteine. While more research is definitely needed, other research also indicates that it could be beneficial for preventing metabolic syndrome when paired with regular physical activity and a healthy, well-rounded diet. Moreover, there is ever-increasing evidence that taurine depletion leads to a wide range of pathological conditions, including severe cardiomyopathy [33], renal dysfunction [34], pancreatic cell malfunction [35], and loss of retinal photoreceptors [36]. What Is The Biggest State In The United States? Taurine helps improve insulin sensitivity, which facilitates glucose uptake by the cells. From the debates, two issues emerge. Orr HT. [27] It is a biosynthetic precursor to the bile salts sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate. Schmetterer L, Findl O, Fasching P, Ferber W, Strenn K, Breiteneder H, Adam H, Eichler HG, Wolzt M. Nitric oxide and ocular blood flow in patients with IDDM. L'Amoreaux WJ, Cuttitta C, Santora A, Blaize JF, Tachjadi J, El Idrissi A. Taurine regulates insulin release from pancreatic beta cell lines. [4][5], It is an unusual example of a naturally occurring sulfonic acid. The selective distribution of taurine within the retinal laminas, as well as in other tissues, is attributable to the presence of both high and low affinity Na+- and Cl-- dependent taurine transporters [66,76,77]. J Biomed Sci. Cunningham RA, Miller RF. In other rat and mouse studies, researchers have shown that when taurine loses its effect in the retina, the rodents show severe cell degeneration in that area. The fact that this array of responses to both taurine and glycine were blocked by strychnine suggests that a single glycinergic receptor may be sensitive to both agents. Other studies purporting to have detected taurine receptors in rabbit brain [152] and in RPE cells in culture [153] have been similarly inconclusive. Many also recommend using a taurine supplement for dogs or taurine for cats to help prevent complications and improve outcomes for pets diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Protection of the rat retina from ischemic injury by brain-derived neurotrophic factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? Schaffer, S., & Kim, H. W. (2018). In another study, taurine intake was estimated to be generally less than 200mg/day, even in individuals eating a high-meat diet. Electrical stimulation significantly enhanced both the formation and efflux of GABA and taurine in isolated synaptosomes from the mouse brain, and the kinetic parameters for their high affinity uptake were almost identical [147]. World Population By Percentage of Blood Types. Here are a few of the top taurine sources: Taurine supplements are available in capsule or powder form. At the cellular level, the taurine content is determined primarily by the sum of three processes: (i) its synthesis from methionine/cysteine, (ii) its active uptake by the taurine transporter, and (iii) its release via a volume-sensitive leak pathway [78]. Review: Taurine: A "very essential" amino acid - PMC That being said, there's no reason to shun other parts of this bird, as even the white cuts (for . Taurine is involved in a number of bodily processes, including: The human body can produce taurine, but obtaining it from dietary sources or supplements is necessary to maintain optimum levels. DiMonte DA, Chan P, Sandy MS. Glutathione in Parkinsons disease: a link between oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage? However, at present, commercial products that contain this amino acid obtain it from synthetically produced taurine, which is cheaper than extracting it from animals. A substantial increase in the plasma concentration of growth hormone was reported in some epileptic patients during taurine tolerance testing (oral dose of 50mg per kg body mass per day), suggesting a potential to stimulate the hypothalamus and to modify neuroendocrine function. Because RPE cells are extensively interconnected via gap junctions [105], a human RPE cell line (ARPE-19) expressing Cx43 and Cx46 was chosen to conduct an experiment that directly tested the efficacy of taurine in the prevention of cell death [106]. Taurine can influence defects in nerve blood flow, motor nerve conduction velocity, and nerve sensory thresholds in experimental diabetic neuropathic rats. The thighs, drumsticks, and liver are your best bets, as theyre packed with taurine and all the other essential amino acids your cat needs. The -aminobutyric acid transporter and its interaction with taurine in the apical membrane of the bovine retinal pigment epithelium. Neurons and glia have been shown to sequester glutamate via high-affinity uptake systems. Memory usage: 66524.0KB. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) As Sinwell and Gorodischer [21] have shown, there is an increased incidence of pediatric problems in children being raised on the totally vegetarian diets of vegan communities. are clickable links to medically peer-reviewed studies. II. Stevenson PA. Colocalisation of taurine- with transmitter-immunoreactivities in the nervous system of the migratory locust. Most of these enterprises employ the ethanolamine method to produce a total annual production of about 3,000tonnes. Studies show that taurine may help reduce the risk of heart disease, thanks to its ability to decrease blood pressure and inflammation. Several studies have implicated a metabotropic GABAB-binding site as mediating the action of taurine, particularly in the brain regions of the mouse and rat [100,101], as well as in the mammalian retina [75]. Opticians call this condition Central Retinal Degeneration (CRD). Moreover, equivalent amounts of taurine and GABA depressed the firing rate of brainstem neurons almost equally [148], and similar specific, carrier-mediated transport systems are known to operate at brain cell membranes [149,150].