Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is an is an organic compound discovered in bull bile in 1827 and mainly found in different animal tissues mainly in bile and large intestines. The term Taurine has a Latin origin from the word taurus which means a bull. Taurine has many functions inside animal bodies like muscle development, cardiovascular functions, and nervous system development among other functions. Once extracted, this acid compound is used in several products including energy drinks. However, there are several myths and misconception about Taurine products. German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin were the first to extract taurine from ox bile.
Sources of Taurine
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Just like in the first biosynthesis above, hypotaurine dehydrogenase oxidizes hypotaurine thus forming taurine.
Uses and Benefits of Taurine to Human Health
Naturally, fish and meat contain Taurine and, this compound, is arguably the most important compound in the human body. Taurine improves glucose tolerance, increases insulin action, and is an antioxidant compound is key for the optimum functioning of body ions such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Extracted animal taurine can also be used in the manufacture of other supplements beneficial to the body. Evidence from around the world suggests that high life expectancy is common within populations that take more taurine and they also live healthy and more active lifestyles.
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Naturally, the retina has oxidative-stress-fighting taurine which reduces with age. In children and young people, low taurine levels in the retina may lead to retinal dysfunction and including retinal ganglion cell degeneration. Introducing taurine supplements improves retina function. In cases where medical procedures like chemotherapy and radiotherapy reduces taurine levels in the body, doctors administer taurine supplements to restore retina function. Contact lens manufacturers add taurine in most contact lens solutions. Since all members of the cat family cannot synthesize taurine, the absence of this compound makes cats’ retina to degenerate over time as they age causing blindness. This condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD).
Ear Health
Taurine is essential in reducing tinnitus and can also help reverse biological hearing loss. Mostly, damages to the ears occur in the nerve cells responsible for converting sound into electrical signals for the brain to interpret. These nerve cells depend on the circulation of calcium to work well. When this circulation of calcium reduces, taurine helps in restoring and maintaining it at optimum levels.
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