Posted on March 7, 2010.
Cut through the hype and taurine can still be of great use Taurine is one of those perhaps lesser known amino acids that are known to medicine as "non-essential. But" non-essential "in this context means simply that it is not necessary to ensure a daily intake of food, because the compound can be manufactured by the body, but rather small quantity. It should not be regarded as diminishing the importance of taurine or other non-essential amino acids in any way.
lot of publicity recently given to the bullfighting as a way to prevent hangovers and slow or even reverse liver damage caused by alcohol consumption long term excess. Thus, taurine is often added to the caffeine energy drinks increasingly sold as mixers with alcoholic beverages to. If we say that the jury is still out "some of the wilder claims made in this regard, there is evidence that taurine may be beneficial not only in liver, but for the heart, kidneys and other organs that may be subject to inflammation or accumulation of liquid or grease.
complementary medical practitioners are particularly enthusiastic about the use of supplements of taurine as a therapy for conditions including hypertension, macular degeneration of the eyes, congestive heart failure, fluid retention and asthma. Although these conditions may appear different, if there is a common factor, it is probably an imbalance in body chemistry, especially perhaps the concentration ratio of potassium, magnesium and sodium in the cells. And there is some good research data suggest that the effect of taurine in restoring proper fluid balance can be very effective in reducing blood pressure and the fight against congestive heart failure.
When combined with magnesium, taurine may help maintain proper heart rhythm, and it is also an antioxidant that helps protect against atherosclerosis and blood clots are potentially dangerous.
In fat-soluble antioxidant, taurine is also invaluable in the protection of light sensitive cells of the retina, which contain a high concentration of fats, free radical damage that can cause vision loss through macular degeneration. Taurine role as an antioxidant has also been highlighted as a possible protective lung against attacks by free radicals, with potentially very valuable for people with asthma.
Finally, although it remains a controversial issue, the role of taurine to equilibrate the cell chemistry is also considered by some nutritionists to help protect against certain types of epilepsy and other seizure brain. It is also found in high concentrations in white blood cells that are key to a healthy immune system, and is believed to help stabilize blood sugar.
To produce sufficient taurine in the body a proper supply of essential amino acids is necessary, particularly methionine. By far the best sources of these are the so-called first-class food rich in proteins, called first-class, precisely because they contain all the essential amino acids. Meat, poultry, fish and dairy products are all in this group, and for taurine, seafood is a particularly rich source.
A scheme providing normal amounts of these food groups will generally be sufficient to prevent a deficiency of taurine, but not necessarily to ensure maximum benefits for people suffering from the conditions mentioned above. Those who follow a vegetarian diet should also take special care to combine foods properly to obtain adequate supplies of essential amino acids, particularly methionine.
Fortunately, however, there seems to be no problem of toxicity with taurine supplementation, except for people suffering from stomach acid or ulcers excess. Thus, some nutritional therapists routinely R.
