

Low taurine levels in the body are associated with retinal degeneration, growth retardation, and cardiovascular disease.

Taurine deficiency may be more common than expected. (Valle et al., 2017) Low levels and Deficiency Cognitive performance is improved when it is combined with caffeine, also common in energy drinks. The combination of ginseng and taurine in some energy drinks may offer synergistic benefits. It’s also essential for energy production, which is why energy drinks contain this nutrient. (Jong, Azuma, & Schaffer, 2012) In addition, it’s antioxidant effects can protect against age-related lipid peroxidation. It serves as a regulator of mitochondrial protein synthesis for protecting mitochondria from superoxide generation.
#Taurine deficiency symptoms free
Yet, researchers found that it is neither a classical free radical scavenger nor a regulator of antioxidant defenses. Additionally, it’s an unusual chemical because it is one of few amino groups containing sulfonic acid, which are stronger than carboxylic acids. Taurine is termed an amino acid because it’s an acid containing an amino group. Yet, it’s not an amino acid in the usual biochemical sense. Most amino acid compounds contain both an amino and a carboxyl group. It’s essential for cardiovascular function, the development and function of skeletal muscles, the retina, and the central nervous system. Therefore, it plays many biological roles, including conjugation of bile acids, helps maintain fluid homeostasis, stabilizes cell membrane, and manages calcium signaling. It also stabilizes cell membranes, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. It controls muscle metabolism and much more. Taurine Plays Major Roles in the BodyĬurrent research describes taurine as a primary nutrient. Upon resuming their supplement intake, both felt better. The next month, I asked both sisters to stop taking taurine at the same time. She reported the same results: stopping taurine increased her symptoms and restarting improved how she felt. Next, I tried the same experiment with the other sister. Upon using the supplement again, symptoms improved. Within two weeks, her fatigue and brain fog returned. Was taurine the forgotten nutritional supplement?Īs an experiment, I asked one of them to stop taking their supplement without telling the other.

Had functional medicine doctors overlooked a common, but essential nutrient? Was there another limiting factor that I hadn’t considered? Was I missing something about the benefits?ĭid these sisters share a common genetic mutation inhibiting taurine metabolism? So, of course, their results sparked a multitude of questions. Taurine didn’t produce the dramatic shifts these sisters described. I also recommended taurine for liver and gallbladder detoxification. I knew that it might benefit failing vision. Sometimes, I used it for heart conditions and seizures. When I started practicing, more than thirty years ago, the medical literature on this primary nutrient was sparse. When they took the amino acid, taurine, both felt better. I found that they both had one thing in common. Yet, they also had other symptoms that they didn’t share. Not surprisingly, they shared a cluster of ailments including chronic fatigue and hypothyroidism. Two of my patients were fraternal twins in their mid-forties.
