You might have seen taurine listed as an ingredient in energy drinks or seen bottled taurine supplements, but you don't have to do anything special to get taurine. Taurine is found in many everyday foods, and your body is able to make taurine on its own. While there are a wealth of claims about what taurine can do for your body, more research is needed to determine its lasting effects.
Definition
Taurine is one of the amino acids classified as non-essential, which means it can be made by the human body, so you don't need to worry about consuming taurine in your everyday diet. Taurine helps to regulate the levels of water and mineral salts in your blood, and some researchers suggest it might help improve athletic performance. Taurine also might have antioxidant properties. MayoClinic.com reports that there's still controversy over whether the combination of taurine and caffeine, found in some energy drinks, can improve mental performance.
Sources
If you want to get more taurine through your diet, think protein-rich foods. The amino acid is found naturally in meats such as beef and lamb, fish, eggs, dairy products and brewer's yeast. Babies can get taurine through breast milk. Taurine is added to many energy drinks, which also contain large amounts of sugar and caffeine. MayoClinic.com warns that this combination of ingredients can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, increase feelings of nervousness and irritability and making it hard to get a good night's sleep.
Dosing
If you want more taurine than you're already getting from foods, supplements are widely available. MayoClinic.com reports that up to 3,000 mg a day is generally considered safe. If you take more, the excess is excreted from your body by your kidneys. However, MayoClinic.com reports that you shouldn't overdo it. It notes that little is known about what effect taurine has on the body when it's used in large amounts or over a long period.
Myth
Some people mistakenly believe that the taurine in energy drinks, such as Red Bull, comes from the testicles of a bull. That myth might be rooted in the origins of the word taurine. The Vanderbilt University Psychology Department notes that the word taurine has it roots in the Latin word "taurus," which means bull. It was found originally in the bile of an ox, or castrated bull, and can be found in the urine of female cattle. However, taurine used in today's energy drinks is made synthetically.
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