Obesity has become an epidemic in America, with 34 percent of adults over the age of 20 obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help fight this epidemic, researchers are studying a wide variety of drugs and compounds to see if they might be able to help people lose weight faster and more effectively. The amino acid taurine is one such compound that shows some potential for assisting with the prevention of obesity.
Identification
Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in your body and is found primarily in muscles and your nervous system. It helps regulate your heartbeat, promote healthy cells and might play a role in the levels of neurotransmitter chemicals in your brain. Taurine is concentrated in food sources such as meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and fish, although it's also available in supplement form.
Taurine Deficiency and Obesity
For some time, it has been suspected that levels of taurine in the body are associated with obesity. Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Health and Nutrition studied taurine in obese mice and found they had a deficiency in taurine levels in their blood. When mice on a high fat diet were given taurine supplements, they showed increased resting energy expenditure and didn't become obese.
Dietary Taurine
Korean researchers investigated dietary taurine intake in male college students in a study published in 2009 in "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology." After assessing the diet of the students, the scientists didn't find a significant difference in dietary taurine and nutrient intake between the normal and obese groups. However, waist and hip circumference was higher in the group that consumed fewer taurine-containing foods.
Supplement Benefits
Research on worms showed that taurine plays an important role in reducing fat deposits by modulating the way cells accumulate lipids, according to a study published in 2010 in the "Journal of Biomedical Science." Taurine supplements were also shown to decrease body weight and cholesterol levels in a group of overweight college students, compared with a control group, according to a study published in the journal "Amino Acids" in 2004.
Diabetes and Taurine
Research has linked increased levels of fat in the body and type 2 diabetes. A study in 2004 in the journal "Obesity Research" found that taurine supplementation was effective in lowering insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and accumulated abdominal fat in rats that had type 2 diabetes associated with obesity.
Considerations
Taurine supplements up to 3,000 mg daily are generally considered to be safe, although higher doses have been used in clinical trials with few adverse effects. Safe doses have not been determined for children or pregnant or nursing women, and if you have liver or kidney disease, avoid taking taurine without consulting your doctor. Many energy drinks containing taurine also have high levels of caffeine that can cause an elevated heart rate and blood pressure, interrupt your sleep, and cause nervousness and irritability. Such drinks sometimes have added sugar that can contribute to weight increases.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Obesity Fast Stats
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Taurine
- MayoClinic.com; "Taurine in Energy Drinks: What is it?"; Katherine Zeratsky
- "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences"; "Carboxypeptidase E Mediates Palmitate-Induced '-Cell Er Stress and Apoptosis"; Kristin Jeffrey et al; June 2008
- "Obesity Research"; "Taurine Alters Respiratory Gas Exchange and Nutrient Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetic Rats"; Nagakatsu Harada et al; 2004
- "Endocrinology"; "Taurine (2-Aminoethanesulfonic Acid) Deficiency Creates a Vicious Circle Promoting Obesity"; N. Tsuboyama-Kasaoka et al; July 2006
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