L-Taurine Deficiency

Taurine is an amino acid found in food that is also taken in supplement form to improve athletic and mental performance. Because taurine is needed for several important functions in your body, a deficiency of this important nutrient could lead to serious health problems. Since safe doses haven't been established, avoid taking taurine supplements without consulting your doctor.

Identification

Taurine is found primarily in your muscles and nervous system and is one of the most abundant amino acids in your body. Taurine also promotes healthy cells and a regular heartbeat, and it may play a role in stabilizing neurotransmitter chemicals in your brain. Taurine is found in food sources including meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and fish, although it's also available in supplemental tablets of 500 to 1,000 mg and in powdered formulas and energy drinks. Taurine deficiencies aren't common, but they occur more frequently in vegetarians.

Diabetic Complications

Diabetics often have low levels of taurine, which may be linked to complications of diabetes, including blindness, leg numbness and kidney damage. A study in the journal "Diabetes Care" in October 2007 showed that diabetic patients excrete taurine more extensively in urine than control subjects and probably have a lower rate of intestinal absorption. Diabetic patients receiving supplemental taurine have shown improved insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, heart and kidney function, and decreased nerve damage.

Increased Risk of Obesity

A taurine deficiency may also be a factor in obesity. Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Health and Nutrition found that obese mice fed a high-fat diet had low levels of taurine in their bodies, something the scientists attributed to an imbalance of enzymes that help process taurine. When the mice in the study were given taurine supplements, they showed increased resting energy expenditure and didn't become obese. These findings were published in "Endocrinology" in July 2006.

Heart Disease

In a study published in a 2006 issue of the "Journal of Hypertension," a deficiency in taurine was one of the dietary factors found to be linked to a greater mortality risk from heart disease. Scientists in Japan investigated the physiological function of taurine on laboratory mice, and they demonstrated that taurine was responsible for ensuring proper maintenance of cardiac and skeletal muscular structure and function. Taurine-deficient mice developed a wasting of heart muscle and heart disease.

Muscle Strength

Many manufacturers of taurine supplements target athletes and bodybuilders, claiming that the supplements can help improve muscle and performance. A 2009 article in the "Journal of Applied Physiology" reported that taurine supplements in mice increased muscle strength and function, reduced exercise recovery and decreased oxidative stress from exercise. In 2011, a research team in Brazil published a study in "Cell Biochemistry and Function" that showed using taurine supplements on male rats decreased levels of highly damaging superoxide radicals and also an enzyme called CK that results from muscle stress. The taurine also increased levels of thiol antioxidants in muscle fibers that help delay muscle fatigue.