Taurine is an amino acid essential for development in both humans and animals. According to Tufts Medical Center, there is no daily dietary requirement for taurine, because your body produces it from vitamin B-6 and methionine and cysteine, other amino acids. Taurine supplements are classified as dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and need no pre-market approval before they're sold to consumers. Please talk to your treating physician before taking taurine supplements to address your health or nutrition concerns.
Function
Taurine encourages healthy neurological functioning, writes MayoClinic.com nutritionist and blogger Katherine Zeratsky. It also encourages a regular heartbeat and healthy cell membranes. Taurine is found in foods that contain animal protein such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk, including human breast milk. Many energy drinks combine taurine and caffeine, which some manufacturers claim give you better mental focus. For some mammals, such as the domestic house cat, taurine is an essential amino acid --- cats cannot manufacturer their own taurine, so it must be included in their diet.
Uses
Zeratsky indicates that some people use taurine supplements to enhance athletic performance. However, other purported uses for taurine supplements include congestive heart failure, viral hepatitis, diabetes, epilepsy, cataracts, high blood pressure, alcoholism and multiple sclerosis, among other health conditions. A study published in the January 1992 issue of the "Japanese Circulation Journal" examined the effects of oral taurine supplementation on 17 individuals with congestive heart failure. Osaka University Medical School determined that taurine administered at a 3 g daily dose had a "significant treatment effect" on study participants' ventricular function after six weeks.
Safety
Tufts Medical Center, referencing the Osaka University study, indicates that 3 g taurine a day is generally considered safe in supplemental form. Vegans and vegetarians who don't consume animal foods occasionally experience taurine deficiency, and premature babies and infants receiving parenteral nutrition for an extended period of time may also require additional taurine. Zeratsky states that the long-term safety of taurine supplements and heavy supplement usage is unclear.
Cautions
Some health conditions for which taurine supplements may be used are complex and require the care of a health care professional. Taurine supplements are dietary supplements and cannot purport to prevent, treat or cure any disease. If you have congestive heart failure, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or another chronic medical condition for which taurine is sometimes used, talk to your treating physician before taking supplements to address your health or nutrition concerns.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Taurine in Energy Drinks: What Is It?; K. Zeratsky; June 2010
- Tufts Medical Center: Taurine; August 2011
- "Nutrition Hospitalaria"; Taurine: A Conditionally Essential Amino Acid in Humans?; R. Lourenço, M.E. Camilo; Nov-Dec 2002
- VetLord.org: Taurine is Essential for Cats; T. Lord, DVM; January 2008
- "Japanese Circulation Journal"; Usefulness of Taurine in Congestive Heart Failure; J. Azuma, et al.; January 1992
- U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements: Frequently Asked Questions
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