Taurine - Not from bulls but really no bulls

Make your heart stronger like bulls but not with caffeine

 

Just like aspartame and sucralose, I recognized taurine from the ingredient list of energy drink. Taurine or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid is a conditional amino acid, and not an essential one.  It means that taurine is produced by human or animal body and mostly found in heart and brain.  It has a very important roles to cardiovascular system, retina and central nerve system function, and skeletal muscle development. 

Unlike the origin of the name, taurine is not made from bulls testicles.  However, it can be found in bulls and female cows's bile, and also in fishes.  Meanwhile, taurine that we find in supplement and energy drink is a synthetic product. Some health conditions that might need taurine as a medication:

1. Congestive Heart Failure including Cardiomyopathy
2. Hepatic disease
3. High cholesterol
4. High blood pressure
5. Cystic fibrosis
6. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Regarding the energy drink content, some articles say that the duo-combination between taurine and caffeine could result the opposite effect of the stand-alone taurine to all the cardiovascular patients.   So that, please pay close attention to any drinks or foods that contain caffeine, unless you are quite healthy to experience the side effects.  Of course, further research need to be done, but precautions are more important.  Just drink and eat safe.

Other advantages of Taurine

1. Taurine has a function as an anti oxidant to prevent human body cells from the damage caused by oxidation. 
2. Taurine helps muscles and nerve system to transport more oxygen to entire body especially brain, so that will increase the power and endurance of any physical activity.
3. Taurine helps to prevent arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and high blood pressure, by reducing the plaque along the arteries.
4. Taurine also helps diabetic patients from hyperglycemia and insulin resistant.

Taurine has a function to keep the balance of sodium and also maintain the content of magnesium and potassium inside cells. It has also been functioned as a dietary supplement for epileptic patients.   

Notes

Taurine is not a toxic substance.  It can be excreted from kidney, along with urine. However, a moderate consumption pattern must be applied for consuming the pure taurine.  1 to 3 grams per day or even per week will give you a good benefit without any harmful effects.  Please remember, that synthetic taurine that we find in energy drink is different from the natural taurine from foods, in terms of its purity.  But still it helps to maintain your health as long as being consumed accordingly.