What Do People Use Taurine For? Top 10 Uses!

Taurine is an essential ingredient in energy drinks, where it is combined with caffeine and sugar. It’s produced naturally in our bodies, where it is transported to tissues that require lots of energy. Taurine has protective properties in your body’s cells, which is why it is such an important supplement. In this article, we explore the top benefits that people use Taurine for. This remarkable compound has a great variety of benefits and effects. Some are already established with lots of scientific research behind them, while others still require more research. Read on for the top ten uses for Taurine! [caption id=""attachment_1757"" align=""alignright"" width=""848""] Taurine may help to boost your mood and to promote a healthy body[/caption]

1.    Taurine for working out

Animal studies have shown that taking Taurine for working out may be very beneficial. When you work out, the Taurine levels in your muscles deplete. However, supplementing with Taurine before a workout allows the Taurine levels to stay high. Scientists believe that this might help to reduce muscle fatigue.[1]  

2.    Taurine for headaches

Taurine may not be ideal to use for headaches. One study found that Taurine levels were higher in the brains of people suffering from migraine that in a control group. However, this study looked into migraines, which are different to normal headaches.[2] Another study found that people suffering from headaches had lower Taurine concentrations, while people without headaches had higher plasma Taurine levels.[3]  

3.    Taurine for sleep

[caption id=""attachment_1758"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Taurine may help to promote healthy sleep[/caption] There hasn’t been much research done yet on the effects of Taurine on sleep. Some animal studies have been done but because of how complicated sleep is, these don’t really correlate to humans properly. At least one study found that sleep deprivation caused a powerful increase in Taurine levels, as well as serotonin and tryptophan. This may indicate that as you get more tired, your Taurine levels increase. More research may well show that Taurine is helpful in promoting healthy sleep.[4]  

4.    Taurine for eyes

One of the best benefits of Taurine is its effects on maintaining healthy eyes. Scientists have found that your body keeps stores of Taurine in your eyes to help protect them from harm. Taurine is the most abundant amino acid in your eyes – there is around ten times more Taurine than any other amino acid in your eyes. Not only this, but scientists already know that animals like cats and dogs who don’t have enough Taurine in their diet and who’s bodies don’t products as much Taurine as humans do lose their eyesight rapidly unless they get extra Taurine. Scientists believe that Taurine plays a protective role in your eyes, protecting all your eye tissue from damage.[5]

5.    Taurine for energy

[caption id=""attachment_1759"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Evidence shows that Taurine may boost your energy, especially when combined with caffeine[/caption] Most energy drinks contain a certain amount of Taurine, often in combination with lots of sugar and a moderate amount of caffeine. A few studies have examined the effects of Taurine on your energy. At least one study compared the effects of caffeine to Taurine for energy. The researchers found that Taurine had powerful effects in increasing cognitive energy, as well as reducing some of the negative effects of caffeine.[6]  

6.    Taurine for stress

Researchers have found that Taurine may be effective in reducing the symptoms of stress. Scientists have found that Taurine supplements are effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety in animal tests. However, there is still more research that could be conducted on how Taurine affects stress levels in humans.[7]  

7.    Taurine for cats

Believe it or not, Taurine is an essential nutrient for cats. Their bodies don’t make nearly as much Taurine as ours do, and as a result they require a much higher amount of Taurine from their diets. In cats, Taurine deficiency leads to loss of eyesight and blindness. Cats are carnivores and they get their Taurine from meat and fish. However, some people choose to help supplement their cat’s diet with extra Taurine supplements![8]  

8.    Taurine for liver

[caption id=""attachment_1760"" align=""alignright"" width=""284""] Growing evidence shows that Taurine may help promote a healthy liver[/caption] Scientists have found that Taurine is exceptionally beneficial in maintaining a healthy liver. Taurine seems to act like a protecting and cleansing compound in your liver, helping to sustain good health. One study looked into the effects of Taurine on the liver function of ten children with obesity. Being obese has serious effects on your liver, including a build up of fatty tissue in and around your liver. The scientists found that Taurine was highly effective at promoting a healthy liver by restoring healthy amino acid levels. Regardless of whether or not the children lost weight, their liver function still improved with Taurine supplements.[9]

9.    Taurine for heart

Taurine has been studied extensively for its effects on cardiovascular health. This is why many people use Taurine for heart health. Taurine is effective at promoting a health heart and circulatory system. Taurine helps to maintain healthy calcium ion levels, which are essential for a healthy heart. Taurine is also beneficial in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. High LDL levels in your blood increase your risk of developing heart disease. Taurine’s effects include destroying LDL and removing triglycerides from your blood. It may also help to promote a healthy blood pressure.[10]  

10. Taurine for focus

[caption id=""attachment_1761"" align=""alignright"" width=""300""] Taurine may help to improve your mental focus[/caption] Taurine is also sometimes used for focus, especially when you take it in an energy drink or as a stack with caffeine. Although there hasn’t been much research into the effects of Taurine on cognitive performance and memory, it does have a very synergistic relationship with caffeine. Taking Taurine with caffeine helps to promote cognitive performance and a good mood. It may also help to improve sociability and to reduce feelings of stress![11]  

Conclusion

In summary, Taurine is an excellent dietary supplement with a number of wonderful properties and benefits. You can use Taurine for mood, Taurine for energy, Taurine for stress, and Taurine for protecting your heart and liver. Taurine is an amino acid-like supplement that your body produces naturally.   For more information about Taurine, check out our blog post <here>. Please use these dietary supplements responsibly. If you’re using prescription medication or have an underlying medical condition, please consult with your doctor before using Taurine.          

References:

  [1] Y Yatabe et al., “Effects of taurine administration on exercise”, Adv Exp Med Biol. 2009;643:245-52. [2] F Martinez et al., “Taurine levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in migraine patients”, Headache. 1993 Jun;33(6):324-7. [3] J Castillo et al., “Amino acid transmitters in patients with headache during the acute phase of cerebrovascular ischemic disease”, Stroke. 1995 Nov;26(11):2035-9. [4] SK Davies et al., “Effect of sleep deprivation on the human metabolome”, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jul 22;111(29):10761-6 [5] H Ripps & W Shen, “Review: Taurine: A “very essential” amino acid”, Mol Vis. 2012; 18: 2673–2686. [6] GE Giles et al., “Differential cognitive effects of energy drink ingredients: caffeine, taurine, and glucose”, Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2012 Oct;102(4):569-77 [7] CG Zhang, SJ Kim, “Taurine induces anti-anxiety by activating strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor in vivo”, Ann Nutr Metab. 2007;51(4):379-86. Epub 2007 Aug 29. [8] KC Hayes, “Nutritional Problems in Cats: Taurine Deficiency and Vitamin A Excess”, Can Vet J. 1982 Jan; 23(1): 2–5. [9] K Obinata et al., “Effect of taurine on the fatty liver of children with simple obesity,” Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996;403:607-13. [10] YJ Xu et al., “The potential health benefits of taurine in cardiovascular disease”, Exp Clin Cardiol. 2008 Summer; 13(2): 57–65. [11] R Seidl et al., “A taurine and caffeine-containing drink stimulates cognitive performance and well-being”, Amino Acids. 2000;19(3-4):635-42.