It can be produced by our body, and it is also abundantly found in foods like, meat, seafood, fish and eggs. Apart from these, this organic acid helps to regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the body, and strengthen the immune system. It is very important for the heart muscles, and may prove effective for stabilizing the heart rhythm, and lowering the level of serum cholesterol. Even people with atherosclerosis, edema, cardiovascular, and heart disease can benefit from taurine. It is also beneficial for controlling the level of blood pressure. Animal studies have revealed that it can remove fatty liver deposits in rats, which in turn, can prevent liver disease and cirrhosis. Being a component of bile acid, it facilitates the digestion of fats.

It takes part in the metabolism of bile acids. It is also thought to have antioxidant properties and detoxifying effects. It is an important compound that ensures smooth functioning of the skeletal muscles, and aids neurological development. With the exponential increases in its consumption, many questions have been raised about its safety and effectiveness. It is also available in the form of dietary supplements, which are used by a large number of athletes and body builders, to increase their level of energy and muscle mass. Today, it is an essential ingredient in many energy drinks. Therefore, it is often cited as a sulfur containing amino acid or as an amino sulfonic acid. It is actually a derivative of the amino acid cysteine, which contains sulfur. Though it is considered as an amino acid, it does not contain a carboxyl group, unlike other amino acids. It plays a vital role in the functioning of the nervous and the musculoskeletal system, and is a major constituent of bile. Therefore, it is added to infant formulas. Scientific studies have also shown that a taurine rich diet helps in brain and eye development. It has been found that breastfed infants have better taurine levels than their formula-fed counterparts. However, infants are unable to produce taurine, but they obtain it from the breast milk of the lactating mother. This is because, the human body has the ability to synthesize this organic acid. Taurine or l-taurine is generally referred as a non-essential or semi-essential amino acid.

Taurine is named after the Latin word ‘ taurus‘, meaning bull or ox, because it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827, by German scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin.

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