Taurine
Taurine
Taurine facts
- Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid
- Taurine is created from cysteine and methionine
- Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body
- Taurine functions as a building block of protein in the body
- Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid
While taurine is not an essential amino acid most of the time (essential amino acids are required in the diet as the body cannot manufacture them), there are certain special circumstances which makes it conditionally essential; this means taurine becomes an essential amino acid under special conditions, especially when intake of the amino acids methionine and cysteine are very low and for newborn infants, who cannot make taurine on their own and need to get it from their mother in the breast milk, or alternatively from formula baby milk.
Taurine is the end product of cysteine metabolism, which is how it becomes a free amino acid in the body that exists in basically all cells in the body.
Taurine, just like all the other amino acids, is one of the building blocks of all proteins in the body, which not only include muscles, but also all the other proteins required for normal function of the body.
Taurine is one of the few free amino acids that is in abundance in most parts of the body, especially the heart, muscles and the brain.
Taurine is one of the sulphur-containing amino acids (the others are cysteine and methionine). The sulphur in taurine is useful in maintaining healthy skin tone, strong nails and beautiful hair.
