Taurine

Every body dreams of finding Shangri la – a place where everything is perfect, an earthly paradise/utopia where people have perpetual youth. I know I have. A, long ago movie, called ‘The Lost Horizon’ was my introduction into there being such a place. The movie was fictional, but could it be real?

While researching supplement ingredients, I came across an ingredient called TAURINE. Because of my insatiable curiosity, I checked it out. Could it be a step toward finding that Shangri la I am looking for?

You may know that the Japanese people have a life expectancy that is among the highest in the world with people over 100 years old. What factor comes into play for them to have that kind of life span?  Researchers claim the connection for this kind of long life span is an amino acid called taurine. In animal research “it was found that taurine protected against heart failure – reducing mortality by nearly 80%.” Others things taurine was found to be beneficial for included, in addition to cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, electrolyte balance, hearing function, and immune modulation.

Chances are that if you have a healthy body you have an abundance of taurine. If you are experiencing issues with the liver, kidney and/or heart, diabetes, and/or cancer you have taurine deficiency. As one ages the body doesn’t produce the amount of taurine it needs, so taking supplemental taurine is vital for continued optimal health and nutrition.

To educate you in regards to taurine, other benefits include:

• Obesity control – by improving glucose tolerance.
• Treats Diabetes – it is known scientific fact that taurine concentrations are lower among diabetics. Thereby,”normal taurine concentrations are essential in controlling diabetes and its consequential impacts. Taurine supports nerve fiber integrity – slowing painful diabetic neuropathy. It also minimizes kidney damage in diabetics.”
• Supplementation strengthens heart muscle cells, extends their life spans, and protects them from damage.
• Taurine protects retinal and inner ear cells from damage, normalizing the flow of calcium ions they require for proper function.
• It also plays a role in preventing epileptic seizures and liver disease.
• Enhances exercise performance by increasing muscle contractility; helps the muscle to rid itself of lactic acid (which causes pain and soreness); it protects muscles from the oxidant stress and DNA damage caused by hard exercise.

Taurine also prevents and treats liver disease – especially non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. “The human liver is our master detoxifying organ. Taurine is an integral part of the liver’s self-protective mechanisms. It defends liver cells against free radicals and toxins, helping to reduce the severity of oxidative stress-induced liver injury.”

How do you get taurine into the body, in addition to the healthy body making it from the metabolism of the amino acid cysteine? Natural sources include: FISH, dark chicken meat, eggs, seaweed, and sea algae.

(Research sources include: Life Extension, Wikipedia, etc.) I leave you with a quote from the Life Extension Magazine.

“With epidemiological evidence that it contributes to the longevity of famously long-lived groups, taurine belongs on the short-list of supplements necessary for maintaining optimal health in the face of aging.”

Have the Japanese found their Shangri la? Does this help you? I will keep looking, as I think it takes more than one supplement to maintain a healthy body. There is still a lot to be learned. Do your own research, and….

May God Bless!