Taurine is an amino acid produced in the liver from ingestion of the amino acid methionine, cysteine and vitamin B6 present in fish, red meat or seafood.
Taurine supplements exist in the form of capsules, or powder, for oral ingestion. They help to decrease protein losses and maximize the use of ingested proteins. Taurine is generally used in food supplements combined with creatine to boost muscle growth during weight training.
Before taking any supplement it is important to consult with the doctor or nutritionist so as not to harm your health and really get the benefit you want.
List of foods rich in taurine
The main foods rich in taurine are foods rich in protein:
- fish, seafood such as clams and oysters, poultry such as dark chicken and turkey meat, beef, some plant foods such as beets, nuts, beans, but in lesser quantities.
As the body can produce the amino acid taurine, it is considered a non-essential amino acid and, therefore, the consumption of foods rich in taurine is not very important.
Taurine functions
The functions of taurine are to assist in the development of the nervous system, to detoxify the body by facilitating the excretion of substances by the liver that are no longer important to the body and to strengthen and increase the strength of cardiac contractions and protect the heart cells.
The amino acid taurine also has an antioxidant action, fighting free radicals that damage cell membranes.
