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TAURINE EXPLAINED: A VITAL NUTRIENT FOR MITOCHONDRIA AND BEYOND

The Kaufmann Protocol Rating for Taurine (0. 3. 2. 1. 3. 0. 2)

SANDRA KAUFMANN

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A discussion of taurine should be simple enough, it’s a naturally occurring, sulfur-containing, β-amino acid. It is also primarily a free amino acid meaning it does not get incorporated into proteins, and is considered conditionally essential.


Taurine is everywhere, ubiquitously expressed, particularly in excitable tissues like the heart, retina, brain, and muscles. Skeletal muscle, in fact, holds about 70% of the body's taurine, and a 70 kg human has about 70 grams.


The name is oddly suggestive of bulls, explaining the fabricated story about bull sperm in energy drinks. The name derives from the fact that taurine was originally isolated from oxen, Bos taurus, in 1827.

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Despite being almost omnipresent, the amino acid was approved as a supplement in Japan to address heart failure in 1985. It is presently used to augment mitochondrial diseases, or diseases associated with failing mitochondria such as metabolic syndrome, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and even aging. As evidence of its benefits, elevated dietary taurine consumption is associated with decreased risk of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia as well as diminished body mass index and reduced levels of inflammation markers in obese women.


Taurine can be naturally produced in the adult human body, but it can also be consumed. Shellfish, particularly mussels, scallops, clams, and the dark meat of chickens and turkeys contain the most. Because of this, vegans tend to have lower levels of taurine. In the plant world, however, red goji fruit is also a rich source.

Taurine

Taurine is present in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.

What exactly does taurine do? In fact, it does a plethora of things.

  • It combines with bile acids in the liver to facilitate the intestinal absorption of dietary lipids

  • It acts as a major antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic factor

  • It stabilizes cell membranes

  • It contributes to osmoregulation, controlling cell volume

  • It helps nerve and muscle conduction

  • It acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system

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How does it do all of these things?


It turns out that taurine is extremely important in mitochondria, primarily due to a taurine transporter system preferentially concentrating it within the organelle.


Once there, it has several responsibilities. It acts as a mitochondrial matrix buffer and regulates intracellular calcium homeostasis. It enhances the activity of intracellular antioxidants, especially Copper/ Zinc Superoxide dismutase and glutathione. It also directly scavenges hypochlorous acid, generated from hydrogen peroxide in the presence of chloride ions. N-chlorotaurine, created by this reaction, then activates nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2, further up-regulating more endogenous antioxidants.


Lastly, and this is absolutely unique to taurine, it is a component of mitochondrial tRNAs and thus important for key mitochondrial protein production. It turns out that taurine conjugates or adheres to, certain uridines, which are components of mitochondrial RNA. These modified bases, especially 5-taurinomethyl-uridine, allow for more precise creation of specific proteins in the mitochondria. The most important of these, NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chains 5 and 6, are components of Complex I of the Electron Transport Chain. Failure of this taurine addition means an inefficient and even inoperable electron transport chain. As a result, taurine deficiency is associated with lactic acidosis, mitochondrial myopathies, and even encephalopathy.

Sandra Kaufmann

Therefore, supplementation of taurine can be very useful. Manufacturers are well aware of this, placing taurine into easily consumable products, such as Red Bull, monster and other energy drinks. But it is also readily available in innumerable forms.


One word of caution, however, taurine utilizes a taurine receptor that also has some affinity for other β-amino acids. Therefore other similar amino acids such as β-alanine may act in a competitive fashion.

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