Taurine has a variety of physiological functions and is an essential nutrient for human health.
Taurine exists in almost all living things. The main organs of mammals, such as heart, brain and liver, have high content; the most abundant ones are marine fish, shellfish, seaweed, such as cuttlefish, octopus, Shrimp, shellfish, oysters, conch, clams, etc. Fish are rich in taurine such as mackerel, horse mackerel, and sardines.
The per capita annual consumption of taurine in some major countries in the world is roughly: 60g in Japan, 50g in the United States, 34g in the United Kingdom, 32g in Germany, 29g in Canada, 26g in France, 19g in South Korea, 17g in Indonesia, and 17g in Singapore, while less than 0.2g in China.
Taurine Efficacy
Promote brain tissue and intellectual development of infants and young children
Taurine is abundant and widely distributed in the brain, which can significantly promote the growth and development of the nervous system and cell proliferation and differentiation in a dose-dependent manner, and plays an important role in the development of brain nerve cells.
Studies have shown that the content of taurine in the brain of premature infants is significantly lower than that of full-term infants, because the cysteine sulfinate dehydrogenase (CSAD) in premature infants has not yet matured, and the synthesis of taurine is not sufficient to meet the The body's needs need to be supplemented by breast milk.
The taurine content in breast milk is higher, especially in colostrum. If the supplement is insufficient, the growth and development of young children will be slow and mental development will be retarded.
Taurine is closely related to the development of the central nervous system and retina of young children and fetuses. Long-term pure milk feeding can easily cause taurine deficiency. If the supplement is insufficient, the growth and development of young children will be slow and mental development will be retarded.
Improve nerve conduction and visual function
In 1975, Hayes et al reported that lack of taurine in the cat's feed would lead to retinal degeneration, long-term deficiency, and eventually blindness. The main reason why cats and nocturnal owls prey on mice is that mice are rich in taurine, which can maintain their sharp vision. If infants and young children lack taurine, retinal dysfunction will occur.
Long-term intravenous nutrition infusion of patients, if there is no taurine infusion, the patient's electroretinogram will change, and only a large dose of taurine can correct this change. Supplementation of taurine can inhibit the occurrence and development of cataracts, and taurine has important functions such as regulating crystal osmotic pressure and anti-oxidation
Prevent cardiovascular disease
Taurine can inhibit platelet aggregation in the circulatory system, lower blood lipids, maintain normal blood pressure and prevent arteriosclerosis; it has a protective effect on myocardial cells and can resist arrhythmia; it has a special effect on reducing blood cholesterol content and can treat heart failure.
Affect lipid absorption
The role of taurine in the liver is to combine with bile acids to form taurocholic acid, which is necessary for the absorption of lipids in the digestive tract. Taurocholic acid can increase the solubility of lipids and cholesterol, relieve bile blockage, reduce the cytotoxicity of some free bile acids, inhibit the formation of cholesterol stones, and increase bile flow.
Improve endocrine status and enhance human immunity
Taurine can promote the secretion of pituitary hormones, activate the function of the pancreas, thereby improving the state of the body's endocrine system and regulating the body's metabolism.
Affect glucose metabolism
Taurine can bind to insulin receptors, promote pituitary hormone secretion, activate pancreatic function, promote cell uptake and utilization of glucose, accelerate glycolysis, and reduce blood sugar concentration.
Studies have shown that taurine has a certain hypoglycemic effect, independent of increasing insulin release.
Another point of view is that the regulation of taurine on cellular glucose metabolism may be achieved through a post-receptor mechanism, which mainly relies on the interaction with insulin receptor protein rather than directly binding to the pancreatic islet receptor.
Improve memory function
In animal experiments on the relationship between taurine and brain development, it was found that taurine can promote learning and memory in rats. Supplementing an appropriate amount of taurine can not only improve the speed of learning and memory, but also improve the accuracy of learning and memory, and also has a certain effect on the anti-aging of the nervous system.
Maintain normal reproductive function
Normal reproductive function requires taurine to maintain. Some data have confirmed that when the content of taurine in cat feed is lower than 0.101%, its reproductive function is poor, the rate of stillbirth, miscarriage and birth defects increases, and the survival rate of pups decreases. Containing more than 0.105% can maintain normal reproductive function.