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Taurine
Michael Lam, MD, MPH
www.DrLam.com
Taurine is an
important amino acid in our body. It is found mostly in our central nervous
system, skeletal muscle, and in greater concentration in our heart and brain.
It is made from two sulfur containing amino acids called methionine and
 Methoinine
and cysteine are found in egg yolk and meat as well.
Taurine is commonly
found in animal protein and not in Vegetable protein. Vegetarians with a
low intake of protein may have difficulty producing taurine in their bodies.
In addition to meat, taurine is found in abundance in shell fish. Vegetarians
as well as those on a low fat diet will have to be mindful on the amount
of taurine consumed.
Cardiovascular Disease
In the cell, taurine
keeps potassium and magnesium inside the cell while keeping excessive sodium
out. In this sense it works like a diuretic. But unlike prescription diuretics,
it is not a cellular poison. It does not act against the kidney, but improves
kidney function instead. Taurine is very useful in fighting tissue swelling
and fluid accumulation. People with heart failure, liver disease , late
stage ovarian cancer, congestive heart failure frequently have unwanted
fluid accumulation inside their bodies and people who take long plan flight
usually have slight fluid retention.
Taurine has been very
successfully used to treat people with high blood pressure. When excessive
fluid is normalized, blood pressure becomes normalized. Taurine functions
to dampen the sympathetic nervous system, thereby relieving arterial spasm.
When blood vessels relax, the body’s blood pressure will fall.
There have been studies
showing the positive effectiveness of taurine on heart failure. Aside from
having diuretic properties, taurine is able to strengthen the heart muscles
and maintain proper calcium balance. Together with Coq10 and
carnitine, taurine is able to regulate the heart’s contractility and
guard against toxic threat of chemotherapeutic drugs such as adriamycin(doxorubicin).
.
Working together with
magnesium, taurine also is able to regulate heart rhythm and help to stabilize
it.
 Women’s
Health
Taurine is an important
amino acid in the female body. The female hormone estradiol depresses the
formation of taurine in the liver. Women who are on estrogen replacement,
birth control pill, or those suffering from excessive estrogen (this is
a widespread condition commonly called estrogen dominance) may need more
taurine. Taurine is also helpful in clearing excessive fluid retention during
menstrual period.
Furthermore, synthetic
estrogen replacement therapy blocks the production of taurine in the body
, as well as in the case of chemotherapy or the lack of good bacteria in
the intestinal tract.
Neurological
 Taurine
functions in the brain and the heart to stabilize the cell membrane by regulating
the electro-chemical forces. It tends to inhibit and modulate neurotransmitters
in the brain and helps to stabilize cell membranes. It is beneficial to
the gall bladders, eyes, blood vessels, and has some antioxidant and detoxifying
activities. Because it aids the movement of potassium, sodium, and calcium
in and out of the cell, taurine has been used as a supplementation for epileptics
as well as for people who have uncontrollable facial twitches. However,
because of its inability to cross the blood brain barrier, the use of taurine
to treat people who are in a neurological dysfunctional state is limited.
Between 1 and 3g a day,
there is usually no problem.
However at a dosage
of more than 5g a day, taurine may occasionally cause loose stool. The general
dosage for people who have edema, high blood pressure, and seizure disorders
range from 0.5-4g a day. In high doses, taurine may increase slightly the
secretion of stomach acid.
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About The Author
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.A.A.M. is a specialist in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree and is Board Certification in Anti-aging Medicine by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. He has authored numerous articles and the following books: The Five Proven Secrets to Longevity, How to Stay Young and Live Longer, Estrogen Dominance - Hormonal Imbalance of the 21st Century, and Beating Cancer with Natural Medicine.
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© 1999-2009 Michael
Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
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