Curious Cook: Tales from a food diary, part 2

The columnist has a few curious titbits and thoughts about food from last year. This time: farts, moobs, chicken, pizza and butter.

JANUARY 28, 2018

BY CHRIS CHAN

Here is the second part of my jottings on items that caught my eye in the the final week of October 2017.

Read Part 1

A fart-ual story

There is definitely some truth in the old Chinese saying that one’s own farts always smell better than someone else’s emissions. I once nearly died (or felt very much like dying) when trapped in a car driven by someone who had emitted something terrifyingly mephitic but was so engrossed in conversation that he did not even notice. To be fair, it could also be my rather acute sense of smell, but I never rode with him in a car again.

Anyway, some newspapers were harping on about how the hydrogen sulphide in farts can protect against heart attacks, strokes, cancers and stave off dementia – this was actually a revival of an old story from 2014 when researchers at the University of Exeter had reportedly found that hydrogen sulphide (a major component of fart gas) can help prevent the death of cell mitochondria. In truth, what they really meant to say was that they had synthesised a complex compound called AP39 (chemically defined as [(10-oxo-10-(4-(3-thioxo-3H-1,2-dithiol-5yl)phenoxy)decyl) triphenylphosphonium bromide]) which is able to deliver small doses of hydrogen sulphide to sample cells undergoing oxidative stress in test cultures – and the mitochondria in these cells survived significantly better than cells which had not been treated with AP39. It is a very, very long way before AP39 (and controlled levels of hydrogen sulphide) can be medically used, assuming that a non-lethal way can be found to administer the compound into humans in the first place.

You have been warned, it’s there in the sign. Some stinky cheeses smell like fart. Photo: VisualHunt/Shell Belle

In short, farting around sick people will not help them – and in any case, the stink of farts is also affected by the amount of skatole present (skatole is a member of the indole family). If you are not aware, skatole (also known as 3-methyl-1H-indole) and indole are the compounds, which when present in sufficient quantities, simply induce extreme disgust – this is so that humans do not inadvertently ingest faecal material (where a lot of skatole and indole are present). Skatole is notable particularly because it is the compound which most humans find the most repellent in terms of smell. It is also an awesomely effective compound for attracting certain mosquitoes. Curiously, very tiny quantities of skatole and indole can have a somewhat tantalising aroma and are naturally present in some flowers, and also in lamb, mutton, goat meat, stinky cheeses, fermented tofu, et cetera – which explains why some people cannot tolerate such foods, and also why other people really like the same foods.

All these beers are going to give me moobs. Photo: VisualHunt/Chris Carpenter

Moobs

The development of unsightly, fatty breasts in men is usually caused by conditions such as gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia. Colloquially, such male breasts are often called “man boobs” but because that involved two words, some prefer to playfully shorten it to just “moobs”.

There are several grades of gynecomastia, depending on the breast swelling involved – the larger the potential brassiere size needed, the higher the grade.

Despite recent newspapers suggesting moobs are the result of drinking too many hop-based beers and therefore ingesting too much plant oestrogens, the real story is a little more complex. It is not only beer hormones that can cause male breasts, eating too much and not doing any exercise can cause pseudogynecomastia, simply from the accumulation of fat in the chest area – the areas where humans deposit excess fat is subject to wide personal differences.

Gynecomastia usually involves some external factor, such as the aforementioned hormones in certain beers – but it can also be due to medications, ingestion of bisphenols (such as BPA and BPS) from plastic bottles, consuming certain pesticides (eg. endosulfan and atrazine) or in rarer cases, some sort of hormonal imbalance.

If you are worried about moobs, the best remedy is to exercise regularly – you should also cut down on beers and stop ingesting potential problem compounds. If this is not acceptable, then an even simpler suggestion would be to get bigger T-shirts and keep them covered up.

Cooked chickens from China, which are not from China

The inanity of some governments never fails to bemuse me. Having failed for decades to persuade the EU to buy its hormone-laced beef, in 2017 the United States finally got China to agree to import US beef, finally ending China’s 14-year ban on US beef – though there is some shabby chicanery involved. For years, chicken produced in China had been banned in the US, probably for very good reasons (eg. hygiene failures, avian flu, overusing hormones, overdosing with antibiotics, et cetera) – but finally in return for agreeing to let its citizens eat US beef, the Chinese are now allowed to export cooked chicken to the US.

The bizarre twist is that such cooked chicken must have been slaughtered first in the US, Chile or Canada, frozen, shipped to China for further preparation and cooking before being re-exported back to the US. This may sound incredible but there are no mandatory labelling requirements to indicate to the consumer where the chickens had actually been processed – so people eating ordinary packaged cooked chicken in the US will not know where the less-than-fresh meat had been prepared. If Americans really want to avoid Chinese-processed chicken, they now have to look for labels that specify the chicken has been “Hatched, Raised and Processed in the United States”.

President Trump delightedly announced these arrangements as “REAL News!” presumably unaware that China’s involvement in this aberrant scheme depends on being allowed to export Chinese home-bred chickens to the US sometime in the near future. This means that it is probable that the US will soon be accepting poultry from a country where avian flu had killed several hundred people in 2016, and is still killing people in 2017.

Also, China’s food safety chief admitted that his own agency had uncovered some 500,000 cases of illegal food safety violations in the first nine months of 2016 alone. Audits by an international food safety agency in 2016 failed 40% of the thousands of Chinese food production facilities inspected. The arrangements which caused this blatant disregard of public food safety for Americans were greeted w

The US has a convoluted ruling for Americans to eat even more chicken than it already does. Photo: VisualHUnt

ith enthusiasm by US meat producers who can now tap into China’s growing meat-consumption market worth billions of dollars annually.

As a footnote, chicken is by far the favourite meat of Americans, probably because of its affordability. An example is Super Bowl Sunday, where over 1.33 billion chicken wings will be eaten on that one day alone. The US slaughters nine billion chickens a year, at a rate of 285 chickens every second of every day. Thankfully, lawmakers in the US had at least managed to ban processed Chinese chicken from being served in school meals.

Awful pizz-a news

While still in America, a large pizza chain there recently blamed a material downturn in its business on American football players kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. This is really weird because the company had already missed its revenue target months before the American football players started their kneeling protests. The complaint by the company led to right-wing extremists endorsing the company’s pizzas as their preferred pizza – though how this can help a countrywide chain of pizza shops selling across all demographics (which are significantly larger than a rabid racist minority) is rather puzzling.

One perspective may be that American corporates are now taking a cue from President Donald Trump and attempting to blame inconsequential issues and other parties to deflect blame from their own lack of ability. It may sound harsh, but perhaps it is actually the most charitable slant because other views would probably question their intelligence and/or moral compass. Regardless, I thought that it was a really strange way to run a food business, but rather typical of the current post-truth climate.

French butter crisis

And now we return to China, ostensibly the cause of the current butter crisis in France. I like butter – the taste is unctuous and silky on the tongue, and when used for cooking or baking, it infuses food with its special warm glow of creamy flavours. But now good butter has gotten quite expensive here in France, having gone up roughly 60% to 70% in price from last year – and all because the Chinese are now buying tonnes of the stuff. The impact had not hit me hard initially as the cost is just a minor inconvenience, but seeing rows and rows of empty butter shelves in large supermarkets was a huge shock when looking for fresh supplies early last week.

You see, I enjoy perusing the butter shelves – in a comforting way, it is not unlike perusing the wine section as there is such a variety of different butters, and over time I had slowly picked up on the nuances of the different types of butter. For example, when baking a cake, the only acceptable butters are those with 82% to 84% fat content and no salt (beurre doux) – this ensures the smooth, uniquely buttery aroma essential to all good cakes. For frying, I prefer butter with 80% to 82% fat and 3% sea salt content (beurre sale) and for spreading on a baguette or toast, it is 80% fat butter without any salt (beurre doux again). There are interesting variations too – when baking anything with coconut, then it is nice to use butter with 80% to 82% fat with 0.5% to 2% salt content (beurre demi-sel). One tip is that salted butter will keep several weeks longer than unsalted butter (the salt acts as a preservative) so do not buy unsalted butter unless you intend to use it soon.

Quelle horreur, the empty shelves of butter are painful to see. Photo: Chris Chan

But why are the Chinese buying up all the good French butter? Well, one reason is that good French butter is usually VERY GOOD butter. Like great wines and cheeses, the quality of good French butters are managed by special designations, such as “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” which ensures that production standards meet exacting local requirements in terms of the sources of milk and subsequent processing. Beurre d’Échiré, for example, can only be made from milk from 66 farms within a 30km radius of the village of Échiré.

However, it is not just the land denomination that makes good butter. The majority of butters produced around the world is simply churned from fresh cream – the churning action breaks apart the membranes around the fats and proteins in cream, allowing them to congeal as butter grains and float. These butter grains are then extracted and pressed to produce a butter containing between 65% and 80% butterfat with the rest as milk solids and water. Technically, butter is actually an emulsion of fat, milk solids and water – when warmed, runny butter can be reconstituted back into butter simply by chilling, but butter cooked in high heat (above 120°C) will destroy the emulsion properties and it then cannot be recovered back as butter (mainly because the milk solids will have denatured during cooking).

Good French butter is not produced in the same way, relying on more meticulous steps to produce a fermented cream before churning. The milk is kept in a temperature-controlled environment on arrival, skimmed, pasteurised at low temperatures and then fermented using bacteria from previous batches of cream. Depending on the butter producer, these bacteria can include Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus cremoris and/or various strains from the genus Lactococcus and Leuconostoc. Fermentation develops the lactic acid content and additional aroma compounds such as diacetyl, butanoic acid, delta-decalactone, et cetera – the blend of aroma compounds determines the idiosyncratic flavour characteristics of each producer’s butter. After allowing the cream to ferment for around 18 hours, the butter is then churned from the fermented cream and pressed as for ordinary churned butter. Some producers take the additional step of washing the cool butter in local spring waters.

Budda budda budda budda

As you can now see, butter is not the same everywhere and since the mainland Chinese have discovered good French butter, much of France’s production is now exported there. This is rather annoying and resulted in an experiment where I purchased home-made beurre doux from a local farmer and “blended” it myself by adding sea salt flakes. To be honest, although the results were quite tolerable, it was still not quite as successful as hoped – probably there are some differences in the bacterial blend used for local cream fermentation or it may have something to do with the (unknown) fat content.

You might think this is a silly first-world problem but if you like good flaky, fluffy pastries and moist delicate cakes, then the Chinese demand for good French butter can only mean that your top baker’s supply of butter is certainly going to be affected sooner or later – very many of the best bakers in the world use only good French butter. I do not need to explain what this will mean – not having access to French butter may be a first world problem, but nevertheless it is still a problem.

Potatoes? Not yet

There was a potentially interesting story about some alleged links between consumption of potatoes and high blood pressure – but a little follow-up research established that the premise was somewhat statistically unwieldy so it was not really worth reviewing, at least for the moment.

This concludes the thoughts on an October week’s observations of food-related items. No wonder many people often feel swamped by the amount of information related to food in the media – I do too, though the breadth of the subject is fascinating. Actually, I find other subjects also profoundly captivating but they are probably not as much fun as investigating and writing about food.

https://www.star2.com/food/2018/01/28/curious-cook-tales-from-a-food-diary-part-2

Dogs do not really need meat but cats do

Every year in the United States, 180 million dogs and cats eat about 25% of all animal-derived calories consumed. Since the livestock industry is a top contributor to climate-warming gas and water waste, the environmental toll from pet food is enormous.

January 5, 2018 Animals, Living

By AGENCY

As much as your poodle might look like a wolf, he isn't one, so it can thrive on a meatless diet. But cats, being obligate carnivores, need taurine, an amino acid unavailable in plants. Photo: TNS/ Dreamstime

It’s also largely unnecessary, as some in Los Angeles are beginning to realise.

The Los Angeles Animal Services Board heard a proposal last month to switch dogs at city shelters to plant-based food, and has since voted unanimously to study the feasibility of the idea. Commenters on social media immediately proclaimed, often in all caps, that “dogs need meat”, but science is not on their side. Dr George Fahey, head of the animal and nutritional sciences laboratories at the University of Illinois, has stated that a daily ration of corn and soybeans provides all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates a dog needs.

Two high-end plant-based dog foods under consideration are V-Dog and Halo. They don’t include corn or soy but are certified by the Association of American Feed and Control Officials as nutritionally complete for dogs. As explained by Dr Armaiti May, one of three veterinarians who testified in favour of the proposal, dogs have nutritional requirements, not ingredient requirements.

The Canidae line currently on offer in shelters has “chicken meal” as its first ingredient. Animal meal is made from rendered body parts not considered fit for human consumption, such as brains, hooves, snouts and genitals. It’s fundamental to the slaughter industry business model and a good protein source for cats. Obligate carnivores, cats need taurine, an amino acid unavailable in plants.

Dogs do not need rendered animal meal or “grain-free” food to replace it. Grain-free is a great marketing tool, but dogs have evolved over the millennia with humans and the gene crucial for starch digestion is 28 times more active in dogs than in their wolf ancestors. As much as your poodle might look like a wolf, he isn’t one.

In the initial report, shelter administrators said one reason to stick with animal-based food is that a switch to plant-based would lead to an increase in faeces – and therefore in sanitation work for employees. Constipation is indeed cleaner. But as Dr May informed attendees, “A bulky stool is a healthy stool.”

My dog, Winky Smalls, came home from the Best Friends NKLA shelter on grain-free food that included sweet potato and duck. Best Friends currently has an example of the latter ingredient, a duck named Mighty, up for adoption at its Utah shelter.

Winky had been plagued with recurring ear infections, which disappeared permanently after I phased the meat-based food out of his diet. Dr Jean Greek of Santa Barbara’s Animal Dermatology and Allergy Clinic, who treated Winky, told me she has had success managing many canine allergies with plant-based diets and that her own dogs eat plant-based food. While the board commissioner who put forward the proposal referred to it as “cost neutral” – Halo and V-Dog have offered to match Canidae’s price – if we take veterinary treatment into account, it may be cost-beneficial.

Speaking of money: For cost-conscious adopters, Natural Balance Vegan Dog Food is priced similarly to the Canidae fed at shelters. Winky is thriving on it, as did his predecessor, Paula Pitbull, who lived to be 17.

Testimony at the hearing in favour of the proposal was compelling. But as it defies every dog care norm and is bound to face backlash, I’m all for the due diligence of a full study. A law pushed through quickly can be just as quickly reversed by those who feel blindsided by it.

Some shelter somewhere will make the switch soon and others will follow suit when they see it work. Why shouldn’t LA go first? Animal lovers are increasingly adopting rather than shopping for dogs, and are likely to maintain the shelter diet. The plan could therefore significantly reduce the environmental impact of the meat industry while being good for our beloved pets. – Tribune News Service/Los Angeles Times/Karen Dawn

https://www.star2.com/living/2018/01/05/dogs-do-not-really-need-meat-but-cats-do/

Natural Sources of Taurine for Cats

Taurine is an amino acid that is essential in a cat’s diet because they cannot synthesize it adequately like most other mammals. 

Posted by Melody McKinnon on November 8th, 2011

The feline heart, platelets and retina require Taurine for both structure and function. Your cat’s liver, gallbladder, central nervous system, skeletal muscles and bones also utilize Taurine, and it may assist in electrolyte balance.

Taurine deficiency may result in:

• Retinol degeneration leading to vision impairment or blindness
• Dilated cardiomyopathy leading to heart damage, enlargement or failure
• Infertility
• Impaired fetal development
• Abnormal skeletal growth
• Fur loss
• Tooth decay

Manufactured cat food is required by the Association of American Feed Control Officials to be supplemented with synthetic Taurine. With home-made cat food becoming more common, concern and awareness of the essential amino acid Taurine for cat diets has increased.

We Recommend Natural Sources of Taurine for Cats

• Shellfish – Excellent sources of Taurine, with high levels in clams, scallops, krill and shrimp.
• Fish – Cold water fish such as sardines or salmon are excellent, natural sources of Taurine that cat’s love.
• Meat – All meat contains Taurine, with dark poultry meat being one of the best sources.
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Natural Taurine supplements suitable for cats – Fresh or low-temperature dried seaweed, freeze-dried krill, and brewer’s yeast. Our cat is fed both freeze-dried krill and a seaweed/algae mix on a regular basis.

Because Taurine is a free amino acid, it is easily lost with cooking (over 50%). If meat must be cooked, make it as ‘rare’ as possible, searing the outside to lock in the juices. Avoid cooking in water. We recommend heating fish to safe temperatures (140°F) for the purpose of killing parasites, or use freeze-dried seafood.  Contrary to popular belief, freezing is not a reliable method of killing parasites and their eggs.

Those who feed a variety of raw meat to their cat shouldn’t have to worry about Taurine deficiency due to insufficient intake. If your cat’s home-made diet is primarily cooked, experts recommend adding a Taurine supplement. Taurine supplements for cats are relatively inexpensive and the money we save in veterinarian expenses through premium health more than pays for itself. Of course, we’re also rewarded with a healthy, long-lived feline friend. 

There are manufactured Taurine supplements available specifically for cats. Some combined natural cat supplements also contain smaller amounts of Taurine, such as the popular Nu-Pet Feline Granular with Antioxidants.

You may be interested in trying this easy cat food recipe, Old Fish Bones in a Pumpkin, which is a good source of Protein, Taurine and Calcium.

Sources:
Freeman, Lisa M. Rush, John E. Nutritional Modulation of Heart Disease, Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 6TH ED.
Committee on Animal Nutrition, National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements of Cats, Rev Ed. 1986. 
Lima L, Obregon F, Cubillos S, Fazzino F, Jaimes I. Taurine as a micronutrient in development and regeneration of the central nervous system.
Strombeck, Donald, DVM, PhD. Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative. 1999.
Little, Susan, DVM DABVP (Feline). The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management
Messonnier, Shawn DVM. Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats: Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions, Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements. 2001.

http://allnaturalpetcare.com/blog/2011/11/08/natural-sources-of-taurine-for-cats-homemade-foo/

MUST READ: The Forgotten Longevity Benefits of Taurine

The Japanese have a life expectancy that is among the highest in the world. In fact, Okinawa, Japan’s famous “Island of Longevity,” likely has the world’s highest percentage of people over 100 years old.1

June 2013

By Ian Macleavy  

Undoubtedly, there are many factors that play into the life spans of the longest-living populations, but evidence shows that they all have one thing in common: high dietary intake of an amino acid called taurine.2

The connection between taurine and a long life is so strong that researchers have dubbed taurine, “The nutritional factor for the longevity of the Japanese.”3

Taurine promotes cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, electrolyte balance, hearing function, and immune modulation. In animal research, taurine protected against heart failure, reducing mortality by nearly 80%.4

Its benefits are so broad and extensive that scientists have described taurine as “a wonder molecule.”5

Taurine is found abundantly in healthy bodies.6 However, certain diets, particularly vegetarian or vegan diets, lack adequate amounts of taurine.7,8 Disease states—including liver, kidney, or heart failure, diabetes, and cancer—can all cause a deficiency in taurine.9-11 And aging bodies often cannot internally produce an optimal amount of taurine, making supplementation vital.12

That’s why those interested in longevity should consider this vital and super low-cost nutrient. In this article, you’ll learn how boosting taurine levels can contribute to better cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurologic health.

Why We Need Supplemental Taurine

In the enthusiasm to investigate new longevity compounds, sometimes the importance of venerable ones that have been around for decades is forgotten. Such is the case of taurine. Foundation members used to get taurine as part of multi-nutrient formula, but this product is not as popular as it once was.

A study released in November 2012 made the bold statement that taurine is one of the most essential substances in the body. The authors wrote:8 “Considering its broad distribution, its many cytoprotective attributes, and its functional significance in cell development, nutrition, and survival, taurine is undoubtedly one of the most essential substances in the body.”

Although it’s possible for your body to produce taurine on its own, you still need to obtain taurine through diet and supplementation in order to achieve optimal amounts of this essential nutrient.8,11,13

Because of taurine’s essential role in the body, supplementing with taurine can provide numerous health benefits, including restoring insulin sensitivity, mitigating diabetic complications, reversing cardiovascular disease factors, preventing and treating fatty liver disease, alleviating seizures, reversing tinnitus, and more.

Taurine Prevents Obesity

  

One of the ways taurine can help improve overall health is by fighting obesity. Obesity impacts every area of the body, especially because of the inflammation-generating abdominal fat stores. Human studies show that 3 grams per day of taurine for 7 weeks reduced body weight significantly in a group of overweight or obese (but not-yet-diabetic) adults.14 Subjects saw significant declines in their serum triglycerides and “atherogenic index,” a ratio of multiple cholesterol components that predicts atherosclerosis risk.

Various animal studies support the anti-obesity and lipid-lowering capabilities of taurine, both alone and combined with other natural products.15,16 These studies highlight taurine’s ability to improve glucose tolerance in obese animals, an important benefit given how many overweight people go on to develop diabetes.17,18

Perhaps most alarming, animal research reveals that obesity itself causes a decline in plasma taurine levels, which, in a vicious cycle, further promotes obesity.19 The observed decline in taurine levels was seen in mouse models of both genetic obesity and diet-induced obesity. Fortunately, in the same study, taurine supplementation interrupted the cycle, helping to prevent obesity and its consequences.19

Taurine Promotes Glucose Control—and Treats Diabetes

It is a known fact that taurine concentrations are lower among diabetics than they are in healthy individuals.20Given the above information about low taurine levels promoting obesity, it is clear that the low levels of taurine only serve to promote the interdependence of diabetes and obesity.20 Fortunately, human studies have shown that supplementing with just 1.5 grams of taurine a day can restore taurine levels to those in healthy control subjects, and additional animal research has shown that taurine supplementation can help prevent the onset of type II diabetes.20,21

Normal taurine concentrations are essential in controlling diabetes and the impact of its consequences. Animal studies have found that having adequate taurine concentrations helps control diabetes by reducing blood glucose and restoring insulin sensitivity.22 But it doesn’t stop there. Taurine helps prevent—and even reverse—many of the consequences associated with the disease.

For example, in adult diabetics, supplementation with 1.5 grams of taurine daily for just 14 days can reversediabetes-induced abnormalities in arterial stiffness and in the ability of the vasculature to respond to changes in blood flow or pressure.23 This can be critical to the longevity of diabetics, since these types of abnormalities are to blame for diabetics’ increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. In addition, studies in diabetic rats show that taurine helps protect heart function and helps prevent heart muscle damage, due in part to the ability of taurine to increase glucose transport from blood into energy-hungry heart muscle cells.24,25 In the process of increasing glucose transport into energy producing cells, blood glucose levels are lowered.

Additional animal and cell culture studies have revealed that taurine supplementation is effective against diabetic complications as well. Taurine supports nerve fiber integrity, potentially slowing or reversing painful diabetic neuropathy.26-29 And in the retina, another target of destructive elevated blood glucose, taurine fights glucose-induced oxidant stress and preserves the health of light-sensing cells in diabetic retinopathy.30-32Kidney damage, another consequence of diabetes, can be minimized with taurine supplementation in diabetic animals.33

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

  

Taurine: Bountiful Benefits

• Taurine is the most abundant amino acid you’ve never heard of; it is found throughout the body, but especially in tissues containing excitable cells, like nerves and heart muscle.
• Strong epidemiological evidence suggests that certain groups with the longest life spans consume higher amounts of taurine than those of us in the rest of the world.
• Taurine supplementation can prevent diabetes and obesity in animal models, and can mitigate the effects of both conditions in humans.
• Taurine supplementation strengthens heart muscle cells, extends their life spans, and protects them from damage, while reducing many of the factors that produce atherosclerosis and its deadly consequences.
• Taurine protects retinal and inner ear cells from damage, normalizing the flow of calcium ions they require for proper function.
• Evidence is growing for taurine’s role in preventing epileptic seizures and liver disease, two conditions that can be attributed to toxic effects on delicate tissue.
• If you are interested in a longer, healthier, and more active life, consider supplementing with taurine.

Taurine Reverses Cardiovascular Disease Factors

Taurine has powerful effects on the heart and blood vessels. People with higher levels of taurine have significantly lower rates of dying from coronary heart disease.1,34 Additionally, they have lower body mass index, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of dangerous lipids. Many different mechanisms account for these powerful effects on the heart and blood vessels.

In animal models of hypertension, taurine supplementation lowers blood pressure by reducing the resistance to blood flow in the blood vessel walls and by minimizing nerve impulses in the brain that drive blood pressure up.35,36 Oral taurine supplementation has been found to reduce the arterial thickening and stiffness characteristic of atherosclerosis, to restore arteries’ responses to beneficial endothelial nitric oxide, and to reduce inflammation (a direct contributor to cardiovascular disease).34,35

A study of patients needing coronary bypass surgery showed that consuming a liquid drink containing 3 gramsof taurine, combined with 3 grams carnitine, 150 mg CoQ10, and basic multivitamin nutrients, reduced left-sided ventricular volume during the heart’s resting phase (diastole).37 This is important since an increased left-ventricular diastolic volume is the single greatest predictor of death in patients requiring bypass or stent placements. This makes taurine a vital component of such patients’ diets.

ENHANCE YOUR EXERCISE PERFORMANCE

  

Want a better workout? Try taking taurine supplements! Trained athletes who supplement with taurine experience better exercise performance, and cyclists ride longer distances with less fatigue.38,39

There’s good reason for these positive effects: Taurine helps muscles work harder, longer, and safer.

Harder. Taurine increases muscle contractility (the force with which muscle cells pull together) in both skeletal and cardiac muscle.40,41 That means more powerful workouts as muscle works harder.

Longer. Taurine helps exercising muscle rid itself of lactic acid.42,43 Lactic acid is what causes the feelings of pain and soreness and is what limits how much a muscle can continue to work. By cleaning up lactic acid, taurine helps muscles work longer.38,43

Safer. Working muscles generate oxidant stress and damage DNA, leading to the potential for muscle damage and poorer performance. Taurine protects muscles from such damage, so muscle works more safely.38,44

Taurine Provides Potent Retina Protection

Taurine is especially vital when it comes to eye health. Adequate levels can help prevent age-related vision loss; conversely, a deficiency can lead to troubling vision problems. Age-related vision loss has many different causes, but near the top is the impact of oxidative stress on light-sensing cells in the retina. Such damage leads to age-related macular degeneration and other forms of retinal disease.45

While taurine is found in very high concentrations in the retina, it declines significantly with age.46-48Additionally, the taurine found in the retina fights oxidative stress, especially in diabetes, and helps restore deficient levels of nerve growth factor, required for maintaining retinal health.46,30,31

When taurine levels are deficient, a variety of vision problems can occur including retinal ganglion cell degeneration,49 and in children, retinal dysfunction;7 taurine supplementation has been shown to ameliorate diabetic retinopathy.30 Evidence is strong that taurine is vital in maintaining optimal retinal function.50

Certain drugs deplete the body of taurine, which can induce retinal damage.48,49,51 These include frequently used chemotherapy drugs such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®) and busultan (Bulsufex®) as well as the anti-epileptic drug vigabatrin (Sabril®). Radiation therapy has also been shown to deplete the body of taurine.51Fortunately, supplementation can restore taurine levels to normal and protect the retina in such cases.32,46,47,52

Taurine Helps Reverse Tinnitus

Taurine plays a vital role in hearing. In fact, studies have found that in some cases, taurine can reverse the biochemical processes behind hearing loss.53,54 Other studies have demonstrated that taurine can almost completely eliminate the ringing in the ears associated with tinnitus.55

Much of the damage to hearing occurs not in the mechanical parts of the ear, but rather in the nerve cells that convert sound waves into the electrical energy that is perceived in our brains. Like other nerve cells, these so-called “hair cells” depend on the flow of calcium ions into and out of the cell. Taurine helps restore and control normal calcium ion flow in auditory cells.53,56

Taurine improves the hearing ability in animals exposed to drugs like the antibiotic gentamicin, which is notoriously toxic to hearing.54 And in a boon for the 17% of us troubled by chronic tinnitus (ringing in the ears), taurine may be helpful in quieting the noise.57 Animal studies using human equivalent doses of 700 mg to 3.2 grams per day of taurine over the course of several weeks demonstrate near-complete resolution of tinnitus with taurine supplementation (the animals had been trained in tasks that are sensitive to distraction by tinnitus).55 And a human pilot study has shown encouraging results, with 12% of people responding to taurine supplementation.58

Solution for Seizures

While there are many types and many causes of epilepsy (seizures), a disruption in the function of excitable brain tissue underlies all of them. One of taurine’s major roles in mammalian biology is the regulation of such excitable tissues, making taurine of natural interest to scientists and clinicians who study epilepsy.59

Animal studies reveal that taurine depletion makes seizures more likely, while supplementation with taurine is capable of preventing seizures induced by a number of drugs and chemical toxins.59-61 Taurine appears to work by increasing the levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the enzyme responsible for the production of the neurotransmitter GABA, as well as by binding to so-called GABA receptors in brain cells, calming them and reducing their likelihood of participating in the random, uncoordinated electrical firing that produces an epileptic seizure.59,61

TAURINE AND ENERGY DRINKS

 

Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, and others have been getting a lot of press recently, most of it unfavorable. There’s concern that the drink’s biggest consumers, adolescents and young adults, are at risk for sudden death and seizures following high consumption.

Because taurine is a major ingredient in these drinks, some readers may be concerned that taurine might be contributing to these ill effects.

The good news (for taurine) is that there’s no evidence at all for taurine’s involvement in any adverse outcome of consuming energy drinks. It has been well-established that the high caffeine content in energy drinks (ranging from 80 milligrams, the amount in a strong cup of coffee, to 300 milligrams per serving) is to blame for the health problems associated with the drink. Side effects of energy drinks are the same as those of caffeine intoxication, and include nervousness, jitteriness, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, and (rarely) death.66

It’s probably best to avoid energy drinks entirely and instead focus on getting your energy from safe, natural sources. Taurine alone offers many of the advantages attributed to energy drinks, such as improved exercise performance.

Taurine Prevents and Treats Liver Disease

Increasing evidence suggests that taurine may help treat the most common cause of liver disease in the US, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (or NAFLD). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver, and it can be caused by insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Over time, the end result is the loss of liver function, leading to liver cirrhosis.

The human liver is our master detoxifying organ, screening our blood flow many times over each day for substances that can damage our bodies. Taurine is an integral part of the liver’s self-protective mechanisms.

Studies show that taurine defends liver cells against free radicals and toxins, helping to reduce the severity of oxidative stress-induced liver injury.62 This is vitally important in alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, both of which can progress to cirrhosis and liver failure.63,64

Human studies reveal the impact of taurine on liver disease. When 24 patients with chronic hepatitis took 2 grams of taurine 3 times daily for 3 months, serum markers of liver damage, as well as markers of oxidative stress, decreased significantly, as did their elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.65

DIETARY SOURCES OF TAURINE

 

Taurine occurs naturally in food, especially in seafood and meat.76 The amount consumed in most societies, however, is quite low. The mean daily intake from omnivore diets was determined to be around 58 mg (range of 9 to 372 mg).77 In another study, taurine intake was estimated to be generally less than 200 mg a day, even in individuals eating a high-meat diet.78 According to another study, taurine consumption was estimated to vary between 40 and 400 mg a day.77

Successful clinical studies with taurine have used daily doses of 1,500 to 3,000mg.14,20,23,37,65 It is challenging to obtain this amount of taurine from traditional dietary sources.

Taurine is made by the body from the metabolism of the amino acid cysteine.9,10 Aging can reduce the amount of taurine made from cysteine, thus making taurine supplementation desirable in maturing individuals.12,51,79

Taurine is not abundant in most plant foods.7 On average, non-vegetarians typically eat around 43-76 mgof taurine per day.77 Vegans have been shown to have lower blood levels of taurine.80

Summary

Taurine is the most abundant amino acid you’ve never heard of. Strong evidence suggests that groups with the longest life spans consume higher amounts of taurine than those of us in the rest of the world. High intakes of taurine could be the underlying factor in the world’s longest-living populations—and for good reason.

Taurine supplementation can mitigate the damaging effects of fat, glucose, and excess insulin. Taurine strengthens and protects heart muscle cells and the system of blood vessels that supplies blood throughout the body, helping to protect against atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes.

And taurine protects vision and hearing. It can prevent and alleviate seizures, and it has been shown to treat the most common cause of liver disease in the United States.

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.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

TAURINE: ONE OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL SUBSTANCES IN THE BODY!

• It increases the action of insulin, improving glucose tolerance, and acting as an antioxidant.67
• It is vital for the proper function of the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium.68
• Taurine regulates heart rhythm, cardiac contraction, blood pressure, and platelet aggregation,69,70 and regulates the excitability of neurons.69
• It detoxifies liver cells of various toxins.71-74
• It helps form bile acids and maintains cell membrane stability.9
• It reduces the synthesis of lipids and cholesterol that are associated with atherosclerosis.75

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2013/6/the-forgotten-longevity-benefits-of-taurine/

What Foods Contain Taurine?

by ROBIN WASSERMAN  Last Updated: Oct 03, 2017

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. However, unlike other amino acids, taurine is not a constituent of any protein. Instead, it exists free in intracellular fluids. Adult humans are capable of synthesizing taurine from the essential amino acids methionine and cysteine, although they still may require a small amount of dietary intake. Newborns cannot synthesize taurine directly and do require dietary intake, according to a 1977 study reported in the journal "Neonatology." A number of foods contain taurine.

Fish

Fish contain high levels of taurine. The Department of Molecular Biosciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis reports that whole capelin contains 6.174 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Cooked dungeness crab contains 5.964 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Whole mackerel contains 9.295 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight and Alaskan salmon fillets contain 4.401 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight.

Meat

Animal meat is a good source of taurine. A variety of large animals. including birds and insects, all contain taurine. Mechanically deboned beef contains about 197 mg taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Beef liver contains about 2.359 g taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Lamb contains about 3.676 g taurine per kilogram of dry weight and chicken liver contains about 6.763 g taurine per kilogram of dry weight, according to a UC Davis study reported in the "Journal of Animal Physiology" in 2003.

Human Breast Milk

Infants require dietary intake of taurine. Human breast milk has an excellent supply. Initial four- to five-day postpartum breastmilk, also known as colostrum, contains high levels of taurine. Gradually the amount of taurine in breastmilk reduces and by 30 days postpartum, there is roughly 40 percent of the peak levels. Because taurine is important in the development of the brain and eyes, baby formula manufacturers have begun adding it to artificial baby milks.

Sea Algea and Plants

While vegetables grown on land do not contain taurine, sea algae does contain taurine, according to a 1997 study reported in the journal "Plant Physiology."

https://www.livestrong.com/article/157099-what-foods-contain-taurine/

Eggs: A Natural Source of Taurine

by MATTHEW LEE  Last Updated: Oct 03, 2017

Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid, which is a compound that your body produces from the amino acids found in protein foods. Specifically, your body uses the amino acid cysteine to produce taurine, which promotes cardiovascular and neurological health. As eggs contain large amounts of cysteine, they are one of the best foods for boosting intake of taurine.

Taurine Content

According to Dr. Maurice Shils and colleagues, researchers have yet to establish the exact taurine content in most foods. However, as all animal products contain taurine, eggs naturally add some taurine to your diet.

Cysteine Content

Because your body produces all of the taurine that it needs from cysteine, levels of this amino acid are probably a good indicator of the taurine your body will produce from eggs. One large hard-boiled egg provides approximately 150 milligrams of cysteine. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you should try to consume 15 milligrams of cysteine per kilogram of body weight to meet your daily needs. This works out to approximately 1,100 milligrams of cysteine for a 160-pound person, so a single egg can provide more than 10 percent of the daily cysteine needs for many people.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/499267-eggs-a-natural-source-of-taurine/

How Does Taurine Work in the Body?

by JESSICA BRUSO  Last Updated: Oct 03, 2017

You get taurine, an amino acid, from the protein-containing foods you eat, and your body can also make it out of the amino acids cysteine and methionine combined with vitamin B-6. This abundant amino acid plays a number of essential roles in the body and may also limit your risk for certain health conditions.

Roles in the Body

Your body uses taurine and other amino acids as building blocks to form whatever proteins it needs, including muscle. Taurine is also important for the formation of bile for the digestion of fats, the development and function of the retina, the maintenance of cell membranes and the release of the neurotransmitters that carry signals between nerve cells.

Improving Heart Health

Taurine helps keep your heartbeat regular, according to the New York University Langone Medical Center. Although more research is necessary, a review article published in "Experimental & Clinical Cardiology" in 2008 notes that taurine may help lower blood pressure and prevent against ischemia-reperfusion injury when blood returns to your tissues after they've been temporarily deprived of oxygen. In addition, taurine may regulate the amount of calcium in cells, limit clogged arteries and act as an antioxidant to help limit inflammation. Thus, it may be helpful for people suffering from heart disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Protecting the Nervous System

Taurine helps develop your nervous system and protect it from damage, including the potentially adverse effects of glutamate. It may also help limit your risk for neurodegenerative diseases, according to an article published in "Current Opinions in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care" in November 2006, although further studies are necessary for verifying this effect.

Preliminary Research Results

An animal study published in "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology" in 2013 found that taurine appears to increase nitric oxide and testosterone levels in aged rats, thus increasing their sexual response. Another animal study published in "Hearing Research" in December 2010 found taurine may improve tinnitus symptoms. Taurine may also increase endurance by limiting muscle fatigue, according to an animal study published in "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology" in 2009. This amino acid appears to limit the risk for diabetes and its complications as well, according to a study published in "Amino Acids" in May 2012. Further studies are necessary to determine whether taurine has these same beneficial effects in people.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/209796-how-does-taurine-work-in-the-body/

Recommended Dosage of Taurine

by JOSEPH PRITCHARD  Last Updated: Oct 03, 2017

Taurine is an amino acid. Your body requires numerous amino acids, as they play a role in almost every vital physiologic process including muscle growth, neurologic function, protection of cells and proper function of the immune system. Taurine is made up from two other amino acids -- methionine and cysteine. Taking in the proper amount of taurine can help your body perform at its optimum level.

Function of Taurine

Taurine is most often given with other medications to treat congestive heart failure. Further clinical uses include treatment for cystic fibrosis, exposure to toxic substances and liver disorders. Though not the primary treatment for this condition, taurine is used in conjunction with more powerful medications to improve prognosis and lessen serious complications in patients.

Dosage

The recommended dosage of taurine is usually less than 3,000 mg per day, MayoClinic.com explains. At this dosage, your body is able to use taurine to power vital processes and excrete any excess via the kidneys. However, at higher doses, taurine may cause unintended side effects. There have been no comprehensive studies on the effects of taurine if taken in large doses or for a long period of time. Consult your doctor prior to taking large amounts of taurine.

How Taurine Works

Taurine is not a true amino acid and as such is not incorporated into proteins. Therefore, free taurine is able to move through various tissues such as the brain, heart and skeleton. This allows taurine to play a role in many biological tasks like detoxification, stabilization of the cell membrane and control of calcium levels. Patients suffering from congestive heart failure require strict calcium control and strong membranes, while those with liver disease will need extra detoxification.

Sources of Taurine

Taurine is found in most meats, fish and breast milk. Taurine is also commonly added to infant formula because neonates often have a difficult time synthesizing taurine. Many dietary supplements also contain taurine. Though unproven, taurine is purported to enhance athletic performance and is therefore an ingredient in numerous energy drinks. Before taking taurine supplements or energy drinks containing taurine make sure you read their labels to insure that you are not taking more than the recommended daily dose of taurine.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/442071-recommended-dosage-of-taurine/