Sources of Taurine

Taurine is an essential amino acid that aids in the normal function of many physical processes. Taurine supplementation may be desirable for people who are concerned about their natural taurine levels; vegetarians and vegans may need to supplement, as taurine is mainly found in meat and seafood.

Function

• Taurine helps in cardiac function, fetal development, retinal function, immune function, skeletal growth and other important processes.

Production

• Humans and most animals are able to synthesize their own taurine from the foods they eat. It is either taken in directly from meat and seafood, or synthesized from other amino acids.

Meat

• Taurine is found in most meat, but is especially prevalent in liver and hearts. A diet containing a healthy amount of meat will give most people and animals all the taurine they need.

Seafood

• Scallops, shrimp, clams and other shellfish are particularly high in taurine. The levels of taurine in these seafoods are even higher than those found in meat.

Taurine Supplements

• For vegetarians and vegans, getting taurine from animal protein is not an option. Therefore, it may be necessary to supplement taurine by other means. Taurine is available in pill form, as capsules and as powders.