What is L-Taurine and What Are the Benefits?

If you’ve ever taken an energy drink, the chances are that you have heard of L-Taurine, as it’s prevalent in many of the big brands on the market. As an amino acid, L-Taurine is known to have a range of impressive benefits on your health and wellbeing and can lead to various positive outcomes for different people. But what exactly are these benefits, and what can you expect from taking an L-Taurine supplement? Let’s find out.

Introducing L-Taurine 

L-Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that occurs naturally in the human body. It has numerous crucial functions and contributes to various health, heart, and neurological outcomes. It is an ingredient that is commonly included in energy drinks such as Red Bull, as it is also known to boost your productivity and sharpness. Although L-Taurine is an amino acid, it isn’t used to build protein and only becomes essential when you are experiencing illness or stress. As it exists in many foods and due to the fact that your body produces this amino acid naturally, humans are unlikely to experience L-Taurine deficiency. However, L-Taurine supplementation can have myriad benefits, as we explain below. 

The benefits of L-Taurine 

Fundamentally, L-Taurine performs numerous important roles in the human body. Researchers have found that L-Taurine is an effective antioxidant and regulates your immune system. What’s more, it plays a crucial role in the functioning of your central nervous system and even maintains optimum electrolyte balance within your cells. Studies have found that when you are ill, and your body is fighting an infection or disease, it may need larger amounts of L-Taurine than your body can naturally produce. You can easily get this by taking an L-Taurine supplement or by eating foods that are a rich source of this amino acid. 

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of L-Taurine have been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, while another study found that L-Taurine may even support people against the onset of heart disease. More generally, lots of people turn to L-Taurine in energy drinks to boost their performance levels. A review of multiple studies discovered that L-Taurine could lead to reduced muscle damage, improved recovery times, and increased strength and power as far as athletic performance is concerned. Although further study is required, it’s posited that L-Taurine can also be beneficial for eye health, hearing and liver health, highlighting just how important this amino acid can be for your general health and wellbeing. 

All of our blog articles are reviewed for medical accuracy by our Medical Director before publication.

Posted in: All, Men's Health