Benefits of taurine on the mind.
29 Jan 2023
Benefits of taurine on the mind
Depression, a psychiatric and dysthymic disorder, severely affects the learning, work and life quality. The main pathogenesis of depression is associated with central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Taurine has been demonstrated to exert protective effects on the brain development and can improve learning ability and memory. Our study investigated the antidepressant-like effects of taurine pre-treatment by examining the changes in depression-like behavior, hormones, neurotransmitters, inflammatory factors and neurotrophic factors in the hippocampus of a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive rat model. Taurine was found to inhibit the decrease of sucrose consumption and prevent the deficiency of spatial memory and anxiety in rats exposed to CUMS, suggesting a preventive effect of taurine on depression-like behavior. Furthermore, the decreased levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine, noradrenaline; the increased levels of glutamate, corticosterone; and the decreased expressions of fibroblast growth factor-2, vascular endothelial growth factor and brain derived neurotrophic factor in depressive rats were hindered by taurine pre-administration. However, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β levels were not significantly changed by taurine. The results demonstrated that the anti-depressive effect of taurine may be involved in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the promotion of neurogenesis, neuronal survival and growth in the hippocampus.
Mental health benefits of taurine
Taurine is essential for a healthy heart, brain, bones, vision, hearing, and more.
It’s thought to increase physical stamina and improve athletic performance.
It’s also critical for mental health and well-being.
Taurine can help with anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia.
There is a significant correlation between high levels of dietary taurine and longevity.
A diet high in taurine (from seafood and nori) is believed to be one of the reasons for the extreme longevity found in pockets of people in Japan.
However, the two most common reasons people supplement with taurine are to enhance physical performance and to calm anxiety.
Taurine supplements are commonly taken by endurance athletes and bodybuilders to relieve cramps, muscle soreness, and fatigue.
But limited research has been done and so far the evidence of taurine’s efficacy for these conditions is mixed.
Reference: https://bebrainfit.com/taurine-benefits/
What is taurine and can it help with sports and exercise?
Some studies have indicated that taurine supplementation can have benefits among healthy individuals, especially those who exercise or participate in sport.6 Taurine supplementation has been linked with reduced fatigue, less muscle damage and less muscle soreness after an exercise session.7 In one 2013 study at the University of Stirling, it was found that taking 1000mg taurine ‘significantly improved’ the time it took trained runners to run a distance of 3km.8 A Brazilian study, also in 2013, declared that taurine supplementation improves performance while decreasing muscle damage after strenuous exercise.9