Any reason for taurine supplementation?

[AaranaKinsley]

Hi, Jeff, I'm new to posting, but have been eating a completely vegetarian and primarily vegan diet for the past 2 years since watching my Dad's positive experience reversing his heart disease on the McDougall, Esselstyn, and Furhman style programs. I'm young (28-years) and very fit, and I consider myself open to new advice based upon good science. However, I've read some conflicting information lately about the normal adult human ability to synthesize taurine. Of course, I'm sure taurine supplement promoters would like us to believe we need it-- but the article that most confused me was an article called "Comparative Anatomy and Physiology Brought Up to Date" on a website called BeyondVeg.com by a man named Tom Billings who seems well-informed though he's neither a physician nor a scientist. Specifically, the author briefly mentions taurine ("Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid") in Part 7: Insights about Human Nutrition and Digestion from Comparative Physiology. I knew that cats require taurine, but this article makes me wonder if I should have a source of it, too. I hope I'm not being naive by believing a website like this. I would much appreciate a response that explains the taurine issue and maybe puts a website like BeyondVeg into context. Thanks!

[JeffN]

Hi,

Hi, Jeff, I'm new to posting, but have been eating a completely vegetarian and primarily vegan diet for the past 2 years since watching my Dad's positive experience reversing his heart disease on the McDougall, Esselstyn, and Furhman style programs.

Glad to hear about your dad and your venture into healthy eating.

Of course, I'm sure taurine supplement promoters would like us to believe we need it-- but the article that most confused me was an article called "Comparative Anatomy and Physiology Brought Up to Date" on a website called BeyondVeg.com by a man named Tom Billings who seems well-informed though he's neither a physician nor a scientist. Specifically, the author briefly mentions taurine ("Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid") in Part 7: Insights about Human Nutrition and Digestion from Comparative Physiology. I knew that cats require taurine, but this article makes me wonder if I should have a source of it, too. I hope I'm not being naive by believing a website like this. I would much appreciate a response that explains the taurine issue and maybe puts a website like BeyondVeg into context. Thanks!

I know Tom very well and have so for decades from our "raw food" days. If you look closely, you will see that I am listed as one of the "contributors" to the site. It is an excellent site and does a great job at dispelling many of the myths in the alternative/non traditional health and diet camps and also in raising some interesting points. We are actually currently discussing some topics for some new articles..

The taurine discussion is interesting but just that. Taurine is not essential so you have a good source of it... you... as you make it as you do all other non essential amino acids.

While there is some evidence that vegans have shown lower levels, there is no evidence of a direct relationship to this and any harm or risk.

And, we have to remember, that lower levels do not always indicate an automatic concern. This is actually explained in relation to taurine in the classic nutrition textbook, Modern Nutrition In Health and Disease, By Maurice Edward Shils, that in spite of the lower levels, there is no evidence of harm and just the opposite, evidence of healthy adult vegans and healthy vegan children. Imagine that, a classic Nutrition Textbook defending the vegan diet.

Here is one of the studies cited in the textbook

Taurine concentrations in the diet, plasma, urine and breast milk of
vegans compared with omnivores
British Journal of Nutriiion (1986), 56, 17-27 17
BY SURINDER K. RANA AND T. A. B. SANDERS

http://journals.cambridge.org/download. ... 9fe14560df

"It may be inferred, therefore, from the present study that adult man has a considerable capacity to synthesize taurine. A diet devoid of preformed taurine does not appear to be harmful, since clinical studies on vegans suggest that their health differs little from that of omnivores (Ellis & Montegriffo, 1970; Sanders, 1978)."

In Health
Jeff

[AaranaKinsley]

Jeff, thanks so much for your quick reply. I certainly appreciate the information about taurine. I'm certainly reassured. I'm also glad to know about your awareness of and relationship to the author of the article I mentioned. I found his article to be quite rational and it made me wonder if I should consider re-introducing some sort of animal protein on a limited basis into my diet. However, my best conclusion from what I read was that insects such as termites or ants would be the most fitting form of animal protein for human health. I'm not culturally ready to do that at the moment. I'm glad to be reassured that it's not necessary. I love vegetarian eating and don't particularly want to change.