What exactly is taurine?
A conditionally essential amino acid that occurs naturally in our bodies but needs to be supplemented on some occasions, taurine is one of the most common ingredients in various energy drinks and other similar products whose goal is to promote energy and wakefulness.
Unlike caffeine and most other ingredients that you will find in such products, taurine is not a stimulant but rather a sedative that can also be used to reduce feelings of anxiety and similar disorders. While taurine is ever present in most energy and pre workout drinks, the fact is that it is not such an important ingredient in these, and its effects are not felt nearly as much as those of caffeine or other stimulants used in such products.
The amounts of taurine in energy drinks can be quite high, but its effects are limited. This article aims to inform you on all the reasons taurine is used, best ways to get enough of it through regular diet and which taurine supplement you should use if you do decide you want supplementation.
What is taurine good for?
Taurine is a very common part of energy drinks, but its effects are definitely limited. The compound appears to slow down the absorption of glucose, which may be one way of avoiding sugar crashes as the intake of sugars, becomes slower and your body gets more time to adjust. This is one of the reasons bodybuilders and athletes use taurine.
Additionally, taurine has been linked with a great number of general health benefits, including the prevention of anxiety and stress, especially when related to physical activity. The compound also has anti-oxidant properties, protecting our cells from damage caused by oxidation.
Doctors may prescribe taurine supplementation in cases of many different diseases, including congestive heart failure, cystic fibrosis, high cholesterol and blood pressure etc. The compound is also linked to prevention of epilepsy related seizures and other similar seizure like events.
All that said, taking taurine supplements will definitely not change the way you work out from the inside out, but every little big helps and the reduction of workout related anxiety and sugar crashes are both definitely useful tricks to add to your arsenal.
Are there side effects to taking taurine?
It is really hard to say whether taurine itself causes any side effects. Several Scandinavian countries decided that since there wasn’t enough research done on it yet, it is better to temporarily ban the compound from use.
On the other hand, in the rest of the world, taurine is a commonly used ingredient in energy drinks and all sorts of other supplements, and appears to do its job just fine. Energy drinks in general can cause a great number of side effects however, and if not taken in a reasonable dosage, they may lead to high blood pressure, heart related problems and many other negative side effects.
If you are going to take anything that has taurine in it, we suggest you talk to a physician first and most definitely only consume the amount that is prescribed by the product maker, if not even less than that just to be sure you are not overdoing it.
How do I get some taurine?
Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid, which means that in most cases your body produces it but in some cases you may need some extra. If you do need extra taurine, fish and meat are great sources of it and taurine supplements are the other way to go.
Vegetarians and vegans will really find it hard to get their hands on any taurine without supplementation and even those who do eat meat may not get enough of it on a regular basis.
There are many supplements out there that contain taurine, and Vit2go ENERGY is one such product. This product is designed to increase your overall energy levels and get you going for the day, whether you are a bodybuilder, athlete or an office clerk as it increases your physical and mental energy to the maximum using a great number of ingredients.
The ingredients found in Vit2go ENERGY partially remind of those you would find in an energy drink, and they include taurine. Taurine in the product is used for all the aforementioned reasons and in mild doses, so you should not have any side effects whatsoever. On the other hand, the benefits of this product are widely known as it is a compound that will help jump start you for the rest of the day within a minute.
