HealthyPIG Magazine

Taurine is a chemical substance called sulfamic acid. It naturally exists in the human body and has many important functions. Taurine is found in large amounts in the brain, retina, heart, and blood cells called platelets. The best food sources are meat, fish and eggs. The body usually makes taurine on its own. But some people cannot do it and need to get taurine from their diet or supplements. Breast milk is rich in taurine, but non-breast-fed infants cannot get enough taurine, nor are they capable of making taurine, so taurine is often added to infant formula. It is also added to formulas for adult tube feeding. People take taurine to treat congestive heart failure (CHF) and liver swelling (inflammation) (hepatitis). It is also used for sports performance, energy enhancement, diabetes and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.