Taurine is the second most abundant amino acid after Glutamine in the amino acid pool of muscle. In the body, Taurine is synthesized from the essential amino acid methionine and its related non-essential amino acid cysteine. Taurine, unlike true amino acids, does not play a role in the metabolism of other proteins yet, it is one of the most abundant free amino acids in specific tissues, including the brain, retina of the eye, skeletal and cardiac muscle and certain blood components. Although Taurine does not appear to be as critical in dogs, under conditions of stress or disease the need for Taurine is increased and should be supplemented. Taurine deficient diets were shown to cause widespread blindness in kittens and dilated hearts in adult cats. Taurine is extremely important in the cat (a true obligate meat eating carnivore) as it is primarily found in muscle meats, clams, oysters and some fish. Taurine is required in infant animals for normal retinal and brain development and may need to be supplemented if not adequately supplied in their diet.Taurine is found in high levels in the brain, retina, heart, skeletal and smooth muscle, platelets and neutrophils.Taurine is a non-protein metabolic end product of the amino acid L-cysteine.Taurine is an essential dietary nutrient for cats but dispensable in dogs consuming adequate quantities of sulfur-containing amino acids. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable.Taurine is a sulfur amino acid known to play an important role in vision, brain activity, the nervous system and cardiac function. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. Safety and side effects of taurine? Taurine is generally considered to be safe as a supplement at moderate doses but may modestly reduce blood pressure (see Concerns and Cautions).For pets, the dose depends on the weight of the animal and ranges from 250 mg to 1,000 mg twice daily (See What to Consider When Using). How much taurine should I take and when? Taurine is typically taken at a dose of 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg (1 to 2 grams) twice or three times daily.Top Picks for taurine - Among the products Approved in testing, Top Picks that provide the best value and convenience were selected for people as well as for pets.The cost was even higher (up to 49 cents) with pet formulations (See What CL Found). The cost to get 500 mg of taurine ranged from just 1 cent to 18 cents in supplements for people. What did CL's tests of taurine supplements find? found no problems with the quality of a selection of taurine products sold in the U.S., but there were large differences in the cost to obtain taurine.In addition, it may be helpful in people with congestive heart failure or liver disease and in dogs and cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition often linked to diet and taurine deficiency (See What It Does). Taurine supplementation can help reverse deficiency. This is most likely to occur among vegetarians and pets fed non-conventional diets. Do taurine supplements help? Diets that do not provide nutrients needed to produce taurine or taurine itself, can lead to taurine deficiency.What is taurine? Taurine plays many functions in our bodies and in those of dogs and cats, but there is generally no need to supplement with taurine because it is produced in the body from other nutrients in the diet (See What It Is).
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