Jami Dulaney MD Plant Based Running and Wellness Podcast Episode 436: Is Taurine the Answer to Longevity?

Welcome! and Thank you for listening.  People come to my office with bags of supplements fearing nutrient deficiencies after scanning the internet for life extension hacks.  Sometimes they just feel poorly and hope that the supplements hold the key to more vitality and energy.  

Taurine is the latest to make the scene as a much needed supplement for longevity.  It is touted as being a "nearly" essential amino acid.  Essential amino acids are ones our bodies cannot produce and we have to ingest.  Humans make taurine through a series of steps from the essential amino acid methionine.  True carnivores such as cats do not make taurine and have to ingest it from animal sources.  It is most abundant in fast twitch muscle such as wings, thighs, and heart.  Sound great if you are a cat but not so great if you are plant based.  

So what do we plant based people do?  We eat methionine in our vegetables and grains and our body makes taurine.  It is true that the blood levels decrease as we age.  It is also true that plasma, blood, and tissue levels differ so we do not know how much taurine is at any given place at any given time.  We also know that lower methionine intake is associated with decrease in cancer growth as in leukemia, lymphoma, breast, and prostate.   So if you take taurine, it will be broken down into methionine.  There is always a back side.  I hope you enjoy my discussion in today's podcast.  As always, check out our website for information on our medical practice at doctordulaney.com

You can email me at jami@doctordulaney.com with questions.  We would love to help you reach a healthy lifespan without hacks or gimmicks.  

Thanks for listening

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7146589/

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn9257

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2403070/

https://www.amazon.com/Plant-based-Wellness-Cookbook-Generations-Cooking/dp/1733967702/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-nc-drs1_0?cv_ct_cx=doctor+and+diva&dchild=1&keywords=doctor+and+diva&pd_rd_i=1733967702&pd_rd_r=b4b3e11f-e7c1-4a71-a571-54903174e969&pd_rd_w=jpaTr&pd_rd_wg=GNibG&pf_rd_p=8f655ecb-bc8c-4750-9088-950aa74d52dd&pf_rd_r=JMDW81JEWW3K2VMA0JND&psc=1&qid=1608320722&sr=1-1-88388c6d-14b8-4f70-90f6-05ac39e80cc0