Ever eaten a prairie oyster?
Rocky Mountain oysters, calf fries or huevos de toro. A dish I can gladly say I have not tried. In case you haven't heard of this dish, it is bull's testicles, crumbed and deep fried. Sometimes flattened. Ouch!
There's a story going around that those ... orbs ... are the source of taurine. Often seen in cans of energy drinks. I mean taurus, taurine? I get it. So just how many bulls are singing falsetto for that can of Red Bull you just downed?
Good news! None. Taurine is an amino acid that is found in all humans. In fact it makes up about 0.1% of us. It was first isolated from ox bile in 1827, hence the name taur-ine.
So why is it in energy drinks? Most of the energy and focus from those drinks is from caffeine and sugar, which has side effects in high doses. A study showed that that "taurine should neutralize several untoward effects of caffeine excess." Or, taurine stops the caffeine from making you feel ill.
But, the reason I bring up Taurine is for its brain effects.
In a recent study, an international team of researchers tested the effects of a daily dose on middle-aged mice and monkeys. The amount of taurine in our blood naturally declines with age, so the team was curious whether an extra dose of the amino acid might be beneficial. The results were striking. The animals that received taurine were much healthier and more youthful – their muscles, brains, immune systems and other organs were functioning better – than those that did not get the amino acid supplement. Crucially, the lifespan increased by 10 to 12%. If taking extra taurine in later life has the same benefits in humans, it could be equivalent to almost an extra decade.
And another study found that taurine increased the amount of brain cells and stem cells in the brain, "resulting in a net increase in adult neurogenesis." Or, brain get smarter, in normal people speak.
So where can we get this amazing substance? Funny you should ask! It's in The Daily Shake and The Better Sleep Hot Chocolate and The Daily Electrolyte Hydration Powder. You could say I'm a fan. (It's also good for hangovers.)
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