Taurine has important functions in the heart, brain and immune system.

It helps support nerve growth, helps us maintain proper hydration and produces bile salts, which help in digestion. Taurine also regulates minerals and supports the general function of your nervous system, vision and eyes.

While our bodies naturally produce taurine, you can also get it from meat, seafood and dairy.

“Vegans and vegetarians consume a much lower quantity of taurine when compared to people who eat meat. So they do tend to have lower taurine levels. That’s really only a problem if somebody is critically ill and needs extra immune support.

Known health benefits:

Maintain proper hydration. When we say “hydration,” we’re talking about electrolyte balances at the cellular level, particularly in your skin and hair.

Form bile salts in the liver, which help with digestion. Bile acids are crucial to our metabolism because they’re responsible for breaking down the fatty acids in your intestines, like triglycerides and cholesterol.

Regulate mineral levels (specifically calcium) in certain kinds of cells.

Support the development and functioning of the central nervous system. Nonhuman studies indicate that taurine protects your brain against aging and the development of certain kinds of neurological conditions.

Supports your vision. Taurine is the most abundant amino acid in your retinas and seems to help protect them against degenerative diseases.

Support your immune system. Taurine is an antioxidant — meaning it protects cells from inflammatory and oxidative stress.

May improve heart function. Some studies suggest that taurine can improve blood pressure regulation and heart function. It may also help regulate blood fat levels (triglycerides and cholesterol) in people with heart conditions like heart failure.

May prevent heart disease. If taurine is proven to help regulate blood pressure, the implications for heart health could be significant. Preliminary research suggests that, at high levels, taurine may help prevent heart disease.

May help with diabetes management. Zumpano says there’s research suggesting that taurine can enhance insulin sensitivity, thereby maximizing our body’s utilization of insulin. The potential result: A reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes — and improved blood sugar management for people already living with the condition. That would mean a slowing of the disease process and reduction in complications like diabetes-related neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy.

May improve exercise performance.We know that muscles contain high levels of taurine, but we’re still working to understand its exact impact. “Studies indicate that taurine can increase oxygen uptake in the body, which means it’ll take a person longer to get fatigued,  It may reduce muscle damage, which would help improve recovery and strength.