For the last few weeks, having succumbed to the marketing, I’ve been bringing an “energy drink” (Clearly Canadian) to my Ultimate games and I have to say it certainly feels like it works (during the epic 2-hour second game last Monday I felt great). I was looking at the ingredients, and at number one was something called “taurine”. Now, many foodstuffs have mysterious and chemically dubious sounding ingredients, but this was the primary ingredient, so my curiousity was piqued. One Google search later….
Taurine, or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic acid. It is also a major constituent of bile and can be found in lower amounts in the tissues of many animals including humans….
Stop. You had me at bile. Beyond the question of how would they find out drinking bile boosts your energy, here is a completely natural, if by “natural” you mean “chemically strip a naturally-occurring substance found in the internal organs of mammals down to it’s base properties“, energy boost. Yes, it turns out it’s the major component of most energy drinks, such as Red Bull, and so on. But wait…there’s more. The always reliable BBC reports:
When we drink to excess, fat builds up in the liver, causing it to swell and reducing blood flow to this organ so vital in breaking down the toxins alcohol. Even one night’s over-indulgence can cause fat to accumulate. But some studies have found that taurine not only prevents this, it can reverse it…..
and….
“According to our study findings, it is possible that adding taurine to alcohol during drinking could help to minimise liver damage and ward off a hangover”
Now, forgive me if I’m beginning to think there is nothing taurine can’t do. Taurine, I’ve been looking for you all my life!! I will be like Taurus: Strong, like bull. Only drunker.
This post is tagged taurine
