I've been trying to find effective fat burners AND something that is safe, with a good reputation. I came back to BulkSupplements. I checked out taurine because I read about it elsewhere and ended up on an old thread. I was impressed by one young man who gave HIS experience along with a widely known use. I'm sharing it here. Also, I know for a fact that it eases stress, but it also killed my appetite in it's tracks. I was only craving cold water or tea. I'll update in a month. Remember, I'm 54 years old. It boasts of burning fat around your muscles, which got MY attention.. Ok, an opinion below..'''<br /><br />I imagine that it would make for a good pre-workout supp. Also nice to mix with some whey and sip on it during training<br /><br />Edit: Some info<br /><br />Suggested Usage: As a dietary supplement take 1 level scoop (1000 mg) or 1 vegetable capsule, with water or your favorite beverage 2-3 times daily with meals or on an empty stomach<br /><br />Taurine (2-Aminoethane sulfonic acid) is a conditionally essential free-form amino acid that is the most abundant free amino acid in many tissues and participates in a variety of metabolic processes. Taurine is found at high levels in the heart and skeletal muscle, white blood cells, the central nervous system, and is a building block for all other amino acids.<br /><br />Works as an ion and pH buffer in the heart and skeletal muscles and central nervous system.<br />Taurine is instrumental in preventing loss of potassium from heart muscle.<br />Aids in the digestion of fat, soluble vitamins, and the management of cholesterol levels.<br />Aids electrolyte balance and proper utilization of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.<br />Improves cell volumization and makes muscles appear larger.<br />Improves anabolic processes and boosts protein synthesis.<br />Maintains glucose uptake.<br />Taurine works synergistically with any form of Creatine.<br /><br />Also guys, this is supposed to be AWESOME for people who have hbp...I keep finding really interesting studies. By the way, I paid FULL PRICE for this product nd I'm extremely excited!<br /><br />Ok. I've been researching because I am losing weight! Here's why!!!<br /><br />Taurine is the amino acid of anxiety control and stress management because it will lower cortisol and helps people sleep getter. It also improves athletic performance and reaction time, making it useful for athletes.<br /><br />It supports insulin health, can help prevent diabetes, and elevates energy production. Taurine is a potent brain nutrient, lowers blood pressure, protects the heart, and fights inflammation. Sounds like we could all use a little extra!<br /><br />This article will focus on the ten best benefits of taurine for a lean body composition and excellent health. Taurine can give you that extra boost by improving your mood, motivation, and helping you feel all around better.<br /><br />1) Take Taurine For Less Stress<br />Even the most serene individuals often say they’d like to have less stress in their lives. Taurine can help us get there.<br /><br />Taurine is an amino acid that calms the nervous system by facilitating the production of the neurotransmitter GABA. By helping to raise GABA levels, taurine will allow your body to manage anxiety so that your thoughts don’t go spiraling out of control and you don’t get the associated cortisol and adrenaline spikes that go with anxiety and stress.<br /><br />If you have low taurine, your nervous system will be over-responsive to stress. A chronically excited nervous system means persistently high cortisol, and often, an increase in body fat. If you have any experience with fat loss, you know that the body is most agreeable about giving up its fat stores when it is calm and not stressed or overly stimulated. The simple stress-lowering effect of taurine will help you improve body composition and lose weight.<br /><br />For example, research shows that taurine supplementation can lower anxiety in stress-producing situations, thereby allowing for greater work output and performance. One study in Advances in Experimental Medicines and Biology found that a taurine treatment prior to an anxiety-inducing exercise test resulted in less anxious behavior and better performance than a placebo.<br /><br />2) Eat Meat To Optimize Taurine Levels<br />Taurine is an organic acid that is derived from the amino acid cysteine. However, taurine behaves more like a neurotransmitter because of how it calms the nervous system. Getting enough taurine will make you healthier.<br /><br />Taurine can be synthesized in the pancreas if sufficient cysteine is available. For best results you should get taurine in the diet, supplementing when your diet is lacking or you are under elevated stress.<br /><br />Resistance trainees and athletes will deplete this nutrient since it is involved in fat burning and recovery. For example, baseball pitchers and track throwers tend to be deficient in taurine and magnesium due to all the high velocity throws they perform.<br /><br />Foods that are natural sources of taurine are meat and animal products such as seafood, meat, milk, and eggs. Vegetarians and vegans tend to be chronically deficient in taurine. One of the more harmful things about nutrient deficiencies associated with the vegan diet is that the lack of taurine leads to chronic anxiety. With the added stress and over-stimulated nervous system that goes with taurine deficiency, vegans can be in for a rough time.<br /><br />A supplement will help non-meat eaters, but carnivores are recommended to include grass-fed animal products because this will also provide a nice dose of DHA and EPA omega-3s. Plus, you’ll get extra carnitine (essential for fat burning and works synergistically with taurine), creatine (great for body composition and performance), and conjugated linoleic acid (helps prevent cancer).<br /><br />3) Take Taurine to Burn Fat<br />Taurine helps the body metabolize fat, making it essential for energy production and a lean physique. But, it’s also necessary for many aspects of health because beneficial fats play a role in the health of every cell in the body.<br /><br />Fat burning works like this: The nutrient carnitine is responsible for the transport of fats into the cells to be used for energy in the body. By raising the level of muscle carnitine, you support the fat burning process, but you also must have adequate taurine for this to happen. Taurine plays a role in the initial phase of fat metabolism, while carnitine takes the fat into the cell to let your body burn it up.<br /><br />4) Take Taurine for Insulin Health<br />Taurine is a well known supplement for improving insulin sensitivity. Taurine makes the cells more sensitive to insulin binding and glucose uptake by multiple mechanisms.<br /><br />First, taurine has what is called an “anorexigenic” effect on the hypothalamus gland, meaning that it minimizes feelings of hunger by improving energy production and metabolism. A recent study in the journal Amino Acids found that the anorexigenic action of taurine enhances the role of insulin in the control of food intake and helps stall body fat gain.<br /><br />Taurine also has an antioxidant effect and has been found to lower chronic inflammation in the hypothalamus. An inflamed hypothalamus results in greater insulin production by the pancreas, which leads to higher insulin levels and obesity.<br /><br />A more concrete action of taurine on body composition is its ability to improve resting energy expenditure. Another new study in Amino Acids found that by raising taurine levels fat burning increased rest by activating pathways that play a role in insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal by 70 percent.<br /><br />5) Take Taurine To Raise Testosterone<br />Taurine has been proven to raise testosterone production, while not raising the concentration of estradiol, an estrogenic hormone. A study in Amino Acids found that taurine supplementation stimulated testosterone production.A suggested dose ranges from 3 to 5 grams of taurine a day for an 85 kg man.<br /><br />Obviously, having adequate testosterone levels is essential for the ideal male body composition because testosterone improves lean mass development and fights fat gain. Plus, it’s well known low testosterone in men is linked with poor health, particularly bad metabolism and the development of diabetes.<br /><br />Taurine is one nutrient among many that should be attended to for adequate reproductive health in both men and women. Along with taurine, carnitine, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D are all essential for health and body composition.<br /><br />6) Take Taurine and Fight Oxidative Stress<br />Taurine is a highly effective, if lesser known, antioxidant. Its ability to abolish free radicals and keep cells alive and healthy is partly due to how it helps maintain homeostasis and balance in the body.<br /><br />The integrated benefits of omega-3s and taurine in the body were demonstrated in a new study published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine that measured the inflammatory status of fat tissue in response to a diet that included supplemental sardine protein. Sardines contain some of the highest concentrations of EPA and DHA omega-3s of all fish, making them an excellent dietary addition, and they also contain taurine and vitamin E, another potent antioxidant.<br /><br />This study found that sardine protein minimized fat gain in response to a diet high in fructose. In addition, glucose uptake improved, oxidative stress markers were reduced, and inflammation decreased.<br /><br />7) Take Taurine To Perform Better and Recover Faster From Training<br />Taurine supplementation will increase force production, improve endurance and performance in both aerobic and anaerobic system sports.<br /><br />For example, one recent study showed that intense exercise significantly lowers muscle taurine levels, but that administering taurine during the exercise session counters the loss of taurine and helps improve work capacity.<br /><br />In this study, taurine supplementation improved endurance performance compared to a placebo group. Plus, following the exercise tests, urinary loss of creatine and other biomarkers were reduced. This means that taurine administration improved recovery and reduced the effects of muscle fatigue.<br /><br />One reason taurine improves performance and time to exhaustion is its ability to improve fat burning. One study showed taurine ingestion prior to a prolonged cycling time trial resulted in better performance and a 16 percent increase in total fat oxidation compared to a control group.<br /><br />Taurine also helps the fast-twitch muscles produce peak force by supporting the contractile properties and countering fatigue. It’s likely a combination of better energy production and the ability of taurine to maintain homeostasis in the body that play a role in increasing force in type 2 muscle fibers.<br /><br />8) Raise Muscle Taurine Levels For Cardiovascular Health<br />Taurine will protect the heart and lower blood pressure, and raising muscular levels has been shown to improve the exercise capacity of patients with heart failure. A recent study in the Journal of Cardiology compared the effects of 500 mg of taurine three times a day with a placebo on patients with left ventricular heart failure.<br /><br />The patients who received the taurine significantly increased exercise distance, and they improved their functional mobility over a two-week period, while the placebo group demonstrated no changes. Researchers suggest taurine improves calcium homeostasis, which aids cardiovascular function, and has “an overall beneficial effect on the macrovascular system.”<br /><br />The cardiovascular benefits of taurine are abundant and convincing. Multiple studies have shown taurine will lower blood pressure (it is particularly effective at preventing hypertension that is linked to insulin resistance and poor metabolic health).<br /><br />Further, a recent study in the Journal of Biomedical Science found that taurine and magnesium levels along with body mass index and total cholesterol were most directly related to the lowest cardiovascular risk in a population of healthy Japanese. Researchers suggest the combination of elevated taurine and magnesium stores support heart health in this population, and that the Japanese have higher levels of these nutrients due to the presence of fish in the diet.<br /><br />9) Sleep Better With Magnesium and Taurine<br />Together magnesium and taurine are the answer to abolish stress, calm the nervous system, and help you sleep better. You’ll also have a better overall mood. People who are deficient in either magnesium or taurine are at greater risk for depression and poor motivation.<br /><br />Magnesium is well known to calm the nervous system, while countering fatigue. Similarly, taurine raises GABA levels, calming the nervous system and lowering anxiety and stress hormones that hinder rest.<br /><br />10) Take Taurine For Better Brain Function<br />Taurine can delay the cognitive decline that comes with aging. It can also improve learning and retention in older individuals and will aid the development of cognitive function in children.<br /><br />Interestingly, research shows taurine will improve reaction time and minimize sleepiness in sleep-deprived individuals when paired with caffeine. A new study in the British Journal of Surgery tested the effects of a placebo, caffeine, or caffeine with taurine on surgery performance in sleep-deprived novice surgeons. The caffeine plus taurine reversed the negative effects of reaction time due to fatigue and minimized feelings of sleepiness, although not to baseline levels.<br /><br />Researchers suggest that the combination is ideal because caffeine provides the stimulus, while taurine has a calming affect that functions as an anti-fatiguer. Green tea paired with taurine and carnitine can be very effective when in a sleep-deprived state because this mixture helps to manage anxiety and improve energy and focus

Taurine has so many benefits it's a wonder I've never heard of it.<br /><br />First, taurine and zinc cannot be taken together. The taurine will block the absorption of zinc. Take the two at least 2-3 hours apart. Drink lots of water to speed up absorption.<br /><br />Insomnia - taurine helps with insomnia. My doctor prescribed Seroquel so I always sleep but I wasn't sleeping *restfully* until I started taking taurine (500 mg with dinner & 1000 mg before bed) along with either holy basil (aka, tulsi) or ashwagandha (stress reducing adaptogens). I prefer 1500 mg of the holy basil. Between these two, I sleep restfully. I wake up with that Ahhhh! feeling the morning. That has not happened in so many years, it was a shock when I got it a week ago. Some days I'm not even groggy from the ADHD and I can just get up without the battle to wake up first.<br /><br />More tentative results<br /><br />Cramping - Taurine regulates electrolytes. It actually controls the movement of electrolytes and water across cell membranes. I have savage muscular cramps, strong enough to pinch a nerve in my shoulder. I've tamed the cramping with[[ASIN:B003P5FWHS Casada Massage Cushion Maxiwell III with Jade Stone and Heating]] and [[ASIN:B00F7OZJOQ BulkSupplements Pure Magnesium Glycinate Powder (100 grams)]]but these solutions last a few weeks to a few months. I'm hoping to extend it with the taurine.<br /><br />For those of you who are bipolar, taurine controls mania. It works by tempering the activity of the dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate and aspartate neurotransmitters in the brain. It increases acetylcholine activity (inhibitory). Don't use taurine while depressed, you really, really, don't need to exacerbate the problem. It won't stop mania all by itself, that's been demonstrated in the scientific literature but it will help prevent mania. The [[ASIN:0965097609 Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder: A Compendium of Nutritional Approaches]] The therapeutic dose is 1500 mg split into three doses and timed to avoid any pill that contains zinc. For emergencies, the maximum dose is 2-3 gms per day.<br /><br />Thyroid and adrenal output - Taurine helps with overactive thyroids and overproduction of adrenal hormones like adrenaline. It protects from the effects of excess adrenaline and HELPS with STRESS.<br />Lowers blood sugar - it increases the release of insulin<br /><br />Early studies shows taurine counters seizures. Since I don't have seizures, I'll just have to take it on faith.<br /><br />Update Oct. 30, 2017<br />I've got the A1C results back and ... it's 5.1 - Even my most hardened doctor was impressed. Is it due to the taurine? That's really hard to say. I don't notice changes in the glucose read in the morning when I start/stop the taurine. It seems to more slow acting.<br /><br />In addition, I also changed the way I eat ginger. I was having a crisis of inflammation and decided to encapsulate my spices, specifically, powdered ginger and garlic. Then I really ramped up my consumption of anti-inflammatory spices. It was really helpful, controlling the arthritis pain in 3 days flat. Later, I discovered ginger helps control blood sugar AND cholesterol (yup, my cholesterol is HDL=70, LDL = 70), so the ginger is definitely working.<br /><br />So, the take home is - I'm pretty sure the taurine does help the blood sugar but it's hard to tell with the increased ginger consumption.<br /><br />Is the taurine helping with the mania? Yes, but I would say other supplements have more of a &#34;hit&#34;. The work faster and have a more perceptible effect immediately. On the other hand, these other supplements (inositol, kava) could make you manic if you over-methylate (histapenic). I under-methylate so it works and it's safe.<br /><br />I also met a doctor of restorative medicine (a psychiatrist) with experience using protocols like this. It takes approximately 6 months for any of these supplements to take full effect.<br /><br />Update Nov. 11, 2017<br />Sometime in the last 2-3 weeks, my manic mood has decreased. I lowered my dose from 1500 mg split into 2 doses in the evening to 1000 mg taken with dinner. Still I keep waking up in the morning with a numb feeling in the brain. It seemed like I couldn't generate any spontaneous thoughts - I had to initiate thinking. I was also oddly unmotivated until about 3-5 PM when suddenly my willpower turned back on. That was the clue. Norepinephrine is associated with motivation and taurine inhibits norepinephrine. So I just cut out the taurine cold turkey. I felt a quick change on the first night. I was not very sleepy until 2 AM and just woke up alert and brain-lively at 6:58 AM. I was also stiff as a board.<br /><br />The overdose of taurine resembles morning grogginess from all sorts of other conditions like not enough sleep, being woken up right in the middle of a sleep cycle or ADHD. The big difference is taurine will do this to you every morning, you'll never wake up alert. That's when the finger points to taurine and you need to lower the dose or cut it out entirely.<br /><br />Aargh! Not one of my doctors like to hear that I'm getting this little sleep. So, it's time to twiddle with the dosing until it stops shutting me down for so long.<br /><br />Sleep Aid - a resounding yes! Dosing is important, because an overdose might turn you into a zombie in the morning. It only seems to take full effect slowly because I needed to get used to going to bed at such an early hour.<br />Stops cramping - oh yeah. Huge difference with and without.<br />Balances electrolytes? I don't have any direct evidence that it's the taurine but my sodium and potassium levels came out dead solid perfect. My doctors all breathed a sigh of relief because I'm on lithium for my bipolar. If the electrolyte balance is off, then the lithium will destroy my kidneys and I'll be on dialysis/need a kidney transplant.<br />Helps prevent mania - You bet. It shut me down so hard, I could only shuffle around the house bumping into walls in the morning. Caffeine had NO EFFECT while I took taurine. On, the other hand, there are kinder, gentler ways to temper mania - for under-methylators/histadelic bipolars, Kava is safe, fast, puts you to sleep and shuts down the mania for days. For occasional use only and right before bed. I drank one small cup of Kava prepared in the traditional polynesian manner and I was out like a light in one hour flat. It was a race to get into bed before I just fell asleep. Inositol is also very good. You produce more serotonin which helps balance all those excitatory neurotransmitters (just like the taurine only good for daytime). Of course, if you overmethylate (histapenic), kava and inositol will make you manic in high doses.<br /><br />Taurine is a KEEPER.<br /><br />Update Nov. 26, 2017<br /><br />My doctor had many strong words to say to me when she found I went cold turkey off the taurine like that. You need to increase/decrease supplement doses gradually especially as you approach therapeutic doses (1.5-3.0 gms). She found a doctor with expertise in this area that hopefully both of us respect (willing to listen to).. So, my happy, carefree, outrageously dangerous days of playing with supplements will soon be over (!!!??? really?). BTW, I have no idea what &#34;gradually&#34; means for taurine but for other supplements making changes of 1/3 the therapeutic dose per week was considered reasonable.<br /><br />And yes, I didn't know about the graduat changes thing. I jumped to the therapeutic dose with every supplement I've ever tried. This approach does lead to increased side effects and stomach upset.

Taurine plays a vital role in hearing. In fact, studies have found that in some cases, taurine can reverse the biochemical processes behind hearing loss. Other studies have demonstrated that taurine can almost completely eliminate the ringing in the ears associated with tinnitus.<br /><br />Much of the damage to hearing occurs not in the mechanical parts of the ear, but rather in the nerve cells that convert sound waves into the electrical energy that is perceived in our brains. Like other nerve cells, these so-called “hair cells” depend on the flow of calcium ions into and out of the cell. Taurine helps restore and control normal calcium ion flow in auditory cells

I'm pretty pleased with this stuff overall. Since I have problems with anxiety and occasional bouts of insomnia, those were the two things I had in mind when I made this purchase. I'm very satisfied with the generous amount of product for this price and I am sure it will last me a long time.<br /><br />As for its effectiveness, it has a mild sedative effect on me and I think it helps me sleep a bit more soundly. This stuff is not a game-changer for me and I intend to &#34;stack&#34; it with some more Bulk Supplements products I have just ordered in hopes that I can bring my anxiety down and make some meaningful improvements to my sleep, which always tends to be restless even when I am not dealing with insomnia.<br /><br />When I first got this stuff I was dosing what turned out to be rather high for me and two things happened. Firstly, I think it lowered my blood pressure rather significantly. I am on a very low dose of two blood pressure medications since my pressure was not crazy-high and usually hovered around the 140/90 range. With my medications I am usually around 130/80 or so which my doctor considers to be OK.<br /><br />One day soon after I started taking this I probably took a heaping teaspoon of this stuff twice during the day with water. That night I was sitting watching TV and when I got up to go to the bathroom I had a pretty intense dizzy spell. Thinking that it might be blood pressure-related, I check and was shocked to find it was 99/59! I don't think it had ever been that low in my life. For me, this stuff seems to be able to influence blood pressure significantly when taken in large enough doses.<br /><br />The second thing that I discovered it that my digestive system does not seem to tolerate larger doses of this stuff very well. I found that it produced a lot of gas which was reminiscent of rotten eggs and that certainly did not do much to please my wife! I also experienced some general abdominal pain and discomfort which was unpleasant but not severe. Both the discomfort and gas stopped a day or two after I significantly lowered the dose. I now take 1/4 teaspoon in water twice a day- once in the morning when I get up and then just before I go to bed.<br /><br />This stuff mixes great with water and I cannot even tell it has been added. I've even talked my wife into adding this to her water and even though she is notoriously intolerant of anything that makes her food or drink taste different in any way, she has no problem adding this stuff on a regular basis.<br /><br />Like a lot of these other supplements, you kind of need to play around a bit to dial in the dosage that's right for you and then you'll probably find it to be a useful addition to your daily supplement routine.

It is a white powder that looks like table sugar, and is quite heavy compared to similar powders. It would be nice if a small spoon was included to take the powder out of the bag. I take 500mg a couple of times per day but have not really noticed anything. The stuff is supposed to be good for you, and the recommended daily dose is from 500mg up to 3 grams. So far I am happy with the product.<br /><br />Below is some information I found on the net.<br /><br />As a mild sedative to the nervous system, taurine is anti-nociceptive - it assists in reducing pain, as well as assisting in regulation of serotonin, prolactin, growth hormone, immune function and cholesterol metabolism.<br /><br />Arrhythmias or congestive heart failure - 2 grams three times daily has shown improved cardiac and respiratory function.<br /><br />The improvement in blood flow seen in type 1 diabetics was sufficient to normalize to a non-diabetic control group.<br /><br />It is well known that alcohol, even within five or six hours of sleep, interferes with Stage 4 sleep. Anyone who drinks alcohol could take 2000 to 3000 mg. of taurine at bedtime. This precaution appears to block the sleep-interference of alcohol.<br /><br />L-Taurine has a protective effect on the brain, especially when the brain may be dehydrated. It also works with zinc to maintain good eye function.<br /><br />Stimulates the release of growth hormone which causes muscle growth and reduces body fat.<br /><br />L-Taurine helps with states of depression and anxiety.<br /><br />L-Taurine produces norepinephrine, which is an appetite suppressor.

I make my own raw cat food,taurine is used in place of hearts,this product works great, no need to open a bunch of messy capsules.Miss Tillie the cat approved.