Taurine

What plants do not provide

A sulfur amino acid concentrated in the heart, the retina and the muscles.

The body makes it from cysteine, and no plant provides it. Levels are lower in vegans, without anyone today being able to draw a clear practical consequence.

Effects and benefits

A sulfur amino acid abundant in the heart, retina and muscles, which helps bile digest fats. In 2023, a study made headlines: in mice, adding more of it extended life.

The liver binds taurine to bile acids, which makes them better at emulsifying the fats of a meal. It also helps regulate water and salts in the cells of the heart and retina.

In 2023, a study showed that its blood level falls with age in mice, monkeys and humans, and that supplementing it extended the life of mice by about 10% (Singh et al., 2023). In humans, nothing is proven.

Cats, for their part, cannot make enough: without it, they go blind, which explains its presence in their kibble.

Sources: Singh et al., Science, 2023 · Laidlaw et al., AJCN, 1988