where does taurine come from?
An organic acid, taurine is derived from cysteine (an amino acid). As cysteine contains sulfur, & taurine is derived from cysteine, taurine is also classed as a sulfonic acid. The structural formula of taurine is C2H7NO3S. In 1827, German chemists Leopold Gmelin and Friedrich Tiedemann isolated taurine from ox bile. Bile is the digestive juice produced in the liver. Stored in the gallbladder, bile helps the body digest food, particularly fats.
What is taurine? Taurine is a type of amino acid, and amino acids form the main constituents of all proteins. Taurine is exclusively found in animal-based proteins. It is critical for normal vision, normal digestion, normal heart muscle function, to maintain normal pregnancy and fetal development, and to maintain a healthy immune system.