![]() Unusually for a biological compound, taurine does not exhibit chirality. This gives the molecule two polar ends and a non-polar carbon-chain centre, allowing for a great many possible binding interactions. At pH 7, the molecule exists as a zwitterion, in which the NH 2 end of the molecule exists as NH 3 + and the opposite end as SO 3. So what is taurine?Īlthough by the strictest definition, taurine is not an amino acid as it does not contain a carboxylic acid COOH group, it is generally referred to as one in published literature. Unfortunately, the test did little to determine which of the drink's ingredients were responsible for the effects. Seidl et al report a double-blind placebo-controlled survey on a number of university students who demonstrated increased motor response and alertness compared to those receiving the placebo. However, other researchers' findings support the company's claims. In terms of the muscular effect of taurine, while it is possible that ingesting extra taurine would increase the force generation of the muscles, no studies have been completed to demonstrate this and, given the naturally occurring levels of taurine in the body, it seems unlikely the dose added by Red Bull would cause a significant enough increase to have noticeable effects on the muscles. Also they suggest a psychosomatic element to the drink's effects. A cold cup of coffee should have essentially the same physiological effect. They postulate that the effects of the drink can be attributed almost entirely to its caffeine content, and suggest that the increased effect compared to a cup of coffee (which contains a similar amount of caffeine) is only due to the temperature of the two drinks. Research into this area is limited, but some researchers are sceptical. Red Bull promises that the taurine, along with caffeine and, in its original form, a great deal of sugar, will help to 'vitalise body and mind', and the adverts claim it will 'give you wings'. ![]() This was partly becasue of the drink's clever marketing, which leans heavily on its unusual ingredient - so integral is taurine to the brand that even the name derives from it - taurus is Latin for bull (as taurine was first isolated from ox bile in 1827). It originated on college campuses and in nightclubs in Austria, but the product quickly gained popularity and spread around the world. Taurine - Molecule of the Month December 2008 - HTML-only versionĪh, you're saying that because perhaps the most famous use of taurine in recent years has been in the energy drink Red Bull.
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