What is Taurine and how is it made?

Taurine is a nature-identical/natural form amino acid that’s commercially synthesized from common chemicals. It’s made from the reaction of sulfuric acid with mono-ethanol amine; also known as ethanolamine; which is an amino alcohol that’s also part of phospholipids, like the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in lecithin, that are important components of cell membranes. 

Taurine, a sulphur-containing amino acid, is the most abundant intracellular amino acid in humans, and is involved in numerous biological and physiological functions, including bile production and heart health. Once we pass infancy, we routinely synthesize taurine in our bodies from the amino acids methionine and cysteine with the aid of vitamin B₆. That makes it a nonessential amino acid for most of us; though specific groups of individuals are at risk for taurine deficiency and may benefit from supplementation. 

I personally take 1,000 mg of taurine twice a day for heart heath now, as I have had troubling arrhythmia incidents send me to the emergency room and am medically at risk for progressively worse outcomes over time. It has shown effectiveness in increasing exercise capability in heart failure patients and arterial compliance to nitric oxide to support healthy blood pressure. I also take l-carnitine, olive leaf extract, magnesium, l-citrulline, Pycnogenol, grape seed extract, hawthorn leaf and flower extract, a good multivitamin, and other supplements to support my cardiovascular health and hold off that disturbing prognosis as long as possible. 

Taurine has no d- or l- forms, similar to glycine but unlike most amino acids that have different optical rotations in distinct natural and synthetic forms. All taurine is the natural form, even if produced by chemical synthesis, whether commercially or in our bodies. 

Natural versus Synthetic: Not Always Relevant

Synthetic processes are often irrelevant; the resulting form is the most important consideration. For example, most mammals synthesize ascorbic acid in their livers from blood sugar, so synthetic processes are essential in biological ascorbic acid production and all of their internally produced vitamin C is quite literally synthetically derived. This process is mimicked in commercial production.

This means that synthetic is not a synonym for unnatural; it depends on the process and the end result. If the compound is a synthetic form, such as dl-ascorbic acid, that is not so good. But if it results in a natural form, such as l-carnitine rather than d-carnitine, and mimics the synthesis of that substance in the body, our biology can’t distinguish between the internally and externally produced sources.

"Synthetic" loses its automatically negative connotation when considered in conjunction with these factors because we internally synthesize thousands of compounds every day and only the unnatural forms are presumed to be inherently negative when ingested.