To Your Health - Magnesium and Taurine plus heart health

[Guest guest]

One of the things that Dr Cheney suggests his CFS/ME patients do to

improve their health, particularly their blood pressure and heart function, is

to have daily injections of magnesium & taurine.

blessings

Shan

To Your Health

BY JAMES HEFFLEY, PH.D.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid%3A329491

 

Q. I recently bought a magnesium supplement in the form " magnesium taurate. "

Does this mean it includes taurine, and if so, is it any better than other

magnesium supplements?

 

A. Magnesium taurate is a molecular complex containing both magnesium and

taurine. Once inside the body, it will combine with water and separate into

magnesium ions and taurine. Magnesium taurate may be a " match made in heaven "

because taurine is used by the body to transport magnesium ions into and out of

cells through the cell membranes. Balancing with the free calcium outside cells,

magnesium works almost exclusively inside cells. By reducing the level of free

calcium in our body, magnesium exerts tremendous influence on blood pressure

and heart function, acting as a natural " calcium channel blocker. " Magnesium

taurate has considerable potential as a nutritional supplement, since both

magnesium and taurine supplements improve a number of health conditions. The

importance of magnesium to health is well recognized (see " To Your Health, " June

13, 2003). In adults the role of taurine appears to be determined by cell type,

functioning differently in nerve cells, heart cells, liver cells, immune

cells, pancreatic cells, kidney cells, or skin cells. The taurine content of the

various tissues declines with age, though this decline can be halted with

taurine supplements. Along with several other substances, taurine also has

antioxidant properties.

 

Congestive heart failure depletes the heart muscle of a number of important

nutrients, including taurine. A supplement combining several nutrients,

taurine, magnesium, coenzyme Q-10, and carnitine, improves heart function and

increases survival. The heart concentrates taurine and maintains taurine levels

so

that taurine alone makes up more than 50% of the heart's free amino acid pool.

 

As important as taurine is to adults, it is even more critical to the health

of infants. Taurine was discovered in 1827, but its importance in infant

nutrition was not appreciated for nearly 150 years. It was 1975 before it was

found

that babies fed a formula with added taurine maintained their urinary taurine

levels as well as breast-fed infants. Taurine is especially important for

infants because it plays an essential role in both eye and brain development,

and

although adults are able to make taurine, infants lack that ability. It is

now considered an essential nutrient for premature babies and is beneficial

through the first three months of life.

 

Taurine is unique among the amino acids in many ways. It is derived from two

" normal " amino acids, methionine and cysteine, but it is not made into

protein, as these and most other amino acids are. Rather it serves to regulate

the

function of many body systems, maintaining fluid balance and blood sugar level

among its many tasks. It is chemically different in that it contains a

" sulfonic acid " group in place of the " carboxylic acid " group found in most

amino

acids. Also, most amino acids are " alpha amino acids " while taurine is a " beta

amino acid. " Even though taurine is a maverick, toxicity is not a concern. No

signs of toxicity have been indicated in animal studies, and as much as six

grams

daily is commonly used in clinical trials for treatment of the conditions

that are helped by taurine supplements, although large taurine supplements can

cause nausea if not taken with food.