Taurine - something to do with bulls?
Yep - that's where it's name comes from.
Had to look up the details, but it appears that it was originally derived from bull bile.
... a damn site easier to just eat the meat I'd have thought!
I always knew it as just a sulphur-bearing amino acid, and didn't look too closely at it's function, as it wasn't one of the 8 essential amino acids.
...Of course there are now 9 essential amino acids, including Hisitidine. back when I was a lad, it wasn't considered essential in adults, but it is now.
...And just to confuse matters more, Arginine was considered an essential amino acids in children, but not in adults, so the list was a possible 9 back then.
So it may now be 9 or 10, but certainly 9 until someone discovers other essential amino acids.
And arginine is essential for kids, as well as some specific conditions.
..but IIRC large quantities should be avoided in the case of the herpes virus (including shingles and cold sores) and probably some other conditions as well.
I've gone off at a tangent, haven't I?
