Top INDEX
• Summary : Wikipedia article.
• Deficiency: Dangers of Deficiency.
• -- Device- : Peristaltic pump.
• -- Review- : Examples of Peristaltic actions.
• -Research : How does the tubular embryonic heart work?

• Properties: Pharmacological Benefits / Clinical Applications.
• - Sources : Taurine Content in Raw Food ..

• Lecture : Stages in Digestion.
• Lecture : The Digestive System.
• Benefits : Taurine Benefits in Cats.
• -Cardio- : Taurine & Cardiomyopathy in Cats.

  Product Possibilities, NOT Recommendations.

  Remedy: NUX VOMICA homeopathic.

  Product: Taurine, Vitacost -- 1000 mg.

  Product: Taurine, Kripps --- 500 mg.

  Product: Taurine, Natures Fare --- 500 mg.

  Product: Taurine, AOR, National Nutrition --- 675 mg.

  Product: Taurine, NOW, Well.ca -- 1000 mg.

• Insight: Cooking destroys up to 2/3 of the Taurine content in food.
• Insight: T is a strong large intestine acid that supports heart health.
• Insight: T crosses blood-brain barrier and helps maintain cellular stability.
• Insight: Taurine is effective in removing fatty liver deposits.
• Insight: Physical activity depletes Taurine reserves faster than can be rebuilt.
• Insight: Maternal mercury and/or fungal toxicity can create chronic health problems ..
• Insight: Toxic mercury levels will sacrifice Zinc and lessen Taurine.

• Insight: Availability influenced by politics, promotions, climate.
• Insight: Trauma and/or Imprinting may result in depressed peristaltics.
• Insight: Reduced pain awareness can produce chronic tension and Paralytic ileus.
• Insight: Brewer's Yeast, a source of Taurine, reacts with viruses & other fungi.

• AFTERWORD: Symptom overlap and Intestinal Paralysis.

• -Focus-: Monographs on Toxins and Enhancers.

Summary: Wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine

incl. Zackheim, Herschel S. (1982).
" Taurine and Diet in Psoriasis".
Archives of Dermatology 118 (12): 961. doi:10.1001/archderm.1982.01650240005005
http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=543725

A sulphur-containing amino acid that promotes proper nerve transmission, strengthens heart contraction, stabilizes heart calcium levels, and prevents arrhythmic heart beats.

Taurine, or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic acid widely distributed in animal tissues.
It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, ....

Taurine has many fundamental biological roles, such as conjugation of bile acids, antioxidation, osmoregulation, membrane stabilization, and modulation of calcium signaling. It is essential for cardiovascular function, and development and function of skeletal muscle, the retina, and the central nervous system.

Taurine is unusual among biological molecules in being a sulfonic acid, while the vast majority of biologically occurring acids contain the more weakly acidic carboxyl group. While taurine is sometimes called an amino acid, and indeed is an acid containing an amino group, it is not an amino acid in the usual biochemical meaning of the term, which refers to compounds containing both an amino and a carboxyl group.

Structure
Taurine is a derivative of cysteine, an amino acid which contains a thiol group.
Taurine is one of the few known naturally occurring sulfonic acids.
In the strict sense, it is not an amino acid, as it lacks a carboxyl group, but it is often called one, even in scientific literature.
It does contain a sulfonate group and may be called an amino sulfonic acid.

Nutritional significance
A study of mice hereditarily unable to transport taurine suggests it is needed for proper maintenance and functioning of skeletal muscles. In addition, it has been shown to be effective in removing fatty liver deposits in rats, preventing liver disease, and reducing cirrhosis in tested animals. Evidence indicates taurine is beneficial for adult human blood pressure and possibly, the alleviation of other cardiovascular ailments (in humans suffering essential hypertension, taurine supplementation resulted in measurable decreases in blood pressure).

Taurine is regularly used as an ingredient in energy drinks, with many containing 1000 mg per serving, and some as much as 2000 mg.

Physiological functions

Taurine is essential for cardiovascular function, and development and function of skeletal muscle, the retina, and the central nervous system.

Taurine is conjugated via its amino terminal group with chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid to form the bile salts sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate. The low pKa of taurine's sulfonic acid group ensures this moiety is negatively charged in the pH ranges normally found in the intestinal tract, thus it improves the surfactant properties of the cholic acid conjugate.

Taurine crosses the blood-brain barrier ...
• an antioxidant,
• calcium homeostasis,
• membrane stabilization,
• inhibitory neurotransmission,
• recovery from osmotic shock,
• long-term potentiation in the striatum/hippocampus,
• feedback inhibition of neutrophil/macrophage respiratory burst,
• adipose tissue regulation and possible prevention of obesity,
• reduces atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease,
• protects against toxicity of ... lead and cadmium),
• protection against glutamate excitotoxicity,
• prevention of epileptic seizures.

Taurine has also been shown to help people with congestive heart failure by increasing the force and effectiveness of heart-muscle contractions.

Taurine levels were found to be significantly lower in vegans than in a control group on a standard American diet.
Plasma taurine was 78% of control values, and urinary taurine was 29%.

In cells, taurine keeps potassium and magnesium inside the cell, while keeping excessive sodium out. In this sense, it works like a diuretic. Because it aids the movement of potassium, sodium, and calcium in and out of the cell, taurine has been used as a dietary supplement for epileptics, as well as for people who have uncontrollable facial twitches.

... may act as a modulator or antianxiety agent in the central nervous system by activating the glycine receptor.

Taurine is necessary for normal skeletal muscle functioning.
... Taurine can influence (and possibly reverse) defects in nerve blood flow, motor nerve conduction velocity, and nerve sensory thresholds ...

Taurine acts as a glycation inhibitor.
... The United States Department of Agriculture has found a link between cataract development and lower levels of vitamin B6, folate, and taurine in the diets of the elderly. ...

In animal nutrition
Taurine is an essential dietary requirement for feline health, since cats cannot synthesize the compound.
The absence of taurine causes a cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness -- a condition known as central retinal degeneration (CRD), as well as hair loss and tooth decay. Decreased plasma taurine concentration has been demonstrated to be associated with feline dilated cardiomyopathy. Unlike CRD, the condition is reversible with supplementation.

Prematurely born infants are believed to lack the enzymes needed to convert cystathionine to cysteine, and may, therefore, become deficient in taurine. Taurine is present in breast milk, and has been added to many infant formulas, as a measure of prudence, since the early 1980s.

Deficiency: Dangers of Deficiency. INDEX
Are You Dangerously Deficient in Taurine?
http://www.bodyecology.com/newsletters/
06/11/23/deficient_in_taurine_part2.php
by Dr Leonard Smith
2006-11-16 and 2006-11-23

... Low taurine levels have been found in patients with
anxiety, depression, hypertension, hypothyroidism, gout, infertility, obesity, kidney failure and autism, among other conditions.

Taurine is an (amino acid) that can be made in your body from two other amino acids: cysteine and methionine.

SOURCES:
Adequate amounts of taurine can usually be obtained from animal and fish protein, eggs and brewer's yeast
(NOTE: if you have a viral or fungal infection, eating brewer's yeast can cause allergic reactions). ...

Benefits ...

* Important in the visual pathways, the brain and nervous system, cardiac function and prevention of irregular heartbeats.

* A conjugator of bile acids
- helps increase cholesterol elimination in the bile, helps with fat absorption and elimination of toxins.

* Important for it's role in renal development and protection of the kidneys from free radical damage.

* A facilitator for the passage of sodium, potassium and possibly calcium and magnesium ions into and out of cells. ...

Low taurine can occur if:

* Your body does not make enough taurine due to a deficiency in ...

• Cysteine and methionine ...
• vitamin B6 ...
• Zinc (deficiency in zinc is common with elevated mercury levels) ...
• Vitamin A ... the enzyme needed to make taurine

  you don't regularly consume

  • meat,
  • fish,
  • eggs or
  • brewer's yeast ...

* You have Candida ... produces an amino acid, beta-alanine, which competes with taurine for reabsorption in the kidney ... causes you to lose taurine through your urine.

* You are infected with disease-producing anerobic bacteria ... interfere with the proper functioning of bile acid ..

* You are eating foods with MSG, which degrades taurine

Additionally, the following vitamins and amino acids may interfere with taurine's functions:

o The B-vitamin pantothenic acid (B5).
o The amino acids beta-alanine and beta-hypotaurine.

If a pregnant mother has chronic (even low grade) Candida, bacterial imbalances or elevated levels of mercury, lead and cadmium (which create zinc deficiency), it could lead to taurine deficiency in the mother and baby.

Placental absorption of maternal taurine can also be blocked if the fetus is under stress from both mercury and microbial challenges.
This can set up a condition where your baby's detoxification pathways are inhibited, which could lead to neurological problems, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Taurine deficiency was found in 62% of autistic children, according to one study.

Taurine has been used in the treatment of ...
• cardiovascular diseases,
• epilepsy and other seizure disorders,
• macular degeneration,
• Alzheimer's disease,
• hepatic disorders, and
• cystic fibrosis.

  AND

  alcoholism

  migraines,

  insomnia,

  agitation,

  restlessness,

  irritability,

  obsessions and

  depression.

======

It has been shown that the best way to determine levels of taurine in humans is by measuring it in whole blood as opposed to blood plasma ...

Many autistic children have Candida and are losing taurine through their urine.
Urine tests would show taruine to be too high, when in fact, total body taurine is low. ...

Possible symptoms of toxicity from taurine supplementation include diarrhea and peptic ulcers.

The potential for ulcers arises from the fact that taurine stimulates gastric acid production.
For many people who are low in stomach acid, including the elderly and autistic children, gastric acid production could be a benefit.

... Glutamine supplementation increases plasma taurine in trauma patients and stressed rats.

Device : Peristaltic pump. INDEX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristaltic_pump

A peristaltic pump is a type of positive displacement pump used for pumping a variety of fluids.
The fluid is contained within a flexible tube fitted inside a circular pump casing (though linear peristaltic pumps have been made). A rotor with a number of "rollers", "shoes", "wipers", or "lobes" attached to the external circumference of the rotor compresses the flexible tube. As the rotor turns, the part of the tube under compression is pinched closed (or "occludes") thus forcing the fluid to be pumped to move through the tube. Additionally, as the tube opens to its natural state after the passing of the cam ("restitution" or "resilience") fluid flow is induced to the pump.

This process is called peristalsis and is used in many biological systems such as the gastrointestinal tract.
Typically, there will be two or more rollers, or wipers, occluding the tube, trapping between them a body of fluid.
The body of fluid is then transported, at ambient pressure, toward the pump outlet.
Peristaltic pumps may run continuously, or they may be indexed through partial revolutions to deliver smaller amounts of fluid.

The peristaltic pump was first patented in the United States by Eugene Allen in 1881.
It was popularized by heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey while he was a medical student in 1932.

Peristaltic pumps are typically used to pump clean/sterile or aggressive fluids because cross contamination with exposed pump components cannot occur. Some common applications include pumping IV fluids through an infusion device, aggressive chemicals, high solids slurries and other materials where isolation of the product from the environment, and the environment from the product, are critical. It is also used in heart-lung machines to circulate blood during a bypass surgery as the pump does not cause significant hemolysis.

Peristaltic pumps are also used in a wide variety of industrial applications.
Their unique design makes them especially suited to pumping abrasives and viscous fluids.

Chemical compatibility
The pumped fluid contacts only the inside surface of the tubing thereby negating concern for other valves, O-rings or seals that might be incompatible with fluid being pumped. Therefore, only the composition of the tubing that the pumped medium travels through is considered for chemical compatibility.

The tubing needs to be elastomeric to maintain the circular cross section after millions of cycles of squeezing in the pump. This requirement eliminates a variety of non-elastomeric polymers that have compatibility with a wide range of chemicals, such as PTFE, polyolefins, PVDF, etc. from consideration as material for pump tubing. The popular elastomers for pump tubing are nitrile (NBR), Hypalon, Viton, silicone, PVC, EPDM, EPDM+polypropylene (as in Santoprene), polyurethane and natural rubber. Of these materials, natural rubber has the best fatigue resistance, and EPDM and Hypalon have the best chemical compatibility. Silicone is popular with water-based fluids, such as in bio-pharma industry, but have limited range of chemical compatibility in other industries.

With lined tubing, the thin inside liner is made of a chemically resistant material such as poly-olefin and PTFE that form a barrier for the rest of the tubing wall from coming in contact with the pumped fluid. These liners are materials that are often not elastomeric, therefore the entire tube wall cannot be made with this material for peristaltic pump applications. This tubing provides adequate chemical compatibility and life to be used in chemically challenging applications. There are a few things to keep in mind when using these tubes - any pin holes in the liner during manufacturing could render the tubing vulnerable to chemical attack. In the case of stiff plastic liners like the polyolefins, with repeated flexing in the peristaltic pump they can develop cracks, rendering the bulk material again vulnerable to chemical attack. A common issue with all lined tubing is delamination of the liner with repeated flexing that signals the end of the tube's life. For those with need for chemically compatible tubing, these lined tubing offer a good solution.

With fluoroelastomer tubing, the elastomer itself has the chemical resistance.
In the case of e.g. Chem-Sure, it is made of a perfluoroelastomer, that has the broadest chemical compatibility of all elastomers. The two fluoroelastomer tubes listed above combine the chemical compatibility with a very long tube life stemming from their reinforcement technology, but come at a pretty high initial cost. One has to justify the cost with the total value derived over the long tube life, and compare with other options such as other tubing or even other pump technologies.

Occlusion
The minimum gap between the roller and the housing determines the maximum squeeze applied on the tubing.
The amount of squeeze applied to the tubing affects pumping performance and the tube life - more squeezing decreases the tubing life dramatically, while less squeezing can cause the pumped medium to slip back, especially in high pressure pumping, and decreases the efficiency of the pump dramatically and the high velocity of the slip back typically causes premature failure of the hose. Therefore, this amount of squeeze becomes an important design parameter.

The term "occlusion" is used to measure the amount of squeeze.
It is either expressed as a percentage of twice the wall thickness, or as an absolute amount of the wall that is squeezed. ... for a given pump, the most critical tubing dimension becomes the wall thickness. An interesting point here is that the inside diameter of the tubing is not an important design parameter for the suitability of the tubing for the pump. Therefore, it is common for more than one ID be used with a pump, as long as the wall thickness remains the same.

For a given rpm of the pump, a tube with larger inside diameter (ID) will give higher flow rate than one with a smaller inside diameter. Intuitively the flow rate is a function of the cross section area of the tube bore.

Increasing the number of rollers doesn't increase the flow rate, instead it will decrease the flow rate somewhat by reducing the effective (i.e. fluid-pumping) circumference of the head. Increasing rollers does tend to decrease the amplitude of the fluid pulsing at the outlet by increasing the frequency of the pulsed flow.

The length of tube (measured from initial pinch point near the inlet to the final release point near the outlet) does not affect the flow rate. However, a longer tube implies more pinch points between inlet and outlet, increasing the pressure that the pump can generate. ...

Review: Examples of Peristaltic actions. INDEX
The Weekly Medical Review, Volume 14, p 652-54
https://books.google.ca/books?id=WTpYAAAAMAAJ...

What property do all or nearly all of the tubes of the body possess in a greater or less degree?
It is the property of performing peristaltic contractions, and most of them in either direction of the tube, which we will now proceed to try to prove. The proofs of peristaltic contraction of muscular vessels, we will divide into indirect and direct.

DIRECT PROOFS.
We know very well how the esophagus, which is a simple muscular tube is made to propel, even against considerable resistance, its contents in the process of swallowing, or the opposite one of eructation. It will even convey in this way a solid object. The same is true of the large and small intestines, the peristaltic action of which is well understood, and is an example of the kind of action of which I am speaking. It is a muscular tube supplied rhythmically, or otherwise, with fluid or semi-fluid contents, the chief agent in moving which is the muscular wall of the intestines, acting in a vermicular or peristaltic manner. This action may be quickened or it may be reversed, as in stereoraceous vomiting, in each case modifying the velocity or even the course of movements of its contents. There are other cases such as the Fallopian tubes, the ejaculatory ducts in expelling semen, or the urethra in expelling the last of the urine, and the muscular tubes in many of the lower animals that do not have a heart proper. In all these cases, it cannot be denied that they have an unmistakable peristaltic contraction with the effect to circulate or propel their contents. The case of the small muscular blood vessels seems to me to be perfectly analogous.

You have a muscular tube somewhat rhythmically supplied by the heart, with its contents, and if so, we may inquire why? In the one case the peristaltic action occurs and not in the other. Unless it is certainly known as a matter of fact, that the muscular vessels do not act in the way we have supposed, what good reason can be given for refusing to admit it in the one case, when it is known to happen in many that are parallel with it? I will now cite other cases of indirect proof; as for example -- the portal circulation. Here you have the blood transmitted to the intestines by the mesenteric arteries. After passing through the capillaries in the walls of the intestines the blood enters the corresponding veins which unite to form the portal vein. So far, all is clear, but now the blood made to pass through this second set of capillaries at the hepatic end of the portal vein? I am sure I cannot explain how the blood is circulated through this second set of capillaries in a solid organ like the liver, if not in the way I have supposed. Surely it cannot be said the heart does, or the large elastic arteries. I think it is certainly carried on by the peristaltic action of the muscular veins, which in the case of the portal vein is very muscular, as compared with some others, a fact which does not seem to have been considered as it should have been.

Another indirect proof of this kind is in the fetal circulation.
How is the blood circulated from the fetus through the long umbilical arteries to the placenta, and through the placenta by the umbilical vein to the child again? I presume you have noticed the powerful impulse with which the blood circulates through the cord of the fetus? With too much power certainly for the fetal heart to have exerted; and I do not believe it is the fetal heart for another reason, because the fetal heart often beats twice as fast as the cord does. If the pulsations of the heart are the source of the pulsations, they should be synchronous, and they are not, according to writers who have investigated that subject. Then, from what source is it caused? I would say by the powerful muscularity of the umbilical cord. Especially of the placenta itself, as the muscularity of its vessels is simply remarkable. But why are they so much more muscular than the corresponding muscles in the child? I think I can see very well why they are so -- that they may do the work of a heart by powerful peristaltic action, which in my judgement, is the origin of the impulse we feel when we take the cord between our fingers.

I have a better proof, if possible, than the one I have just given.
It is the case of a full grown fetus born without a heart.
The case to which I refer is the one recorded by Sir Benjamin Brodie. The fetus was one of twins, and received the blood from the placenta. It was tolerably well developed, brain and all, except the heart, thymus gland and pleura, all of which were absent. The lungs were very imperfectly developed. The aorta was well developed, but it started from the left umbilical artery in the left groin, and extended upward along the front of the spine, into the upper part of the thorax, where it gave off the two sub-clavian, and afterward divided into the carotid artery without forming an arch. The external and internal iliac arteries of the left side came from this artery from the left groin, immediately after it left the umbilical; and the common iliac of the right side was given off from it after it had gained the normal situation of the aorta. This is not the only case of the kind that has been reported, but one is as good as a thousand. The question arises, how was the circulation maintained, not in part, but altogether? I would explain it just as I would the circulation of the lymph or the portal circulation. I can explain it in no way except by peristaltic movement.

Other proofs of this kind of action I think may be found in the erectile tissues of animals.
And also examples are found in the human species. Take for instance the erection of the penis.
I know in this case you have a dilation of the vessels of the organ, and an active congestion of it, but I hold you have the peristaltic contractions of the vessels playing an important part also. If not, why does it become so much more rigid and harder than other tissues exposed to a similar vascular action? Take for instance a part plugged by a thrombosis, or a varicose condition of a part, and they are not nearly as rigid as the first-mentioned organ.

Another condition in which I think peristaltic contraction plays a prominent part, is in the secretory organs.
We will take, for instance, the stomach in the act of digestion. Here you have more blood passing through the organ in a given time than is done normally; and why is this? Is the heart action at all increased? I think not. Then how is more blood carried to the part in a given time than there is normally? I know that it is held by some that the "vessels of the stomach become dilated," and in this way receive a greater supply of blood. But how is the extra supply of blood produced? In the following manner. The food in the stomach presses the peripheral ends of the sensory nerves in the mucous coat of the stomach and a sensory impression is carried over this sensory nerve fiber to the vasomotor center and is reflected as a motor impression to the muscular coat of the blood vessels and produces a peristaltic contraction of the blood vessels leading to the stomach, and in this way increases the amount of blood sent to the stomach in a given time and not by mere dilative action as is generally supposed, or by a paralysis of the vaso-contrictor nerves of that organ.

We will see how a mere paralysis of the vaso-motor nerves would affect a part, a thing that has often been done by simply dividing the nerves of the part, and in this way paralysing the vaso-constrictor nerve fibres, of course, producing a dilation of the muscular blood vessels. Now, the point I wish to get at is, will this dilation of the vessels cause more blood to flow through a part in a given time or less? I must say that I think less, from the simple reason that the rapidity of the blood current is greatly diminished, and there is less tone possessed by the vessel, and a consequent stasis of the blood of the vessel. This has been proven more times than one, by dividing the cervical sympathetic in the neck which causes a congestion and a statis of blood in one half of the head. Consequently if the increase in blood supply to the stomach during digestion, cannot be accounted for by a simple dilation of the vessels, how can we account for it? I can see no more rational way of accounting for it than by giving to these vessels a paristaltic action. ...

Research: How does the tubular embryonic heart work? INDEX
Looking for the physical mechanism generating unidirectional
blood flow in the valveless embryonic heart tube.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/portal/utils/..recordid=5526645c6432d742f6601b50

By Männer J1, Wessel A, Yelbuz TM.
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology,
Georg-August-University of Göttingen,
D-37075 Göttingen, Germany.
jmaenne@gwdg.de
2010 Apr;239(4):1035-46. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.22265.

Abstract

The heart is the first organ to function in vertebrate embryos.
The human heart, for example, starts beating around the 21st embryonic day.
During the initial phase of its pumping action, the embryonic heart is seen as a pulsating blood vessel that is built up by

(1) an inner endothelial tube lacking valves,
(2) a middle layer of extracellular matrix, and
(3) an outer myocardial tube.

Despite the absence of valves, this tubular heart generates unidirectional blood flow.
This fact poses the question: how it works. Visual examination of the pulsating embryonic heart tube shows that its pumping action is characterized by traveling mechanical waves sweeping from its venous to its arterial end.

These traveling waves were traditionally described as myocardial peristaltic waves.
It has, therefore, been speculated that the tubular embryonic heart works as a technical peristaltic pump.
Recent hemodynamic data from living embryos, however, have shown that the pumping function of the embryonic heart tube differs in several respects from that of a technical peristaltic pump. Some of these data suggest that embryonic heart tubes work as valveless "Liebau pumps."

In the present study, a review is given on the evolution of the two above-mentioned theories of early cardiac pumping mechanics. We discuss pros and cons for both of these theories. We show that the tubular embryonic heart works neither as a technical peristaltic pump nor as a classic Liebau pump.

The question regarding how the embryonic heart tube works still awaits an answer.

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
LINK: Free full text http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.22265

Properties: Pharmacological Benefits / Clinical Applications. INDEX
http://www.nationalnutrition.ca/detail.aspx?ID=3042

Taurine is abundantly present in mother's milk, is necessary for normal growth, and present in high concentration in the platelets, lymphocytes, and retina.

(1) Antioxidant.
Taurine reacts with hypochlorous acid (HOCI) produced in the retina and certain white cells during the "respiratory burst" to combat infection, thereby protecting the host from oxidative damage. Taurine is also a cell-membrane stabilizer and has been shown to protect against retinol toxicity and lipid peroxidation.

(2) Immunostimulant.
Taurine significantly increases lymphocyte viability in a dose-dependent manner.
Taurine was also found to be an activator of natural-killer cells and stimulated the release of interleukin (IL-I) from macrophages.

(3) Detoxifying agent.
Detoxifying agents render toxic substances more water soluble since, for the most part, such substances are poorly soluble. The increased solubility allows excretion through the kidneys. The amino group of taurine can react with carboxylic acid group of toxins to form amide linkages, e.g. retinoic acid reacts with taurine to form retinotaurine.

(4) Neurologic disorders.
Analysis of human brain tissue showed that over two-thirds of the samples of migraine / epileptic patients had reduced taurine content. Administration of taurine reduced the seizures in an animal model of human epilepsy, primarily due to stabilizing nerve cell membranes.

(5) Retinosis Pigmentosa.
RP is a genetic disorder in which the retina slowly degenerates, resulting in early loss of night vision followed by the progressive development of tunnel vision, ending in blindness and often complicated with macular degeneration. RP victims appear to have abnormally low uptake of taurine, suggesting the use of the amino acid as a corrective.

(6) Cardiovascular.
Taurine is the most important and abundant amino acid in the heart.
It stimulates the activity of cAMP, allowing the entry of calcium.
Taurine has been widely used in Japan to treat various types of heart disease, including congestive heart failure (2-4g daily), arrhythmias (2g), duiresis, and hypertension.

Sources: Taurine Content in Raw Food for Cats. INDEX
http://pets.thenest.com/taurine-content-raw-food-cats-11297.html
by Tammy Quinn Mckillip, Demand Media

... Too little taurine can cause dilated cardiomyopathy, which may weaken the heart's lining and lead to heart failure. A lack of taurine in your cat's diet also may contribute to tooth decay and blindness caused by retinal degeneration.

The typical cat (if there is such a thing) needs about 1000 mg of taurine for every 2.2 pounds of food, or roughly 100 mg per day. There's a reason your kitty is not a vegetarian. Vegetables contain almost no measurable amounts of taurine.

There's also a reason your cat prefers raw meat sources over cooked ones.
It's because cooking destroys up to 2/3 of the taurine content in foods.
So .. a raw food diet of beef, lamb, chicken, fish, or shrimp.
You also can add small amounts (1/2 teaspoon per serving) of nutritional yeast to your cat's diet to supplement his taurine intake if he is a particularly finicky eater.

Checking the Taurine Content in Meat Products
Feed your cat a variety of foods ...
A 1 oz portion of turkey leg contains about 86 mg of taurine and is a good source of protein, as well.
A 1 oz beef heart contains roughly the same amount of protein (8 g), but has only 19 mg of taurine.
A 2 oz portion of chicken neck contains the same 8 g of protein and has 33.1 g of taurine.
An ounce of canned salmon has 34 g of taurine, but offers less than 7 g of protein.

Because taurine is processed easily through the kidneys and passes out of your cat's system quickly, you do not have to worry about overfeeding your cat taurine-rich foods.

Keep it Whole
Grinding your cat's raw foods .. can reduce the amount of taurine content in the meat.
... the amino acids are exposed to bacteria that break them down and reduce their potency.
If you're not willing to slap a hunk of turkey leg or chicken gizzards into your cat's bowl, you should supplement his ground food diet with taurine capsules or powder ...

Tammy Quinn McKillip has written extensively in print and online publications about pets, parenting, theater, design, health and environmentalism since 1999. She is the editor of the Macaroni Kid National Family Safety newsletter and publisher and editor of "Macaroni Kid," a local family-friendly weekly events newsletter. She is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at City College of New York.

Lecture: Stages in Digestion. INDEX
http://www.abpischools.org.uk/res/coResourceImport/resources04/digestion/digest5.cfm

Enzymes in digestion
Digestive enzymes are responsible for the chemical breakdown of the large food molecules into ones that are small enough to be absorbed into the blood. Three types of enzymes do this:

carbohydrases
    proteases
    lipases. 

Enzymes are named according to the type of food molecule that they break down.
This is fairly logical but sometimes you may find older names like amylase (carbohydrase), pepsin and trypsin (protease).

Carbohydrase
Starch is a very large molecule that contains many sugar (glucose) molecules joined together.
Carbohydrase enzymes break the bonds between sugar molecules to make a small sugar molecule called maltose.
The final stage of digestion sees this molecule split into glucose for absorption.

There are several different carbohydrase enzymes that break down complex polysaccharides like starch but the main one in digestion is called amylase. This enzyme is found in saliva, which is added to the food in the mouth and is also in the digestive juices produced by the pancreas.

Lipase
Fats and oils are made up of two types of molecules: fatty acids and glycerol.
The enzymes lipase breaks apart the bonds that hold together them together before they are absorbed in the small intestine.

Lipase is added to the food in digestive juices that are produced by the pancreas and fats are digested in the first part of the small intestine.

Protease
Proteins are large molecules that contain a long chain of amino acids joined end-to-end.
They are sometimes called polypeptides. They are digested by a group of enzymes called proteases that break the bonds between individual amino acids in the protein chain.

There are two main types of protease enzymes involved in human digestion.
Pepsin is the protease that is added to food in the juices secreted by the wall of the stomach.
It starts the digestion of the proteins and works best in the acid conditions found in the stomach.
The second protease is Trypsin. This is added in juices from the pancreas and completes the digestion of proteins in the small intestine. It works best at neutral pH.

Stomach acid
... Specialised cells in the stomach wall produce large amounts of hydrochloric acid and this means that the stomach is about pH2. This acid can sometimes cause stomach ulcers if the protective layer on the inside of the stomach wall is damaged.

The acid in the stomach helps to kill any bacteria that may be on the food.
... some micro-organisms that cause food-poisoning are adapted to be able to survive in the stomach acids.
The low pH provides an environment that allows the protease Pepsin to be active.
This starts the digestion of proteins as the food is churned around in the stomach.

Bile
Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
As food leaves the stomach, bile is squirted along the bile duct and into the duodenum.
It is extremely important as it helps to neutralise the acidic contents of the stomach as they enter the top of the small intestine. This prevents the acid from damaging the small intestine which is kept at a pH of about 7.4 (just slightly alkali).

Bile also helps to emulsify fats in the food.
The digestive juices are all water-based and fats in the food would not normally mix with them.
The bile allows the fats to mix in with the watery digestive juices and allow the enzyme lipase to digest the fats efficiently.

Lecture: The Digestive System. INDEX
http://www.abpischools.org.uk/res/coResourceImport/resources04/digestion/digest6.cfm

Moving through the gut
Waves of muscular contractions called peristalsis moves food along the digestive system.
Circular muscles in the wall relax in front of the bolus of food and contract behind it.
This pushes the food forward.

Absorption in the small intestine
Once the food has been digested it needs to be absorbed into the blood so that it can be transported around the body.
The process of absorption happens in specialised structures called villi. These are tiny finger-like projections that push out into the digested food passing along the small intestine. They give a large surface area for the absorption to take place and make it more efficient. Each villus contains a good network of capillaries to pick up the nutrients and the cells are specialised to quickly absorb molecules by diffusion, osmosis and active transport.

Amino acids and glucose enter the bloodstream directly.
Fatty acids and glycerol are first absorbed into a part of the lymph system called the lacteal.
This transports the fatty acids and glycerol up to the neck and then into the bloodstream at a vein that runs under the collar bone.

Benefits: Taurine Benefits in Cats. INDEX
http://pets.thenest.com/taurine-benefits-cats-9381.html
by Naomi Millburn, Demand Media

Importance of Taurine
... cats ... felines are incapable of creating their own taurine through pre-existing amino acids within themselves, notes the ASPCA. The only way a cat can get taurine is by eating animal products, since the amino acid is solely available through animal proteins -- think meat and eggs. Taurine deficiencies can lead to a lot of (health) problems ...

Vision
Taurine helps keep a cat's vision running smoothly and sharply ...
According to the National Academy of Sciences, insufficient levels of taurine in a diet can lead to both vision loss and feline central degeneration.

Heart Issues
Abundant taurine in a cat's diet can also keep her heart functioning properly.
Heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy are both two very serious dangers that are associated with lack of taurine. ..

Reproduction
.. The National Academy of Sciences indicates that without enough taurine, a cat may experience birth defects in her kittens and sluggish neonatal development. ..

Naomi Millburn has been a freelance writer since 2011.
Her areas of writing expertise include arts and crafts, literature, linguistics, traveling, fashion and European and East Asian cultures. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in American literature from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo.

-Cardio-: Taurine & Cardiomyopathy in Cats. INDEX
http://pets.thenest.com/taurine-cardiomyopathy-cats-9180.html
by Jane Meggitt, Demand Media

Taurine ... occurs only in animal proteins.
Although many mammals, including people, can manufacture taurine within their own bodies and store it, felines produce just a small amount. They must obtain sufficient amounts of taurine from meats to keep their eyes and muscles in good condition. The heart, the most important muscle of them all, would suffer from a cat's taurine deficiency with a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Cats can suffer from several types of cardiomyopathy, but among them dilated cardiomyopathy usually results from taurine deficiency. According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, this type of heart muscle ailment is primarily characterized by "a poorly contracting dilated left ventricle." The walls of the heart become thin and lose flexibility, resulting in "decreased forward flow of blood from the heart." Eventually, affected cats develop congestive heart failure. ...

Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy include
• difficulty breathing,
• low temperature,
• cold extremities,
• fainting,
• weight loss and
• crying out in fear or pain.

.. taurine supplementation. ... it could take six months or more for his heart muscle to return to a healthy state.

Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years.
In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in "Horse News," "Suburban Classic," "Hoof Beats," "Equine Journal" and other publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University and an Associate of Arts from the American Academy of Dramatics Arts, New York City.

Other LINK: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/healthinfo/cardiomyopathy.cfm

Remedy: NUX VOMICA homeopathic. INDEX
http://www.vithoulkas.com/books-study/3517-nux-vomica.html
International Academy of Classical Homeopathy
Homeopathic Materia Medica by Nash

For very particular, careful, zealous persons, inclined to get excited or angry, ... mental workers or those having sedentary occupations.

Chilliness, even during high fever; least uncovering brings on chilliness.

SENSITIVENESS, NERVOUS and CHILLINESS are three general characteristics of this remedy.

NUX VOMICA acts best when given at night, during repose of mind and body; SULPH. in the morning.

Among the symptoms called characteristic, as given by Constantine Hering, are these:
"After aromatics in food or as medicine, particularly ginger, pepper, etc., and after almost any kind of so-called 'hot' medicines (Goullon)."

So no physician would be justified in prescribing NUX VOMICA on temperament alone, be the indication ever so clear. The WHOLE CASE must come in. There seems to be another kind of condition belonging to this nervous group of NUX VOMICA that has not so much of the excitable in it. "Hypochondriasis, with studious men, sitting too much at home, with abdominal complaints and costiveness."

Carrol Dunham wrote over twenty-five years ago on this (constipation) symptom.
... while NUX VOMICA or BRYONIA are equal remedies for constipation there was never any reason for confounding them, or alternating them, as they were so different. The NUX VOMICA constipation was caused by irregular peristaltic action of the intestines, hence the frequent ineffectual desire; but the BRYONIA constipation was caused by lack of secretion in the intestines. There was with BRYONIA absolutely no desire, and the stools were dry and hard as if burnt.

This is a group of symptoms as given in "Guiding Symptoms."
There are so many symptoms given under the digestive organs that it shows that NUX VOMICA has really a very wide range of action in gastric troubles. And there are no really characteristic and peculiar symptoms to mention, unless it be the peculiar aggravation of stomach symptoms "AN HOUR OR TWO AFTER EATING," instead of immediately after, as is the case with NUX MOSCHATA and KALI BICHROMICUM. The pressure as from a stone occurs also under BRYONIA and PULSATILLA.

More stress may be placed upon the cause of the stomach, liver, and abdominal complaints for which NUX VOMICA is the remedy. For instance, coffee, alcoholic drinks, debauchery, abuse of drugs, business anxiety, sedentary habits, broken rest from long night watching (COCC, CUP. MET., NIT. AC), too high living, etc. So we find that NUX VOMICA is adapted to complaints arising from these causes, which is abundantly verified in practice.

We ought not to leave NUX VOMICA without speaking of its great efficiency in headaches and backaches.
The headaches often occur in conjunction with the gastric, hepatic, abdominal and haemorrhoidal affections. ... from constipation or haemorrhoids. These headaches may or may not localize in any particular part of the head.

The pains in the back ... mostly located in the lumbar region, though it may be in the dorsa, and is often in connection (like AECULUS HIPP.) with haemorrhoids. ...

Product: Taurine, Vitacost -- 1000 mg. INDEX
https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-taurine-1000-mg-100-capsules-3
Our price: US $5.49

What is Taurine?
Taurine is a sulfur-based amino acid.
It’s found in the body in highest concentration in the heart, brain, retina and skeletal and smooth muscle.
It’s considered a conditionally essential amino acid because it must be supplied to infants for normal retinal and brain development.
Taurine synthesis occurs in the liver and the brain.

What are the key benefits of Vitacost® Taurine?
• Supports a healthy central nervous system and is neuroprotective*
• Helps stabilize cell membranes of the central nervous system*
• Acts as a membrane stabilizer*
• Supports antioxidant activity in the brain and heart*
• Supports natural regulation of calcium*
• Supports eye and blood vessel health*

Vitacost® Taurine is a targeted wellness solution ...
• Supplies 1,000 mg of taurine per single-capsule serving
• Free form amino acid
• Contains 100 servings per bottle
• Exceptional quality at an extraordinary value.

Directions
As a dietary supplement for adults 18 years of age and over, take one capsule daily or as directed by a healthcare professional.

Keep dry and at room temperature (59°- 86° F [15° - 30°C]).

Product: Taurine, Kripps --- 500 mg. INDEX
http://www.krippspharmacy.com/store/KrippsProductCatalogue.pdf
90 capsules -- Ca $14.99
also available in powder form

Kripps HealthCare Rx 
5413 West Boulevard --  Vancouver, BC -- Canada --  V6M 3W5 
Tel 604.687.2564 -- Toll Free 1.877.312.8822 -- Fax 604.685.9721 
altermed@portal.ca --  http://www.krippspharmacy.com

Product: Taurine, Natures Fare --- 500 mg. INDEX
https://shop.naturesfare.com/health-wellness-natural-remedies-cardiovascular-circulation/
7398-now-taurine-500mg-100-cp-.html
NOW Brand TAURINE 500 mg -- 100 Capsules
90 capsules -- Ca $10.99

Phone Orders: +1 800-406-6646
104-3400 30th Avenue, Vernon, BC Canada V1T 2E2

Taurine is important in several metabolic processes of the body, including stabilizing cell membranes in electrically active tissues, such as the brain and heart. It functions in tissues by stabilizing cell membranes and aiding the transport of potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium in and out of cells.

Taurine helps to generate and regulate nerve impulses and supports the maintenance of normal fluid balance; it is also used by the body in visual pathways, as well as in the brain and nervous system, where it works together with glycine and GABA as a neurotransmitter.

Product: Taurine, AOR, National Nutrition --- 675 mg. INDEX
http://www.nationalnutrition.ca/detail.aspx?ID=3042
675 mg - 270 veg capsules
Reg: Ca $34.13 -- Sale: $27.30 -- (Savings: $6.83) -- February 02, 2018

Commonly found in a variety of meats, dairy products and eggs, the amino acid Taurine can be obtained from the diet in minimal amounts. Unfortunately, physical activity depletes Taurine reserves faster than most people can produce it. As a result, vegetarians, athletes and individuals lacking meat in their diets are at the greatest risk for deficiency, and stand to benefit the most from supplementing this life-crucial nutrient. Taurine has a number of useful health benefits. As a key constituent of bile acids, it helps the body absorb other nutrients with greater ease while moderating healthy cellular activity. It has also been known to exhibit antioxidant properties that may help protect macular regions of the eye.

Taurine is a potent antioxidant source that benefits general health, as well as reducing oxidative damage done to tissues in the body. Taurine is produced endogenously in the body from the liver, and contributes towards osmoregulation and bile production to emulsify lipids.

Features:
• Antioxidant
• Significantly increases lymphocyte viability
• Detoxifying agent
• Antihypercholesterolemic activity

Dosage:

Take five to nine capsules daily, or as directed by a qualified health care practitioner.

Product: Taurine, NOW, Well.ca -- 1000 mg. INDEX
https://well.ca/products/now-foods-double-strength-taurine_32442.html
NOW Foods Double Strength Taurine -- 1000 mg -- 100 Capsules
Regular: Ca $20.49

LINK 2: https://well.ca/products/now-foods-double-stength-taurine_73618.html
NOW Foods Double Stength Taurine -- 1000 mg -- 250 Capsules
Regular: Ca $40.99

Taurine, or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, was originally discovered in ox (Bos taurus) bile and was named after taurus, or bull. A non-essential amino acid-like compound, taurine is found in high abundance in the tissues of many animals, especially sea animals, and in much lower concentrations in plants, fungi, and some bacteria. As an amine, taurine is important in several metabolic processes of the body, including stabilizing cell membranes in electrically active tissues, such as the brain and heart.

Taurine depletion leads to the development of cardiomyopathy, indicating a role for taurine in the maintenance of normal contractile function of the heart. It also has functions in the gallbladder, eyes, and blood vessels, and may have some antioxidant and detoxifying properties.

As a catalyst to general amino acid efficiency as well as one of the most abundant (amino acids) in the human body, taurine has a number of useful health benefits. As a key constituent of bile acids, it helps the body absorb other nutrients with greater ease while moderating healthy cellular activity. It has also been known to exhibit antioxidant properties that may help protect macular regions of the eye.

Ideal for those involved in intensive exercise.

Suggested Use:
Adult Dosage: Take 1 capsule 3 times daily.
Take with juice or water, between meals. Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Insight: Availability influenced by politics, promotions, climate. INDEX

I became aware of the possible benefit of Taurine to my significant detoxing necessity and the enhancement to my longer-term health in early December, 2017. I researched online and found a source within days, from a current provider. I ordered a quantity (4 bottles) of the product, which happened to be ON Sale, with the prayer direction that I would likely require supplementation for a longer-term. That provider/retailer had delivered 5 previous orders within a few days. After a week with no tracking availability and no delivery or information about a delay, I contacted them. I learned that their policy with delays was to wait for at least 2 weeks before making any attempt to locate the shipment. Three weeks after the order was placed I received an e-mail confirming that the shipent had been Lost. There was no offer of replacement; a refund would be credited.

I had paused the next step in a personalized detoxing protocol which eventually might benefit me in 2 months what had taken some others, with a less complicated toxin load, as long as 6 years to complete. Synergy of ingredients as well as quality and numbers of ingredients were the key. Much searching for, ordering, and receiving of the other dozens of ingredients had occupied the previous 6 weeks before this order. Some had already been relevant to include in an earlier step of the detoxing. Taurine appeared to be at least temporarily unavailable form the retailer I had found. I was living in a city in the Canadian province of Alberta. It would have been a faster acquisition if I could find the Taurine locally from a health food store, pharmacy, mega grocery retailer, or other supplement provider. Progressing through a time and effort demanding week I discovered that pharmacies had never heard of it, and, the other potential sources did not and had never carried it.

Prayer took me back to the Internet to search a half dozen retailers I focused on for supplements as well as potentially new-to-me providers. This time more than 6 weeks after my initial search and order, more of the previously searched retailers were now carrying Taurine; some in combination with other ingredients. I placed as order with one of my more common and dependable supplement suppliers. Their frequent shipping time to me was 3 or 4 days. After 7 or more days, I was beginning to be concerned. Initially, there had not been any shipment tracking information available. Winter weather was proving to be more severe and eratic than normal. A day before the now proposed delivery tracking information appeared online. It had arrived on the 10th day. Health and environment changes had been best addressed with both a further pause in my detoxing schedule as well as a 7-day water only fast.

Politics can play a role in access to health enhancing supplements, some of which have been used dependably for hundreds if not thousands of years. This was the reality when I was first encouraged to use Taheebo. It was near the late 1990's and I was experiencing acute symptoms of illness. I am a Canadian living in Canada. Healthcare in Canada has always, from the creation of the nation of Canada, been a constitutional responsibility and authority of each province, since 1867. After almost 100 years, the federal government ransomed the provinces to at least provide the appearance of equal medical care services to all Canadians. The provinces were not receiving a share of federal tax revenue which related equally to the number of taxpayers in their provinces. Some had access to more money to fund their healthcare services than others. The federal government offered to provide "equalization" payments to lessen these gaps IF the provinces agreed to provide the same list of medical categories of services. Quality and quantity of these services and whether the citizen would pay a health services membership fee in support of the services was the discretion of each provincial government.

A few more decades passed and the federal government opened a Health Canada federal department whose mandate was initially and primarily to provide a single source of general health information to empower citizens. Linguistically, at least in the English language, political communication has, and continues to be, slanted towards the no-debate sanctioned expert style of authoritarianism. Initially, some of the information on the Health Canada website was expressed in the tone of a government Policy, and, mirrored the accepted science and government policies adopted by some European countries. Not many Canadians are aware of the provincial-federal division of powers to this day. In the earlier to late 1990's I encounterted significant health problems with mercury poisoning sourced from the mercury-silver dental amalgams I had. North American dentistry, and politicians, were lobbied by and in support of the dental amalgam manufacturers ... who totally financed their dental journals.

An Ontario legal consortion with intent to sue the Federal government for the Ontario practice of mandating the exclusive use of dental amalgams built their case for a year or more before becoming aware of the fundamental reality ... the Federal government had NO authority over Canadian healthcare and could only ADVISE the provinces on policy. Possibly running low on monies and enthusiasm after preparing for a battle with the wrong adversary, the legal challenge fizzled. A government committee was convened on the issue, dental mercury amlgams or not, with participants invited by representatives of all "stakeholders". This was the Canadian political approach of that time .. committees and agreement. The failure of such forms of mass democracy is that if ANY participant holds to a strong principle, they control the outcome ... which can lead to NO change in the status quo. One of the participants was a lobbiest for the dental amalgam manufacturers, and, agreeing to the abolision of dental mercury amlgams in favor of increased health protection for Canadians was not even going to be considered. After much debate and frustration, the only "agreement" possible was No Change.

At some point during these years of strife, Health Canada posted a website decrying the use of dental mercury amalgams ... obviously in acknowledgement of the non-industry tainted true science. When their position was challenged, behind the scenes, by Ontario politicians, their original webpage was quietly relocated to a new internet address which was almost impossible for an citizen to locate. In more recent years, additional responsibilities and authority for health related issues has been sheltered under the umbrella of Health Canada ... including the sanctioning or market exclusion of health supplements. A current (2017-2018) confusion and conflict regarding market acceptance of possible health enhancing products .. which has been present in varying degrees for decades, is that products can be denied acceptance even when true scientific and common sense would mandate otherwise. Given ignorance, bribery (money, power, threat), and denial ... political management within a bureaucracy can determine which evidence will be reviewed, when facts will prove to be acceptable, and, which products will be selctively excluded within their category ... to the market benefit of their competitor.

More than 3 instances of political interference resulting in the exclusion/banning of, or mandating of health influencing products have impacted me personally. Mass populations depend upon urban populations employed in business and sustaining themselves by wages and relatively stable economic systems. Yet these profit and marketing driven economies do have cycles of growth, competitive losses, fluctuations in employment and business expansion and constriction. Self-sustaining agriculture, fishing, herding, and hunting cultures are gone. Both the promise and uncertainty of income, the valuation of currencies, and the expansion of consumer product variation encourage citizens to use credit in an attempt to provide the illusion of stability.