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For the first time, a research team has discovered there is a significant relationship between depression and the taurine concentration in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning functions. This discovery provides the opportunity to publicize the role and importance of taurine in future prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of depression. Using ultra-high magnetic field 7T human MRI (7T MRI), researchers have confirmed that the taurine concentration was significantly lower in the hippocampus of young females suffering from depression. The study compared two groups of female participants: a group of 36 female patients with major depressive...

Researchers have identified an amino acid that may play a key role in predicting poor clinical outcomes and the treatment of long COVID. In research, the team says it has developed a predictive test to determine which patients with COVID-19 will go on to develop longer-term symptoms and proposes a clinical trial of an already-approved supplement as a potential treatment. "This research helps us understand what's happening in the bodies of people with long COVID and could lead to better treatments," says Gavin Oudit. The team followed 117 patients who were admitted to hospital with acute COVID-19, taking blood samples...

Jury is still out on whether taurine supplementation could provide antiaging benefits to humans Researchers first sifted the amino acid taurine from a sample of ox bile in 1827. Today, it’s better known as one of the main ingredients in many energy drinks. But it may do more than drive sales of these beverages. A study published today in Science suggests boosting taurine levels increases life span in mice and improves the physical condition of middle-aged monkeys, hinting it could do the same for people. “This might be something that could be used to fight aging-related diseases or increase life...

Nerve cells that make up the gray matter in our brain allow us to perform different tasks. They are interconnected millions of times by nerve fibers running deeper in the brain, called axons. Many of these axons are wrapped by a cellular "insulating tape." The insulating cover is made of myelin, a lipid-rich substance that coats axons in up to 150 layers. Together, axons and myelin form what is known as white matter. When a signal is transmitted from one cell to the other by means of an electrical nerve impulse, it literally jumps from one node to the next....

Story at-a-glance: * A carnivore or meat-only diet can be uniquely beneficial for some people, especially those struggling with autoimmune diseases, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic pain and mental health disorders * It can also be used as a detox strategy for three to 12 months * One of the primary benefits of a carnivore diet — as long as you focus on red meat and limit chicken and pork — is that it’s a really low in omega-6 fat, which is the most harmful type of fat and a primary driver of chronic disease * You’re also removing most...

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best overall index of kidney function. Normal GFR varies according to age, sex, and body size, and declines with age. The National Kidney Foundation recommends using the CKD-EPI Creatinine Equation (2021) to estimate GFR. NKF and the American Society of Nephrology have convened a Task Force to focus on the use of race to estimate GFR.

Up to three quarters of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy suffer from "chemo brain"—a long-term side effect that makes it harder to remember things. Maria Lehtinen, Ph.D. and Naama Kanarek, Ph.D. conducted studies showing the importance of the CSF in promoting brain health and growth, together with the choroid plexus, the little-known brain tissue that produces CSF. Separately, Kanarek has been studying the metabolic effects of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate. In mice, they found methotrexate caused oxidative damage to both the CSF and the choroid plexus. Lehtinen, Kanarek, and colleagues further showed that methotrexate prevented the choroid plexus from secreting superoxide...

Researchers found a type of common gut bacteria sometimes associated with inflammation, abscesses, bowel disease and cancer has a major silver lining: It seems to help prevent cardiovascular disease. The findings suggest the possibility of probiotic treatments for atherosclerosis, the dangerous buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in arteries that cause strokes and heart attacks and is linked to smoking, diet, age and a range of genetic causes. Diets heavy in animal-based foods have long been considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as such diets are a major source of TMA—trimethylamine—which is converted by the liver to another...

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) widely exists in seafood and is associated with the atherosclerosis progress, but dietary seafood reduced the cardiovascular risk. This intimates that there may be some ingredients in seafood to offset the cardiovascular risk caused by TMAO. Taurine is a marker ingredient in seafood. Thus, this study determined the influences of taurine on TMAO-induced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein-E-deficient mice. The results showed that dietary taurine significantly reduced the TMAO-induced atherosclerotic lesion area. Further studies found that taurine increased the hepatic- and serum-conjugated bile acid/unconjugated bile acid ratio via increasing hepatic gene expression of conjugated bile acid synthesis. Meanwhile, taurine...

After a brain hemorrhage, neural support cells called astrocytes enhance healing by transferring their mitochondria to damaged neurons. The healthy mitochondria stimulate the production of a free radical-fighting enzyme, according to new research published in The Journal of Neuroscience. An artery in the brain bursts. Blood rushes into the tissue, inducing free radicals that cause even more damage. The hemorrhage damages mitochondria, the site of energy production in cells. Astrocytes transfer their mitochondria to damaged neurons after a hemorrhage. These healthy mitochondria contain a "healing" peptide called humanin and an enzyme called manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) that help neutralize free...

Our bodies arsenal of antioxidant control mechanisms become less efficient as we get older. Supplementing with the amino acid taurine could be a strategy to combat the problem. The study described 24 women randomly divided into two groups. One group took three 500 mg capsules of taurine per day for 16 weeks (1.5 g per day). The other took corn starch. Markers of oxidative stress were analyzed in blood samples. One interesting result was an increase of almost 20% in levels of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the group that received taurine, compared with a decrease of 3.5%...

UNIVERSITY of Sydney researchers could be on to a remedy to fight blindness caused by long-term diabetes. Lead researcher Professor Basil Roufogalis said pharmacy researchers have identified the ancient Tibetan goji berry could help fight diabetic retinopathy. "Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness for people with diabetes, with up to 60 per cent of people living with either type one or type two diabetes developing chronic hyperglycaemia, a condition which can damage retina cells," he said. Prof Roufogalis said the goji berry is abundant in taurine. "We found that goji berry protected against the death of cells caused...

Just back from the doctors office, got the wrapper off of my left eye. When everything settles down I'm gonna have close to 20/20 in both eyes!It's a different world and it sure is pretty!