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With the gradual popularization of the concept of healthy living, consumers' lifestyles have undergone an unprecedented transformation, and the formerly popular carbonated beverages, which have been labeled as "happy water for fat people", have gradually fallen into disfavor. On the contrary, functional drinks seem to be the new darling of the beverage market, highly favored by consumers, especially after sports and long hours of overtime work, people will casually buy a bottle of functional drinks to help them restore their energetic state. Currently, there are many brands of functional drinks in China, such as Red Bull, Lohu, Dongpeng Special Drink, etc. These familiar functional drinks are different in composition, but they all contain the same taurine component.

Special "Amino Acids"

Taurine, scientifically known as 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is one of the few well-known natural sulfonic acids, which was first isolated from bovine bile in 1827, and hence the name taurine. It is a derivative of cysteine and does not meet the strict definition of an amino acid due to its lack of a carboxyl group, but it is still customarily categorized as an amino acid (sulfamate), and this terminology is commonly used in the scientific literature. Although taurine has been discovered for nearly two hundred years, it was long thought to be a non-functional product of the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. It was not until the 1970s, when it was reported that the lack of taurine in young cats led to vision loss, that scholars at home and abroad began to carry out in-depth research on taurine and found that it has a wide range of physiological functions, and it is an important substance for regulating the normal physiological functions of the body.

Physiological functions of taurine

In 1975, Hayes et al. found that cats fed with casein as the main source of protein but lacking in taurine found a significant decrease in vision and hair loss, which in the long run may even lead to blindness, which is a landmark study on the physiological functions of taurine. Unfortunately, cats are unable to synthesize taurine on their own, so taurine additives need to be artificially added to the feed to ensure normal growth and development. Subsequent studies have shown that taurine is chemically stable and exists mostly in a free form. Although it is rarely directly involved in biochemical reactions in the animal body and does not participate in the biosynthesis of proteins, it can play a role in promoting the optic nerve, strengthening the cardiovascular system, regulating calcium ions, antioxidant, maintaining osmotic pressure and other functions.

What are the functions of functional drinks

After talking about taurine, let's go back to the function of functional drinks themselves. Advertisements claim that these functional drinks can replenish energy quickly and make you energetic after drinking them, but is this really true? According to the ingredients on the Red Bull website, in addition to taurine, the drinks also contain caffeine, vitamin B complex (VB3, VB6, VB12, etc.) and sugar, all of which play a positive role in the body. Vitamin B group is to help enzyme metabolism coenzyme, can accelerate the production of energy so that the body will not be lack of energy and fatigue; caffeine is a familiar central nervous system stimulants, with refreshing and anti-fatigue effect; with the beverage intake of sugar can also become an energy-supplying substances, it is the joint role of these complex components to make the function of the drink worthy of the name.

Safety Concerns of Functional Drinks

Red Bull contains a high dose of caffeine, which can increase the risk of consumption if mixed with high-alcohol spirits such as vodka. Although there is no scientific evidence to date that Red Bull has any health and safety concerns, excessive intake of any highly caffeinated beverage or food can be harmful to the human body, which is why some countries have set strict standards for caffeinated beverages. If you look closely, you will find that the packaging of Red Bull is actually clearly labeled as not suitable for pregnant women and children. In addition, although the taurine contained in Red Bull was originally found in cows, most of the current sources are synthetic. Taurine is a substance originally contained in the human brain, and when it is lacking, it can cause fatigue, therefore, taurine supplementation can achieve the effect of refreshing, in addition, the intake of trace amounts of taurine is also beneficial to the body, but about whether taking too much taurine causes health problems, scientists have not yet found a definitive conclusion.

Conclusion

In view of the many important and positive physiological functions of taurine in the body, many food fortification and health food products now contain taurine as an ingredient. Nevertheless, we need to realize that the appropriate intake of taurine is not clear at present, and more in-depth studies in the future may provide a scientific answer. In addition, we should also drink functional drinks in moderation, and should not drink too much in order to obtain a certain effect, otherwise it will only be counterproductive.

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