Effect of taurine on the retina

Effect of taurine on the retina

Energy drinks have, in the recent years, invaded the soft drinks’ market. They come in a multitude of brands and packages, but they serve the same purpose. Although the brands differ, those energy drinks are usually composed of the same ingredients: caffeine, Guarana, Taurine, and Glucuronolactone. Most of those ingredients are available in the food we consume every day, and their effect have been studied and recorded for years. However, Taurine is one special ingredient that the body synthesizes at low rate and that is important for the health. According to Derek Finnegan, “Taurine is an amino acid naturally present in the diet in foods such as meat, seafood and milk” (The health effects of stimulant drinks, 2003). It is involved in many physiological reactions, especially when undergoing extreme physical activity. In the last years, Taurine had proven to be efficient against many deceases such as high cholesterol, and also in the development of the central nervous system and more specifically the retina. In this paper, we shall discuss what effects Taurine had on the on the development of the retina and what happens in the case of depletion.
As figuring in the course book, retina is “the light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information” (Exploring Psychology, 2008).   In other words, it is the back part of the eye which role is to convert the light signals into electrical ones that are then sent directly to the brain through the optic nerve. This part of the nervous system is known to have the highest concentration of Taurine. Following in vitro and in vivo methods, experiments were held in order to record role played by that component in the eye. The first experiment concerned the of protein phosphorylation in the retina. According to JULIUS D. MILITANTE and JOHN B. LOMBARDINI, “Taurine was proven to modulate the incorporation of radioactive phosphate into...