Lack of taurine in the brain is linked to depression, according to research

A group of researchers from the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) conducted an unprecedented study that sought to link taurine to some emotional and mental disorders, such as depression.

In the research, experts analyzed taurine levels in young women suffering from depression and in non-depressed volunteers.

Surprisingly, taurine levels in the brain hippocampus of depressed women were much lower than in non-depressed women.

For information, the hippocampus is the region of the brain responsible for memory, learning and other cognitive functions.

(Image: disclosure)

The study methodology

To perform information collection, the researchers used the ultra-high magnetic field 7T human MRI (7T MRI).

76 were subjected to analysis women aged between 19 and 29 years old. Of these, 36 had depression and 40 did not.

In addition to KBSI, teams from the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM) and Chungnam National University (CNU) were also involved in the study.

Depression: a comprehensive illness

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 260 million people currently suffer from depression around the world.

This problem is usually caused by disturbances in the brain's hormonal balance, which depends on the interaction with neurotransmitter hormones, such as serotonin, for example, to provide the individual with a feeling of well-being.

Due to depression, millions of people end up becoming prisoners and, in more serious cases, taking their own lives.

Could taking taurine be the key to depression?

Taurine is considered a metabolite. In other words, it is a substance capable of decisively altering the functioning of human metabolism. In fact, the properties of this compound are exploited in industrialized energy drinks.

However, it is not safe to say that ingesting more taurine can ward off depression and other mental illnesses.

In the study carried out by Korean researchers, other substances are also mentioned, as is the case choline, creatine, glutamine, glutamate, myo-inositol and N-acetyl aspartate, which are also metabolites.

Therefore, it can only be inferred that, most likely, mental health depends on a fine combination of stable hormonal secretion, and not on the presence of a specific substance.

In any case, it is clear that taurine is very important for the correct functioning of the cerebral hippocampus, both in women and men.

Graduated in History and Human Resources Technology. Passionate about writing, today he lives the dream of working professionally as a Web Content Writer, writing articles in several different niches and formats.