WebMD Medical News Louise Chang, MD March 2, 2012 -- Taurine, an
amino acid found in dark meat poultry and other foods, may be
good for some people's hearts, according to a new study. "People
with high cholesterol may have a reduced risk of coronary heart
disease if they have a high level of taurine in their diet,"
says researcher Yu Chen, PhD, MPH, associate professor of
epidemiology at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. Her
research looked only at women. However, she suspects the same
benefit may be found for men. The study was small. Much more
research is needed, Chen tells WebMD. Her study is published
online in the European Journal of Nutrition. The American Heart
Association and the National Institutes of Health funded the
study. There hasn’t been a lot of research on taurine, Chen
tells WebMD. The nutrient is found in dark meat turkey and
chicken. It is also in some seafood, including white fish,
mussels, and clams, she says. It's also found in energy drinks.
Some think it can improve athletic