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I think hemp oil is better alternative to fish oil. No mercury.
Today I want to rave (rant?) about taurine supplementation.
To preface: My view of any supplementation is that if you are young and healthy, generally you will not feel any subjective effects, other than a placebo effect. When you are old, many things need fixing, just like an old car vs a new car. Taurine is one of the exceptions. IMO: it is more dose-dependent than the literature suggests because I felt no significant benefits until I increased my dose to 10 grams daily.
My subjective result of high 10 grams/day, 4 in the morning and 6 at night supplementation of taurine for approx 6 weeks are:
Greatly increased stamina. This is something I didn’t expect, it is manifested by increased anaerobic and strength exercise performance. This is a game changer for me, (I hope it lasts) because I had been on a plateau for a while. The main thing I feel is less pain and more performance at the gym.
It improves uninterrupted sleep duration. Taurine has a half-life of about four hours, so it is best to take it not too long before bedtime.
Taurine does not make you sleepy. It lets you sleep.
As for its anti-aging, brain health, etc., benefits it is too soon to tell. I haven’t had any blood work since I started so I don’t yet know if it has had any effect on my blood markers.
Potential Benefits of Taurine Supplementation:
Exercise Performance and Recovery
Blood Pressure Regulation
Glycemic Control
Cardiovascular Health
Neurological Health
Mitochondrial and Cellular Health
Anti-Aging Effects
Sorry, some of this may have been posted before
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwwSv4POkBQ”
Taurine in sports and exercise
“Taurine in sports and exercise - PMC”
The Effects of an Oral Taurine Dose and Supplementation Period on Endurance Exercise Performance in Humans: A Meta-Analysis
The Role of Taurine in Mitochondria Health: More Than Just an Antioxidant
“The Role of Taurine in Mitochondria Health: More Than Just an Antioxidant - PMC”
The effects of taurine supplementation on diabetes mellitus in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Etc., etc., etc……………………….
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I’ve not felt anything from taurine so far but I will try 10g per day for a while to see if it’s a keeper. I was about to drop it. Thanks
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Sounds like one of those supplements where you may need to hit a certain threshold to feel anything. I’m probably too young….
This is the same brand as @desertshores but in a powder form which is cheaper. It comes with a 2g scoop and I just dump 2-3 scoops in my late morning coffee. I’ll try adding a couple scoops to my evening decaf tea to see if it improves sleep. 
Thanks for the idea.
https://www.amazon.com/Nutricost-Taurine-Powder-1KG-Servings/dp/B01MQGUFJP/
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Taurine as with others is part of metabolism. Hence to have a noticeable effect you need to take enough to increase your natural levels. The natural levels will vary from person to person.
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I love black coffee, I love dark chocolate. I am loathe to do anything to either.
I do put creatine in my morning coffee and can’t detect any change in flavor.
How does the taurine affect the taste of your coffee? People who put cream and sweeteners in their coffee can put more stuff in without changing the flavor.
You are too young and active compared to me so you probably won’t feel any subjective benefits. Consider the merits of taurine on its own. IMO most supplements have no subjective effects. Most of the supplements I take are based on the merit of their studies.
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Right. I hate that. But I’ll try anyway before giving up.
As with many of us, the thing with you @desertshores is you take quite a few things at once, and it may be hard to assess which of the supplements or meds is having a specific effect. Are you sure the increase in taurine intake was the only change before you became a “beast” 
at the gym.
Since we are on the subject of “dark” I also love hot brunets, but I hate dark chocolate
Yes, I do keep track of my supplement effects and I don’t change them very often.
As for the taurine, I am quite sure that increasing my taurine intake resulted in increased benefits.
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Well, I had bought a bunch and put it on hold couple weeks back. Time to load up on it then.
I’m using Bulk Supplements for bulk, and doing the scoop thing. Do you have an opinion on Nutricost vs Bulk Supp?
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I like both Bulk supplements and Nutricost for amino acids. When I went to restock, Nutricost was less expensive, so I chose them.
Taurine doesn’t affect the taste of my coffee as far as I can tell @desertshores but I like strong dark coffee and that can overwhelm the taste of additives.
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The following arrived in my inbox from the <examine.com> site.
"Supplements don’t work” is a misguided trope
If you Google “do supplements work”, many of the results suggest or straight up declare that supplements don’t work, and are a waste of time and money.
Sure, many supplements are ineffective in a variety of contexts. But do you know what else can be ineffective in a variety of contexts? Literally anything and everything: pharmaceuticals, diets, surgeries, and so on.
You should never judge an entire category based on attributes of individual components of that category. That’s a logical fallacy called the fallacy of composition.
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It may be me, but I think supplements absolutely work. I take many but once in a while I stay free of any supplements or meds for couple weeks. By the 7th day I feel much more fatigued than when I do take supplements, and It is very easy for me to know. now it may be because my body has been used with taking supplements for last 20 years and it may have adjusted to work better with such supplements, but I know it 100% that I feel much much better when doing supplements.
Perhaps it would be interesting to stay med and supplement free for a long period (3-6months) to see if my body adjust and work same or better. I have stayed for up to 3 weeks but the sluggishness and fogginess become a bit too much for me. To be fair I’m a lazy dude and don’t exercise more that 10 minutes 3-4 times per week. Perhaps if I were to exercise more I might feel better even without supplements.
Also wanted to note that I am having excellent results with Jardiance and acarbose combination (the way I feel, plus much harder for me to gain weight if I eat sweets, have a major sweet tooth). Initially when I started them, I had a weird taste when I woke up in the morning, but that has gone away and my body really likes it when I take them now, Plus no noticeable weakness as with metformin.
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