My 12yr old son was told that taurine in monster drinks is bull sperm and he believes his friends help ?

Answer 1

Print this out for him...

http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=22

Answer 2

Taurine is found in many animal tissues and the main constituent in bile. It's presence in energy drinks is not as much a boost in energy as it is flavoring and to prevent muscle fatigue. The more powerful the energy drink, then usually it will have a higher amount of Taurine so it doesn't make you feel like you're totally crashed when the effects of the beverage wear off.
It's named after the Latin word "Taurus" which means "Bull" because the chemical originated from ox-bile. It IS NOT a form of synthesized bull urine or synthesized bull sperm at that, although, this seems to be a common belief among the teenage population.
According to some, Taurine is an amino acid, although, there hasn't been a proven tRNA synthetase that can incorporate it onto tRNA.

So basically, there isn't anything in it that is harmful, although, I wouldn't recommend energy drinks, ESPECIALLY at that age. The best way to get energy in the morning is by eating a muffin, some fruit, and something high in protein, but low in fat (such as nuts). As for a drink, I'd recommend a Juice rich in vitamin C, a Naked-Brand Smoothie (these are my personal favorite, but don't drink more than your serving), 2% milk, or a refreshing glass of cold water.
Personally, that's what gets me going every day (an occasional cup of coffee when I'm in the mood). If you're an athlete, energy drinks slow your body down, and once their effects wear off, your tiredness hits you harder and faster than before.

I feel like crap whenever I drink energy drinks, but that's my own opinion. Try to keep your kid away from energy drinks, if possible. It seems as though it's the "cool" thing to do now, when really it's not good for the health of anyone.


BILE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bile

Answer 3

Taurine, or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic acid that is a major constituent of bile, and can be found in lower amounts in the tissues of many animals including humans. [1][2] Taurine is a derivative of the sulfur-containing (sulfhydryl) amino acid, cysteine. Taurine is the only known naturally occurring sulfonic acid.[3]

Taurine is named after the Latin taurus, which means bull, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by Austrian scientists Friedrich Tiedemann and Leopold Gmelin. It is often called an amino acid, even in scientific literature,[4][5][6] but as it lacks a carboxyl group it is not strictly an amino acid.[7] It does contain a sulfonate group and may be called an amino sulfonic acid. Small polypeptides have been identified which contain taurine but to date no aminoacyl tRNA synthetase has been identified as specifically recognizing taurine and capable of incorporating it onto a tRNA.[8] Also, contrary to popular belief[9], taurine is not synthesized bull

Answer 4

Boys this age tend to spread gross rumors like that, but why would you want him drinking Monster anyway? Just explain to him it's not true, I think he will understand.

Answer 5

Well I hope it makes him NOT want to drink the garbage. WHY is your son drinking 'energy drinks' anyway? I'm sure that's what the parents have told some kids and it got told to someone else...someone else...sounds like someone else's parents don't want their kids to get this crap either.

Answer 6

Tell him that touro means a strong bull. That's why people drink it.

Answer 7

he shouldnt drink monster

Answer 8

Your son's friends are full of bullshit themselves...See below

Answer 9

have him drink water.