Important roles of dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in human nutrition and health
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing physiological mechanisms and nutritional sources without primary empirical trial data or systematic review methodology.
OpenAlex W3008318402 · doi:10.1007/s00726-020-02823-6
What was done
The authors synthesized evidence on the nutritional, physiological, and health roles of five cattle-derived bioactive compounds: taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine, and 4-hydroxyproline. The review evaluated their abundance in red meat (specifically beef) compared to plant foods, their physiological roles, and estimated intake requirements.
What was found
The abstract reports that taurine, carnosine, anserine, and creatine are absent from plants, and hydroxyproline is negligible in many plant-source foods. Consumption of 30 g of dry beef is reported to fully meet the daily physiological needs of a healthy 70-kg adult human for taurine and carnosine, while providing large amounts of creatine, anserine, and 4-hydroxyproline. These nutrients are described as having anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory roles, supporting metabolic, retinal, immunological, muscular, cartilage, neurological, and cardiovascular health, as well as immune defense against pathogens. No quantitative empirical trial outcomes or effect estimates were reported.
Why it matters
This review emphasizes the nutritional relevance of specific non-protein or non-essential amino acid derivatives abundant in beef that are lacking in plant-based diets, arguing for the functional role of red meat in human health.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review without primary clinical trial data, systematic search criteria, or quantitative synthesis. Broad claims regarding disease prevention (such as preventing obesity, cardiovascular dysfunction, tumorigenesis, and viral infections) are based on mechanistic reasoning rather than direct clinical trial evidence in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Vladimir Gulevich discovered carnosine and carnitine in bovine muscle tissue in the late 19th century.