Depression on the vegan diet? Taurine could be one of the reasons...

Depression can be caused by a number of things and diet is one of them. To learn about how low fat/low cholesterol (or no cholesterol) is linked to depression, please read my interview at Let Them Eat Meat. It's not a theory, there's research and everything. Oh goody!

Here's an interesting article about Taurine. Note that taurine activates GABA receptors.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/94393.php

Taurine is one of the most plentiful amino acids in the human brain, but neuroscientists are still puzzled by just how brain cells put it to use. Now, a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City has uncovered a prime site of activity for the molecule, bringing them closer to solving that mystery.

"We have discovered that taurine is a strong activator of what are known as GABA receptors in a regulatory area of the brain called the thalamus," says study senior author Dr. Neil L. Harrison, professor of pharmacology and pharmacology in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medical College. "We had discovered these receptors two years ago and showed that they interact with a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) -- the brain's key inhibitory transmitter -- that is also involved in brain development. It seems that taurine shares these receptors."