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L-Tyrosine capsules may be the key to effectively and safely lifting your mood and providing greater mental energy and focus.
The effects of L-tyrosine can improve mood, reduce susceptibility to stress and boost attention and cognitive power.
L-tyrosine is already employed naturally by our bodies to control cell membrane health, increase effectiveness of brain communication, and regulate neurochemicals relating to mood.
It is involved in the synthesis of key brain chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine which regulate mood, mental energy and feelings of motivation and desire. Balancing your L-Tyrosine levels can help to increase your drive, confidence, ability to focus and make you feel more energetic.
You will find it in many food sources, but for added benefits, it is often used in a concentrated pill or capsule format to increase dietary intake. Some online reviews even suggest its effects are on par with prescription anti-depressants like Adderall and Prozac.
We’ll take a look at the advantages and drawbacks of L-Tyrosine caps for emotional health, plus offer some strategies for how to best supplement it.
Motivation
Mental Focus
Mood- Supports energy & motivation
- Promotes focus & mental clarity
- Improves mood & stress response
Using L-Tyrosine Capsules
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The body naturally generates its own supply of L-Tyrosine from food sources and Phenylalanine, another one of the 22 amino acids found in the body.
L-Tyrosine’s main function is to support the functions of cell membranes.
It is thought that as much as ten percent of the membranes of our cells are comprised of this compound, especially in the brain.
There, L-Tyrosine facilitates communication into and out of nerve cells by keeping the cell membrane permeable and healthy.
Some of this amino acid found in your neurons is also converted into a biochemical messenger during this process. An abundant supply of L-Tyrosine is necessary for normal, efficient brain communication.
L-Tyrosine is also an essential regulator of neurotransmitters. It is a precursor for the production of dopamine, the hormone associated with mental energy, action and reward, mental drive, and ambition.
L-Tyrosine also assists in the re-uptake of norepinephrine. This hormone, closely associated with stress-induced “fight or flight” reactions, is a valuable tool for focusing thoughts and generating a perception of an alert mind.
L-Tyrosine ensures that levels of this hormone remain balanced and don’t flood the brain with an overload of stress triggers. For these reasons, L-Tyrosine in the brain generally contributes to excellent mood and good energy as well as other factors related to “executive abilities”. It follows that L-Tyrosine capsules might be a good way to keep mood balanced.
Experiences with L-Tyrosine Caps
Taking an adequate dose of L-Tyrosine capsules is reported by users to generate a feeling of wakeful arousal.
This is comparable to a strong cup of morning coffee. Thoughts become clear and focused, concentration is easier, and attention span in sharpened.
Anyone suffering from the scattered thoughts of attention related disorders like ADHD could greatly benefit from L-Tyrosine supplementation.
The compound is thought to fight social anxiety, and imbue the user with motivation, confidence and enthusiasm. Many people like to add supplements which boost serotonin to L-Tyrosine, such as 5-HTP.
Serotonin supplements promote feelings of contentedness and euphoric pleasure, complementing dopamine’s more energetic feelings.
Dosage and Safety
There is one limiting factor when it comes to supplementation with L-Tyrosine capsules – bioavailability. Even though the body produces its own supply of L-Tyrosine, the same compound cannot easily reach the brain when consumed orally.
It is not able to easily cross the blood brain barrier, and much of it is lost in digestion. So, even if we see that a serving of animal protein like pork can contain more than a gram of L-Tyrosine, a much smaller amount will reach the brain.
The recommended daily dosage for L-Tyrosine ranges from 500 mg to 5 grams. The large range is due this bioavailability issue. One way to work around this is to supplement with Phenylalanine, the natural pre-cursor to L-Tyrosine in the body. Phenylalanine is converted into L-Tyrosine in the brain.
This method does come with additional side effects risks, as excessive Phenylalanine can cause toxicity and an overabundance of hormones which lead to heart and digestion issues. These side effects are extremely rare when an appropriate dosage is used.
L-Tyrosine Capsules Review
The best bet for effective and safe supplementation is to combine L-Tyrosine capsules or bulk L-Tyrosine powder with complementary natural supplements.
These can include 5-HTP, as well as Phenylalanine. We often see L-Tyrosine paired with the noted stress buster L-Theanine. L-Theanine reduces blood pressure and is converted into serotonin which has a soothing effect in the brain.
Many popular mood boosting products pair these two compounds, such as in the best-selling Alpha Brain. Food sources and L-Tyrosine pills may not be enough on their own to produce dramatic boosts to mood, but they can deliver excellent results when taken as part of a comprehensive emotional health regimen as described above.
- Dowlati Y, Ravindran AV, Maheux M, Steiner M, Stewart DE, Meyer JH. No effect of oral tyrosine on total tyrosine levels in breast milk: implications for dietary supplementation in early postpartum. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2014
- Smith ML, Hanley WB, Clarke JT, Klim P, Schoonheyt W, Austin V, Lehotay DC. Randomised controlled trial of tyrosine supplementation on neuropsychological performance in phenylketonuria. Arch Dis Child. 1998
- Sole MJ, Benedict CR, Myers MG, Leenen FH, Anderson GH. Chronic dietary tyrosine supplements do not affect mild essential hypertension. Hypertension. 1985
- Carbonell F, Nagano-Saito A, Leyton M, Cisek P, Benkelfat C, He Y, Dagher A. Dopamine precursor depletion impairs structure and efficiency of resting state brain functional networks. Neuropharmacology. 2014
- Ramdani C, Carbonnell L, Vidal F, Béranger C, Dagher A, Hasbroucq T. Dopamine precursors depletion impairs impulse control in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2015
- Gelenberg AJ, Wojcik JD, Gibson CJ, Wurtman RJ. Tyrosine for depression. J Psychiatr Res. 1982
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
2 Comments
I don’t know why you like the 5-htp over tryptophan, I wouldn’t take 5-htp unless you suspect you have low serotonin. (tryptophan->5-htp->serotonin->melatonin) The enzyme that converts tryptophan to 5-htp is regulated my serotonin levels, if you take 5-htp its unregulated allowing for easy overdose, which is REALLY important to mention.
You didn’t mention that after norepinephrine, tyrosine converts to cortisol, which is part of the wakefulness cycle. Which is why I also take tryptophan and melatonin. To the best of my knowledge, there is no feedback loop with melatonin to inhibit production with supplementation so taking it regularly will not down regulate production. Melatonin neutralizes cortisol during sleep, this is why getting a good nights sleep will make you live longer.
Hi Zeke,
In research trials, 5-HTP outperforms tryptophan for increasing serotonin levels, balancing mood and improving sleep patterns. Certainly it is important to use a safe dosage with any supplement being taken, but the risk of 5-HTP overdose is low when used at appropriate dosage levels and not combined with other supplements or drugs.