Tyrosine supports and assists neurotransmitters in the brain. When the body is stressed out, aged, or tired the availability of L-Tyrosine is depleted.

L-Tyrosine supplementation helps reduce stress, improves mental alertness and mood, acts as an appetite suppressant and has a positive affect on sex drive.

Let’s look at it in more detail.

Definition

Tyrosine is classified as a nonessential amino acid produced inside the body from phenylalanine.
Function

Its importance is in its function as a nutritional ingredient for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Thyrosine is also needed to produce a number of important hormones including thyroxin, which has an important role in regulating the metabolism, skin health, mental health, and human growth rate.

It is also helps in suppressing appetite and reducing body fat, production of skin and hair pigment and has a positive affect on thyroid, pituitary and adrenal gland.

Better moods alertness and sex drive

It is as we stated earlier a precursor of the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine.
These are very important in terms of brain health and transmit nerve impulses and prevents depression.

Dopamine is also vital to mental function and mood and with better mood sex drive can increase as a result.
It can be used therefore to treat mild depression and lack of sex drive.
In a medical study, tyrosine proved effective in alleviating stress, anxiety and kept the patients generally more alert.
Deficiency of nutrient

Tyrosine, a parent amino acid for skin, hair, and eye pigments and is involved in syndromes, known generally as oculocutaneous albinism.

This condition is characterized by the failure to form melanin pigments, resulting in partial or whole albinism.

It is also the precursor amino acid for the thyroid gland hormone thyroxin.

A deficit can result in hypothyroidism, which is defined as an enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter), severe growth failure, and retardation of central nervous system development.

A deficiency may also have symptoms of low blood pressure and low body temperature.

Best used with

When taking a tyrosine supplement it is best taken late at night before going to bed, and with a high carbohydrate meal.

Folic acid, copper and vitamin B6 are good minerals and vitamins to take with tyrosine to maximize absorption into the body.

Good sources

Any Meat or dairy products, eggs, almonds, avocados and bananas to name a few.

Dosage

There is no recommended RDA, although most people who take it as a supplement take 500 – 1,500 mgs.

In certain instances people may take higher dosages, but as with any supplement discuss with your doctor or health practitioner before doing so.