Amanda Gardner is a freelance health reporter whose stories have appeared in Health. In , she was selected to be the writer-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She is also a community artist and recipient or partner in five National Endowment for the Arts grants. Tyrosine is naturally found in protein-rich foods, and most people also make it in their bodies. Video of the Day. L-tyrosine is one form of tyrosine, but the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Tyrosine Is a 'Building Block'. Foods With Tyrosine. It's not a good idea to take tyrosine supplements without the OK from your doctor. Here's where the research stands on different conditions:. This area may have the most research behind it. Evidence for Other Benefits Is Lacking. Tyrosine's Side Effects.
Fatigue Nausea or upset stomach Heartburn Headache Joint pain. Drug Interactions. This reduction is because tyrosine is a building block for the thyroid hormones, so supplementing it can produce more thyroid hormones.
People with an overactive thyroid, like hyperthyroidism or Graves' disease, should avoid tyrosine because it might affect already high thyroid hormone levels. L-tyrosine is a precursor of several of the neurotransmitters affected by depression—including adrenaline, dopamine, and noradrenaline NA.
Two clinical studies on patients with depression and healthy volunteers show that treatment with l-tyrosine positively supports depression management. Tyrosine increases dopamine levels in the brain and can improve mental performance in stressful situations. One clinical study asked 22 healthy adults to switch between two different tasks rapidly.
Compared to the control group, tyrosine positively promoted cognitive flexibility —a brain function assumed to be regulated by dopamine. The Care the care. The science the Science. Learn Learn. Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid which your body can produce from other amino acids, but iodine MUST be consumed through your diet 4. Because the consumption of sea vegetables such as kelp and seaweed, as well as the preference over non-iodized salt, iodine deficiency is becoming more and more common.
This is important because it may not be wise to supplement with tyrosine unless it is also accompanied with iodine or unless you know that your iodine level is "optimal" first. It has also been shown that people who have thyroid disease, including hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, have irregular serum levels of tyrosine 5. Those who have hyperthyroidism tend to have higher levels of tyrosine in their blood, and this level can increase dramatically after supplementation.
While those with hypothyroidism low thyroid hormone , tend to have lower than normal levels of tyrosine in their blood. When you combine this with the fact that using Thyroxine medication such as Levothyroxine has been shown to enhance tyrosine metabolism in the liver 6 , it may be a good idea to supplement with BOTH thyroid medication AND tyrosine either from the diet or through supplements.
This doesn't mean that using L-tyrosine will necessarily improve your thyroid function, but it's certainly worth considering if you have thyroid problems. While L-tyrosine hasn't been well studied in the thyroid arena, it has been studied in the stress arena. There are several studies which show that using L-tyrosine may actually help reduce the negative consequences of stress on the body.
We know that Tyrosine forms the backbone for the adrenal hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones are secreted when your body is under perceived stress and mediated, in part, through the hormone cortisol. This may lead to a situation in which your body becomes "depleted" of the precursors required to create these hormones 7.
When this happens you may start to experience the symptoms of adrenal fatigue such as extreme fatigue, the sensation of feeling wired but tired, weight gain and sleep problems. The idea behind using L-tyrosine, in this situation, is that you are providing your body with the necessary building blocks to produce more of these hormones which may "increase" your stress resilience.
And the benefits of L-tyrosine supplementation in these situations extend beyond just your adrenal health. Studies have shown that using L-tyrosine may improve your cognition 8 reduce brain fog and help reduce the symptoms of depression as well.
As one system starts to fade or become dysregulated, it can bring the other system down as well. This may be another reason why, if you have thyroid problems, supplementing with L-tyrosine may help.
With all of these benefits, it may be tempting to run out and purchase L-tyrosine from the grocery store. Because, whenever you consider using a supplement, you need to make sure that the benefits outweigh any potential risks. Doses as high as 20 grams per day have been given to people in the military without negative consequences. So with very few risks, it may be worth a trial, especially if you have thyroid disease or adrenal related problems.
There are other groups of people who may potentially benefit from using L-tyrosine as well:. Once you determine if you want to use L-tyrosine the next question you should have has to do with your dose. We know that extremely high doses probably won't cause any negative side effects, but does that mean you have to take that much?
You'll want to provide your body with the minimum amount necessary to provide a positive outcome while reducing the chance that you'll experience negative symptoms.
This range is usually somewhere between to mg per day of L-Tyrosine. But beyond the amount that you take, you should also consider taking L-tyrosine with other supplements. Because if you have a deficiency in this amino acid then you probably have deficiencies in other nutrients and you may also benefit from other targeted supplementation.
You will get the biggest bang for your buck both in terms of cost and benefits if you take L-tyrosine along with other supplements designed to improve both your thyroid and your adrenals.
I've included a brief list of additional supplements that can and should be considered when you are using L-tyrosine. Theoretically, it may be possible for L-tyrosine to help with weight loss, but I would not recommend using it for that purpose.
The idea behind weight loss may be coupled with the idea that taking tyrosine can potentially improve thyroid function. Thyroid hormone helps regulate your metabolism, so if you can improve thyroid hormone then you may be able to "boost" your metabolism.
In addition, it is known that high cortisol and stress may also lead directly to weight gain. Taking tyrosine may theoretically help reduce the stress response, normalize cortisol and therefore lead to weight loss. These ideas work in theory but in practice, they don't quite work out as you would think. While it is true that some people do experience weight loss when using tyrosine, the amount of weight that they lose is usually minimal. If you lose any weight, you may only lose a few pounds as you regulate some of the hormones discussed here.
You are much better off focusing on other supplements and conditions in your body if weight loss is your primary goal. Tyrosine supplementation will work better as part of an overall weight loss plan, but not as a primary weight loss supplement. L-tyrosine is an important protein in your body because it is the precursor to both thyroid hormone and adrenal hormones. A deficiency in tyrosine may result in abnormal production of these hormones and therefore symptoms.
It may be possible to take L-tyrosine as a nutritional supplement to help your body increase these levels and provide you with some relief. Supplementation appears to be quite safe, but make sure to supplement with other vitamins and nutrients for the best results!
Background photo created by freepik - www. I'm Westin Childs D. I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market well, at least in my opinion! You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do here.
Immediately after one eye became larger and more pronounced than the other. I stopped the supplement. Sea Kelp does the same thing. I was told by a Naturopath the only supplement to take is powder form Kyo Green.
I have many of the symptoms for T3 supplementing and want to join your program there was a Johnson, DC on Fri, May 17, If you are like the dozens of patients who come to see me for help with their stubborn health challenges, you are frustrated beyond belief. Many have low thyroid symptoms even though they are being medically managed with thyroid replacment hormones. Unfortunately this one size fits all approach to dealing with hypothyroidism often falls short, leaving you to continue searching for treatment that can restore your zest for living.
There are several mistakes I see patients make when it comes to finding a natural solution to their faltering health. One mistake is thinking that taking a supplement known as tyrosine can help.
Thyroid hormones are made by your thyroid gland via the enzyme thyroid peroxidase which combines the amino acid tyrosine, the mineral halide iodie and hyrogen peroxide. So it would follow that tyrosine would be a very popular supplement in health food stores for people suffering with thyroid problems. Unfortunately this strategy is not a good one. Give me a few minutes to explain why.
0コメント