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Tyrosine is used as protein synthesis and muscle building block by body cells. It is a non-essential amino acid manufactured by the body from other amino acid-rich foods. When the body cannot produce enough tyrosine, you can increase your protein synthesis through an artificial supplement, L-tyrosine. L-tyrosine supplement quickly increases the concentration of neurotransmitters in the body and provides several health benefits. This article provides you with the beneficial effects of taking supplemental l-tyrosine. Let’s take a look at the following pros and cons.
Pros:
1. Increase alertness: In cases of lost sleep, taking a tyrosine supplement will help you to stay alert for about 3 hours longer. It improves memory reasoning capability in sleep-deprived individuals.
2. Improve mental performance: Tyrosine contains neurotransmitters that help improve mental performance and boost your mood in stressful situations. It increases the concentration of individuals during a demanding task.
3. Cognitive flexibility: Taking a tyrosine supplement will make you switch between tasks and thoughts quickly thus improving your cognitive flexibility.
4. Treat depression: Tyrosine acts as an anti-depressant by increasing the production of neurotransmitters essential for balancing your brain. Taking this supplement will reduce depression and anxiety effects.
5. Improve skin health: When L-tyrosine is applied to the skin, it brightens your skin and makes you wrinkle-free.
6. Improve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): ADHD people are more restless, easily distracted, and have trouble focusing. L-tyrosine can help improve the condition by making them more attentive and increasing their concentration.
7. Relieve stress: Tyrosine functions by producing neurotransmitters essential for relieving stress and also increasing concentration.
The noradrenaline helps keep your brain at its peak without feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated.
8. Several neurotransmitters: Tyrosine consists of several neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine with various health benefits to the body. Tyrosine supplements can treat Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and mood disorders.
9. Increase heart rate: Tyrosine leads to the production of noradrenaline neurotransmitters which helps in increasing the heart rate as well as boosting the blood pressure when it becomes low.
10. Building block for thyroid hormones: Your body needs the right amount of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) hormones to replace the dying cells and speed up your body functions. Tyrosine boost thyroid deficiency and control energy production.
Cons:
1. Side effects: Some people may experience nausea, fatigue, headache, or heartburn after introducing tyrosine to their diet.
2. Increase blood pressure: Breakdown of tyrosine leads to the production of tyramine amino acid which is used to regulate blood pressure. Combining tyramine with Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) can result in high blood pressure.
3. Worsen melanoma disease: People suffering from Grave’s disease or melanoma may worsen their condition if they take l-tyrosine supplements. The supplement increases the growth of cancer cells.
4. Affect thyroid hormone: Taking l-tyrosine supplements will raise thyroid hormones to high levels. If taking thyroid medications you should be cautious with tyrosine supplements.
5. Drug interaction: If you’re taking L-dopa drugs, taking tyrosine supplements will make the drugs compete for absorption into the small intestine and this affects the effectiveness of the drugs.
6. Damage serotonin terminals: People suffering from Ecstasy (MDMA) should not take tyrosine since it aggravates its effects. It makes the body increase dopamine in the neuron terminals. More dopamine will damage the serotonin terminal.
7. Abnormal heart rate: L-tyrosine supplementation is converted into catecholamine which synthesizes stimulatory neurotransmitters. Increased stimulation may result in abnormal heart rate.
8. Chest pain: A number of people have reported having chest pain and shortness of breath after taking the supplement. Consult the doctor if you experience such a problem.
9. Reduction in appetite: After taking l-tyrosine, you can notice a temporary decrease in appetite due to increased levels of catecholamine.
10. Agitation: Some people may feel agitated immediately after they start taking the l-tyrosine. The level of agitation depends on the dosage and time of the day.
