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how to increase dopamine naturally  what does dopamine do  l tyrosine benefits side effects of l tyrosine l tyrosine for dopamine

How to increase dopamine naturally? The role of L-tyrosine.

Published Oct 3, 2022 | Updated Aug 12, 2024
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Dopamine is your reward and pleasure brain chemical. It is released when the brain is expecting a reward-which could be apparent or anticipated. Good food, sex, exercise, music, socializing, thrill-seeking and other feel-good activities involve the dopamine pathway. Dopamine is also involved in motivation and creating the drive to seek those pleasures. This property also influences its role in addiction. 

What does dopamine do?

The brain views social interaction as a rewarding experience due to the potential of forming happy relationships and receiving positive social feedback. Activating dopamine brain cells increased social interactions in animal studies [5 Trusted Source 2016 - Cell Research evaluation Dorsal Raphe Dopamine Neurons Represent the Experience of Social Isolation . These areas were also activated in humans looking at pictures of their favourite social activity after being kept in isolation [6 Trusted Source 2020 - Nature Neuroscience Systematic and meta-analysis Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger .

How is dopamine made?

Amino acid (building block of protein), L-tyrosine, taken from food, crosses into the brain and is converted to L-DOPA which is then converted to dopamine [9 Trusted Source 2016 - Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Research evaluation The Role of Dopamine and Its Dysfunction as a Consequence of Oxidative Stress It is important to consume an adequate amount of L-tyrosine for dopamine production. 

how to increase dopamine naturally  what does dopamine do  l tyrosine benefits side effects of l tyrosine l tyrosine for dopamine

What are the sources of L-tyrosine?

L-tyrosine content of some protein rich foods are as follows: [10 Trusted Source Nutrition Data 3rd-party source Top 10 Foods Highest in Tyrosine

Food (per 100g)

Tyrosine content (mg)

Parmesan cheese

2300

Frozen dried tofu

1800

Powdered full fat milk

1300

Beef steak

1200

Turkey meat

1200

Whole egg

500

Ensuring enough eggs, dairy, plant protein and animal meat in the diet can help your brain produce more dopamine. Supplementation of L-tyrosine benefits those with inadequate intake. Brain feed has created the world’s 1st natural 800mg tyrosine capsule from fermented corn.

How long does L-tyrosine take to show effect?

Upon intake, L-tyrosine blood levels peak after 1-2 hours. It stays in the blood for up to 8 hours [11 Trusted Source 2024 - Examine Examine L-Tyrosine . Once it enters the brain, it can be used to produce dopamine when the need arises.

Is L-tyrosine supplementation safe?

The US Food and Drug Administration has labelled L-tyrosine as safe [13 Trusted Source 2023 - FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration 3rd-party source CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 . Research studies employ doses between 500mg-12g per day. Up to 12g/day over 3 months was noted to be safe [11 Trusted Source 2024 - Examine Examine L-Tyrosine . Dangerously high dopamine levels using high doses of L-tyrosine are unreported because the body only uses the amount that is needed and metabolises the excess [12 Trusted Source 2015 - Journal of Psychiatric Research Systematic and meta-analysis Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands—A review . Serious side-effects of L-tyrosine were unreported when consumed within recommended dosage. 

What are the contraindications of L-tyrosine?

References

 

  1. Treadway, M.T. et al. (2012). Dopaminergic Mechanisms of Individual Differences in Human Effort-Based Decision-Making. The Journal of Neuroscience, [online] 32(18), pp.6170–6176. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6459-11.2012
  2. Salamone, J.D. et al. (2007). Effort-related functions of nucleus accumbens dopamine and associated forebrain circuits. Psychopharmacology, 191(3), pp.461–482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0668-9
  3. Chew, B. et al. (2019). Endogenous fluctuations in the dopaminergic midbrain drive behavioral choice variability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(37), pp.18732–18737. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1900872116
  4. Bunzeck, N. et al. (2006). Absolute Coding of Stimulus Novelty in the Human Substantia Nigra/VTA. Neuron, 51(3), pp.369–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2006.06.021
  5. Matthews, G. et al. (2016). Dorsal Raphe Dopamine Neurons Represent the Experience of Social Isolation. Cell, 164(4), pp.617–631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.040
  6. Tomova, L. et al. (2020). Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger. Nature Neuroscience, 23(12), pp.1597–1605. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-020-00742-z
  7. Salinas-Hernández, X.I. et al. (2018). Dopamine neurons drive fear extinction learning by signaling the omission of expected aversive outcomes. eLife, 7. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.38818
  8. Luo, R. et al. (2018). A dopaminergic switch for fear to safety transitions. Nature Communications, 9 (1) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04784-7
  9. Juárez Olguín, H. et al. (2016). The Role of Dopamine and Its Dysfunction as a Consequence of Oxidative Stress. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity2016, 9730467. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/9730467
  10. Nutrient Search Tool (n.d.). Foods highest in Tyrosine. [online] Nutrition Data https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-tyrosine-foods
  11. Willis, B. (2024). L-Tyrosine. Examine. https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/?srsltid=AfmBOoq57e9fFPn8DvBSL3S60gA3kmNfxAfokZkzAF6yoOLi7AYf9wIW
  12. Jongkees, B.J. et al. (2015). Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands—A review. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 70, pp.50–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014
  13. www.accessdata.fda.gov. (n.d.). CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. [online]  https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.320
  14. Drugs.com. (n.d.). Tyrosine Uses, Benefits & Dosage - Drugs.com Herbal Database. [online]  https://www.drugs.com/npp/tyrosine.html

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