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How to increase dopamine naturally? The role of L-tyrosine.
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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?
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Dopamine increases motivation
- Dopamine is released even before you receive the reward/pleasure of an activity, to motivate you to work towards your goals. A study of “go-getters” found that there was an increase in dopamine release in brain areas involving reward and motivation [1 Trusted Source 2012 - The Journal of Neuroscience Human study Dopaminergic Mechanisms of Individual Differences in Human Effort-Based Decision-Making ] . Animal studies found that decreasing dopamine reduced the motivation to dispense effort to choose a good food option [2 Trusted Source 2007 - Psychopharmacology Research evaluation Effort-related functions of nucleus accumbens dopamine and associated forebrain circuits ] . -
Dopamine encourages risk-taking
- Dopamine can help overcome the challenge of taking risks to achieve a possible reward/feel-good experience. Increasing dopamine production encouraged individuals to choose riskier bigger-reward options, compared to smaller safer-rewards [3 Trusted Source 2019 - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Human study Endogenous fluctuations in the dopaminergic midbrain drive behavioral choice variability ] . This ties in with dopamine’s love for seeking new experiences, with brain imaging showing activation of dopamine-producing areas in response to novelty [4 Trusted Source 2006 - Neuron Research evaluation Absolute coding of stimulus novelty in the human substantia nigra/VTA ] . -
Dopamine promotes community spirit -
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Dopamine inspires fearlessness
-Dopamine, in its attempt to seek rewards and new experiences, reinforces that overcoming fears may be rewarding. When a previously fear-inducing event leads to a positive outcome, instead of a negative outcome, dopamine is released. Dopamine uses this relief/reward to solidify the memory of being safe [7 Trusted Source 2018 - eLife Animal study Dopamine neurons drive fear extinction learning by signaling the omission of expected aversive outcomes ] , [8 Trusted Source 2018 - Nature Communications Research evaluation A dopaminergic switch for fear to safety transitions ] .
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.
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
- 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
- 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
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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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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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
- Juárez Olguín, H. et al. (2016). The Role of Dopamine and Its Dysfunction as a Consequence of Oxidative Stress. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2016, 9730467. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/9730467
- Nutrient Search Tool (n.d.). Foods highest in Tyrosine. [online] Nutrition Data https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-tyrosine-foods
- Willis, B. (2024). L-Tyrosine. Examine. https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/?srsltid=AfmBOoq57e9fFPn8DvBSL3S60gA3kmNfxAfokZkzAF6yoOLi7AYf9wIW
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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
- 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
- Drugs.com. (n.d.). Tyrosine Uses, Benefits & Dosage - Drugs.com Herbal Database. [online] https://www.drugs.com/npp/tyrosine.html
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