Other Names: Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Acétyl-L-Tyrosine, L-Tyrosine, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, N-Acétyl L-Tyrosine, N-Acetyl-Tyrosine, N-Acétyl-Tyrosine, Tirosina, Tyr, Tyrosinum, 2-amino-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid.
Tyrosine is one of the amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. The body makes tyrosine from another amino acid called phenylalanine. Tyrosine can also be found in dairy products, meats, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, oats, and wheat.
Special Precautions of Tyrosine
- Tyrosine is LIKELY SAFE in food amounts and POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by adults short-term in medicinal amounts or applied to the skin. Tyrosine seems to be safe when used in doses up to 150 mg/kg per day for up to 3 months. Some people experience side effects such as nausea, headache, fatigue, heartburn, and joint pain.
- There isn't enough information available to know if tyrosine is safe for children to use in medicinal amounts. Don’t give it to children without the advice of your healthcare provider until more is known.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the safety of using tyrosine during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or Graves disease: The body uses tyrosine to make thyroxine, a thyroid hormone. Taking extra tyrosine might increase thyroxine levels too much, making hyperthyroidism and Graves disease worse. If you have one of these conditions, don’t take tyrosine supplements.
Benefits and uses of Tyrosine are
The body uses tyrosine to make chemical messengers that are involved in conditions involving the brain such as mental alertness.
- Treating phenylketonuria (PKU).
- Treating moderate depression.
- Treating adult attention deficit disorder (ADD).
- Treating childhood attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).