Approximate dose-response bands. Individual response varies — these are starting points, not prescriptions.
Well below target. Risk of deficiency symptoms tied to dopamine precursor.
Below the recommended daily target. Long-term adequacy not assured.
Daily target met. Standard nutritional support for dopamine precursor.
Common for specific health goals. Check the evidence for your situation before sustaining this level.
Past the point where extra intake typically helps. Evidence for further benefit is thin.
You're at 0% of your l-tyrosine target. The biggest single-serving sources to top it off:
Non-essential amino acid synthesised from phenylalanine; precursor to dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, thyroid hormones, and melanin. Acutely studied for cognitive performance under stress (cold, sleep deprivation, multitasking) when catecholamine demand outpaces synthesis.
Tyrosine hydroxylase (rate-limiting in catecholamine synthesis) converts tyrosine to L-DOPA, which decarboxylates to dopamine. Under acute stress (cold exposure, sleep loss, sustained vigilance), catecholamine release outpaces synthesis and tyrosine becomes the rate-limiting substrate. Acute supplementation supports continued performance; baseline-state supplementation in well-fed adults has minimal effect.
Not a classical deficiency (synthesised from phenylalanine). Relative shortfall under acute high catecholamine demand or in PKU.
Well-tolerated up to ~12 g/day in trials. Doses above ~150 mg/kg may modestly raise blood pressure or cause headache.
L-tyrosine free-form at 500–2,000 mg, taken 30–60 minutes before a stressor on empty stomach. N-acetyl-L-tyrosine (NALT) is more water-soluble but less efficiently converted to plasma tyrosine — plain L-tyrosine is usually a better pick despite the marketing.
~80% oral bioavailability; competes with other large neutral amino acids for the LAT transporter at the blood-brain barrier — high-protein meals blunt CNS uptake. Empty stomach + low-carb context produces the strongest cognitive effect.
Adequacy supports thyroid hormone synthesis and catecholamine function. Routine supplementation has no longevity signal in well-fed adults.
Catecholamine precursor; cognitive resilience under stress. Common dose 500–2000 mg.
The mechanisms and systems this nutrient feeds. Click any to drill into what runs on it.