Updated on September 1, 2023
There’s a trendy supplement you may have noticed on health food store shelves…
It boasts of life-changing focus, and energy you haven’t felt in years…
And that’s before we get into its potential weight-loss perks.
You may have even heard a friend or two gush, “l-tyrosine changed my life.” (Yep, it really is that major.)
The best part? It’s already a key ingredient in some of the cornerstones of your daily routine…
Meet L-tyrosine.
L-tyrosine is a form of tyrosine, an amino acid. You may see it spelled with or without the “L-” in front of the word. Either way, it’s still referring to the same type of amino acid.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and play an important part in your overall health (1). Your body relies on 20 amino acids to function properly. Tyrosine is what’s called a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body already produces enough of it on its own.
That said, tyrosine is common in cheese, chicken, turkey, and fish (2). So if you’re looking to add more of it to your diet, you can get it through food—or through tyrosine supplements, which are growing more popular by the day.
Tyrosine plays a part in many of the functions that make you feel most like you. Tyrosine helps create some of the proteins, hormones, and enzymes that keep you happy and healthy.
It’s especially known for its role in creating adrenaline, noradrenaline, melanin, and dopamine. Adrenaline is one of the hormones behind the “fight or flight” response, which can be useful in urgent situations but can create unneeded stress when things are lower stakes (3). Dopamine is famously linked to happiness, but what many people don’t realize is that it also plays an important role in memory (4, 5).
L-tyrosine may help with certain health conditions as well. It’s especially thought to be helpful in managing phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition in which your body can’t properly break down the amino acid phenylalanine (6).
Collagen is essential for the health of your bones, joints, skin, hair, nails, digestion, & more.
The reason L-tyrosine is so popular even among people without PKU is that the brain chemicals L-tyrosine is associated with—adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine—have a major influence on your daily routine. They help shape your mood, memory, focus, and sleep. When people consume extra L-tyrosine through a supplement, they do so to help increase their energy, productivity, alertness, and focus under pressure.
In addition to its effect on the mind, L-tyrosine is also popular for another reason: Weight loss.
The relationship between L-tyrosine and weight loss is an ever-changing one. There’s still a lot more we need to learn in order to draw definitive conclusions, but what we know so far is that there are many potential associations that could cause L-tyrosine weight loss.
For starters, early research has indicated that L-tyrosine may decrease the effects of stress on your body’s mental and physical performance (7, 8). Increased stress can lead to weight gain (9). As a result, some theorize that if L-tyrosine can help curb the effects of stress, it can help ward off certain types of weight gain, too.
Research has also linked L-tyrosine’s effect on dopamine to a potential increase in happiness—and other research has found that dopamine may increase your metabolism (10, 11).
Collagen is essential for the health of your bones, joints, skin, hair, nails, digestion, & more.
L-tyrosine is also thought to increase exercise tolerance, which could help you power through a rigorous workout with less fatigue (12). So when you make L-tyrosine a regular part of your routine, you may find yourself happier and in better shape!
While more research is needed to determine the potential of L-tyrosine weight loss, there are plenty of promising threads to follow in future research. If you’re on the path to healthier lifestyle habits and want to experience a brain boost along the way, L-tyrosine just might be perfect for you (13).
L-tyrosine is generally safe, but it can create a negative interaction when taken alongside certain medications.
Do NOT take L-tyrosine if you take monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), thyroid hormones, or Levodopa (L-DOPA) (14, 15).
Common side effects include nausea, heartburn, joint pain, or feeling tired (16).
If you’re considering taking L-tyrosine in addition to other medications or supplements, be sure to talk to a health professional before getting started. When doing so, tell them about all of your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.
L-tyrosine is sold in powder or capsule form and is easy to add to your routine. That said, you may already be supplementing with L-tyrosine, as it’s a part of the NativePath Collagen formula!
Each 10-gram scoop of our collagen powder includes 53 milligrams (mg) of tyrosine. Amino acids like L-tyrosine are the foundations on which collagen and other proteins exist, so it’s no surprise that they complement each other well as supplements (17).
If you’d like the physical and mental benefits of L-tyrosine in addition to collagen-fueled benefits like thicker hair, glowing skin, decreased joint pain, and more, take both at once with NativePath Collagen Peptides (18).
Collagen is essential for the health of your bones, joints, skin, hair, nails, digestion, & more.
L-tyrosine packs a lot of health benefits into one tiny amino acid.
This powerful supplement may help you focus better, power through long days, bounce back from stress, and even lose weight.
For double the health perks, the best option is clear: Combine a collagen supplement (like NativePath Collagen) and an L-tyrosine supplement and watch your quality of life skyrocket. It’s like having two superpowers in one.
Claire Hannum is a New York City-based writer, editor, wellness seeker, and reiki practitioner. Her writing has appeared in Self, Health, Prevention, and over a dozen other publications.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Chad Walding nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.
