Amino Acid
Tyrosine
The amino acid precursor for catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine) and thyroid hormones. Essential for focus, motivation, and stress resilience.
3
Catecholamines Produced
T3/T4
Thyroid Hormone Backbone
Conditional
Essential Under Stress
BH4
Rate-Limiting Cofactor
🧪 The Catecholamine Cascade
Tyrosine
From diet
→
L-DOPA
BH4, iron
→
Dopamine
B6
→
Norepinephrine
Cu, Vit C
→
Epinephrine
SAMe
Rate-limiting: Tyrosine → L-DOPA requires BH4 and iron. Inflammation depletes BH4.
âš¡ Tyrosine and Stress Resilience
Stress Depletes Catecholamines
- • Acute stress burns through norepinephrine
- • Chronic stress exhausts production
- • Result: fatigue, poor focus, low motivation
Tyrosine Can Help
- • Provides extra precursor for synthesis
- • Military studies show cognitive benefits under stress
- • Helps with sleep deprivation performance
🥗 Food Sources
- • Cheese (name comes from Greek "tyros")
- • Meat and poultry
- • Fish and eggs
- • Nuts and seeds
- • Soy products and legumes
💊 Supplementation
L-Tyrosine: 500-2000mg on empty stomach
NALT: More water-soluble, less well-converted
Avoid with hyperthyroidism or MAOIs. May cause anxiety if excess develops.
Metabolic Connections
Dopamine
Tyrosine → L-DOPA → Dopamine (via tyrosine hydroxylase)
Norepinephrine
Dopamine → Norepinephrine (requires copper, vitamin C)
Thyroid
Tyrosine + iodine = thyroid hormones (T3, T4)
BH4
Cofactor for tyrosine hydroxylase—rate-limiting step
Phenylalanine
Precursor—converted to tyrosine by PAH enzyme
Vitamin B6
Required to convert L-DOPA to dopamine