Tyrosine
Tyrosine is the amino acid the body builds dopamine, adrenaline, thyroid hormone and melanin from. The liver makes it from phenylalanine, so a diet with enough protein covers it.
25 mg per kg of body weight a day, with phenylalanine
1,750 mg of the two together for a 70 kg adult (WHO)
Upper limit · none set by the EU or the US
- Most per 100 g 1.8g Gruyère
- Main sources Cheese, meat and fish then peanuts, seeds and nuts
- Made from Phenylalanine in the liver
- Becomes Dopamine thyroid hormone and melanin
Daily amount: WHO, FAO and UNU 2007 report, which gives phenylalanine and tyrosine as one figure. Food figures per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central, only for foods with a Caltide calorie page.
Foods High in Tyrosine
Ranked per 100 g, with what a usual portion gives, limited to 3 foods per category. Foods with a Caltide calorie page link to it.
G
Gruyère
1.8g / 100 g
F
Fontina
1.5g / 100 g
B
Bacon
Nutrition facts
1.5g / 100 g
T
Tilsit
0.31 g in 1 slice
1.5g / 100 g
G
Gouda
1.5g / 100 g
S
Soy nuts
1.3 g in 1 cup
1.3g / 100 g
C
Cube steak
0.35 g in 1 piece/slice
1.2g / 100 g
B
Beef roast
0.66 g in 1 regular/thin slice
1.1g / 100 g
P
Pumpkin seeds
1.6 g in 1 cup
1.1g / 100 g
B
Beef sirloin steak
0.32 g in 1 piece/slice
1.1g / 100 g
C
Caviar
0.15 g in 1 tablespoon
0.97g / 100 g
P
Peanuts
0.27 g in 1 handful
Nutrition facts
0.96g / 100 g
What Is Tyrosine?
Tyrosine is the amino acid the body makes by adding one oxygen atom to phenylalanine. That makes the two a pair: about 1,750 mg a day of both together covers a 70 kg adult, and any tyrosine you eat spares phenylalanine.
How Tyrosine Becomes Dopamine and Adrenaline
Nerve cells and the adrenal glands turn tyrosine into a chain of messengers called catecholamines, one step at a time:
| Step | What it is |
|---|---|
| Tyrosine | the amino acid from food, or made from phenylalanine |
| L-DOPA | made in the slowest, tightly controlled step; also the Parkinson's drug levodopa |
| Dopamine | a brain messenger for movement and motivation |
| Noradrenaline | a messenger for alertness and blood pressure |
| Adrenaline | the stress hormone from the adrenal glands |
The first step is the slow one, and the body controls it closely, which is one reason extra tyrosine from food or pills does not simply raise dopamine.
Tyrosine, Thyroid Hormone, and Skin Color
The thyroid builds its hormones on tyrosine. It attaches iodine atoms to tyrosine units inside a large protein, then joins them in pairs: thyroxine (T4) carries four iodine atoms, triiodothyronine (T3) three. In the skin, hair and eyes, cells turn tyrosine into melanin, the pigment behind tanning.
When Tyrosine Becomes Essential in PKU
In phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited condition picked up by the newborn heel-prick test, the enzyme that turns phenylalanine into tyrosine does not work. Phenylalanine builds up and harms the developing brain, while tyrosine can no longer be made. Treatment is a diet very low in phenylalanine plus a medical protein formula with tyrosine added, so for people with PKU tyrosine is truly essential.
Tyrosine in Cheese and Other Foods
Tyrosine takes its name from the Greek tyros, cheese: it was first isolated from casein, the main protein of milk, in 1846. Cheese is still near the top. In the Caltide food library, mozzarella has 1.04 g per 100 g, feta 0.70 g and cottage cheese 0.60 g, against 0.17 g in whole milk, which is mostly water.
Plant foods supply it too: roasted peanuts have 0.96 g per 100 g and cooked lentils 0.24 g. Compare more in the food library.
Tyrosine Supplements
Food is the main source, but supplements are a source too, sold alone and in pre-workout and focus blends.
L-Tyrosine and NALT
L-tyrosine is the same amino acid as in food. N-acetyl-L-tyrosine (NALT) has an acetyl group attached, which makes it far more soluble in water; that is why it is used in intravenous nutrition, where plain tyrosine barely dissolves. The body has to remove the acetyl group before it can use it.
What Studies Show About Tyrosine Supplements
Small, short trials, many run by the military, gave tyrosine before cold exposure, sleep loss or demanding tasks. Some found better working memory under that stress, others found no effect. There is no good evidence of a benefit for focus, mood or weight in everyday life.
Medicines That Interact With Tyrosine
- Levodopathe two compete for absorption, so the drug may work less well
- Thyroid hormonetyrosine is the raw material of thyroid hormone, so extra may add to the effect of the medicine
Sources are listed at the end of this page. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before combining a supplement with a medicine.
Tracking Tyrosine in Caltide
- Logged automaticallyCaltide adds up the tyrosine in every food you log and in the supplements you tick off, and shows the total in the Nutrition tab.
- An amount, not a percentageThe WHO gives one figure for phenylalanine and tyrosine together, so Caltide shows how much tyrosine you ate without a share of a target.
Tyrosine Sources and References
The figures and claims on this page are checked against these sources. Food amounts come from USDA FoodData Central.
Questions About Tyrosine
No, it is conditionally essential. The liver makes tyrosine from phenylalanine, so it becomes essential when that step fails, as in phenylketonuria (PKU).
The WHO, FAO and UNU 2007 report gives one figure for phenylalanine and tyrosine together: 25 mg per kilogram of body weight a day, about 1,750 mg for a 70 kg adult.
In the Caltide food library, gruyère: 1.8 g per 100 g. Fontina (1.5 g) and Bacon (1.5 g) come next.
Yes. The name comes from the Greek tyros, cheese, because it was first isolated from casein, the main protein in milk and cheese, in 1846. Cheese is still among the richest sources: in the Caltide food library, mozzarella has 1 g per 100 g.
Dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline, the thyroid hormones T4 and T3, and the skin and hair pigment melanin.
The evidence is thin. A few small, short studies, many of them military, tested tyrosine during cold, sleep loss or heavy multitasking and found mixed effects on mental performance. There is no good evidence for everyday focus.
Ask a doctor first if you take levodopa for Parkinson's disease or thyroid hormone, or have a thyroid condition. People with PKU get tyrosine through their medical formula, under a clinic's care.
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