A friend of mine is planning to take 500mg a day of L-Tyrosine in order to
get a better tan when we go to the beach this summer. I checked this stuff
out and while it does help your melanin for tanning, it can also act as an
anti-depressant. I told her this, and she told me to investigate more.
Is this stuff safe to take? She has never suffered from depression and
isn't on any medication, so would taking this pill cause mood-swings or any
other ill effects?
Ed Friedman - 23 Apr 2004 20:01 GMT
Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid (it can be synthesized within the
body) that is a precursor for epinephrine and norepinephrine. If a
person were depressed due to a shortage of epinephrine, then tyrosine
might help, but it should have no ill effect if there is no shortage,
i.e., it is not acting like prescription antidepressants which block
enzymes to increase neurotransmitter levels, which potentially can
result in too much of a neurotransmitter being present in the brain.
Ed Friedman
William A. Noyes - 24 Apr 2004 01:57 GMT
The risk is the tanning.
> A friend of mine is planning to take 500mg a day of L-Tyrosine in order to
> get a better tan when we go to the beach this summer. I checked this stuff
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> isn't on any medication, so would taking this pill cause mood-swings or any
> other ill effects?
Jpfanton - 29 Apr 2004 20:51 GMT
Tyrosine can also be used by the body to manufacture dopamine.