We all sometimes face situations that require a quick response – whether it’s driving a car in dense city traffic, playing active sports or important negotiations. If you notice slowness in a critical situation, if you have chronically slightly low blood pressure and body temperature – perhaps your level of the amino acid tyrosine is low, and you need to eat more spinach and soy, scientists say.
A study conducted at the University of Leiden (Netherlands) in conjunction with the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) proved the relationship between the level of tyrosine in the blood and the reaction rate. A group of volunteers were offered a drink enriched with tyrosine – while some of the subjects were given a placebo as a control. Testing with a computer program seemed to have a faster reaction rate in volunteers who were given a tyrosine drink compared to placebo.
Psychologist Lorenza Colzato, PhD, who led the study, says that in addition to the obvious daily benefits for anyone, tyrosine is especially beneficial for those who drive a lot. If nutritional supplements containing this amino acid can be popularized, this will significantly reduce the number of traffic accidents.
At the same time, as the doctor noted, tyrosine is not a nutritional supplement that can be taken by everyone indiscriminately and without restrictions: its purpose and exact dosage require a visit to the doctor, because. tyrosine has a number of contraindications (such as migraine, hyperthyroidism, etc.). If the level of tyrosine was at a high level even before taking the supplement, then its further increase can lead to a side effect – a headache.
The safest thing to do is simply to regularly eat foods containing normal amounts of tyrosine – this way you can maintain the level of this amino acid at the proper level, and at the same time avoid “overdose”. Tyrosine is found in vegan and vegetarian foods such as: soy and soy products, peanuts and almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, industrial and homemade cheese, yogurt, lima beans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.