What is Tyrosine and Why We Don't Use It?

Did you know that our bodies are like complex puzzles, and tiny pieces called amino acids help make them work well? One of these special pieces is called tyrosine. Even though it's not as famous as some others, it's still really important. In this article, we'll learn about tyrosine, what it does, where it comes from, and why we might not use it as much.

What is Tyrosine?

Imagine you're building a cool toy using small blocks. Tyrosine is like one of those blocks. Our bodies can make it from another block called phenylalanine. Tyrosine then helps make other important things our bodies need.

Helping Our Brain Feel Good

Inside our heads, there's a messaging system made of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Tyrosine helps build three special messengers: dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

Dopamine is like a happy messenger. It helps us feel good and motivated. Norepinephrine and epinephrine are like alert messengers. They help us handle stress and stay focused. Tyrosine helps make these messengers, which keeps our brain and emotions working well.

Making Energy and Growing Strong

Tyrosine also helps make hormones for our body. These hormones are like little helpers that tell our body what to do. Tyrosine helps create thyroid hormones. These hormones control things like how we use energy, grow, and stay healthy. Without enough tyrosine, our hormones might not work right, and that can lead to problems.

Colors and Protection for Our Skin

Think about your skin, hair, and eyes. The colors in these parts come from something called melanin. Tyrosine helps make melanin. It's like the paint that gives us our colors. Melanin also protects our skin from the sun's strong rays. So, tyrosine helps keep our skin safe and colorful!

Where Do We Find Tyrosine?

Tyrosine is like a hidden treasure in some foods. These foods have lots of protein, which is like a building material for our bodies. Here are some foods with tyrosine:

1. Meat and Chicken: Foods like beef, pork, and chicken are full of tyrosine.

2. Fish: Fish like salmon and tuna have it too.

3. Dairy Foods: Milk, cheese, and yogurt are tasty sources of tyrosine.

4. Eggs: Both the white and the yellow parts of eggs contain tyrosine.

5. Plant Foods: Beans, lentils, soy products, and nuts also have tyrosine. 

Why We Don't Use Tyrosine?

You might wonder why we don't use tyrosine in Proper Wild’s Clean All Day Energy Shots? Well, there are some reasons for that:

1. Not Super Special: Tyrosine is called a "non-essential" amino acid. This means our bodies can make it on their own. So, we don't need to worry too much about getting it from outside.

2. Eating a Mix: If we eat different foods with protein, like meat, eggs, and beans, we can get enough tyrosine naturally. We don't always need extra help.

3. Staying Safe: Taking too much tyrosine in a pill might not be safe. It could cause problems or mix with our medicines. So, it's better to get tyrosine from yummy foods.

4. Everyone is Different: Our bodies are all a bit different. Some people might need more tyrosine, while others might need less. It's hard to know exactly what each person needs.

5. Complicated Stuff: Tyrosine is like a puzzle piece that connects to other pieces in our body. Changing how much tyrosine we have might affect other things we didn't expect.

Conclusion

Tyrosine might not be as famous as other amino acids, but it's a crucial part of our body's puzzle. It helps our brain send happy messages, keeps our hormones in check, protects our skin, and more. Even though we don't always hear about it, tyrosine is still important for our health. Eating a mix of protein-rich foods can give us the tyrosine we need without any extra fuss. So, next time you enjoy a delicious meal with meat, eggs, or beans, remember that tiny tyrosine block doing its big job inside you!