Evidence supporting the use of: Acetyl-L-Tyrosine
For the body system: Specific Neurotransmitters

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (ALT) is a modified form of the amino acid L-tyrosine, often promoted as a dietary supplement for supporting neurotransmitter production, particularly dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. The rationale is that tyrosine is a direct precursor to these catecholamine neurotransmitters. Some scientific studies have shown that tyrosine supplementation can help support neurotransmitter synthesis during conditions of acute stress, sleep deprivation, or intense cognitive demand, potentially improving cognitive performance under these circumstances. However, most of these studies have used L-tyrosine, not the acetylated form, and evidence specifically for Acetyl-L-Tyrosine is limited. It is hypothesized that ALT may have better solubility and absorption than L-tyrosine, but direct comparative evidence in humans is lacking. In general, supplementation with tyrosine (in any form) does not appear to significantly affect neurotransmitter levels or cognitive performance in healthy, unstressed individuals. Therefore, while there is a scientific rationale and some evidence (particularly for L-tyrosine) supporting the use of tyrosine supplementation to support neurotransmitter systems under stress, robust clinical evidence for ALT specifically and for general use is limited.

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