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Originally classified as a
NONESSENTIAL
AMINO ACID, tyrosine is now considered
SEMIESSENTIAL
by most nutritionists, because if the body gets enough of it, it can be
used in place of PHENYLALANINE
to make PROTEIN.
Milk, meat, fish and legumes are good sources of tyrosine. The brain
uses tyrosine to manufacture
NOREPINEPHRINE,
an upper that boosts mental alertness. Army researchers, aware that
fatigue and psychological stress deplete norepinephrine, have been
testing tyrosine pills on volunteers to learn if they can improve mental
and physical performance. Results look promising. Taking tyrosine
tablets remains highly controversial, however — especially after
supplements of another amino acid,
TRYPTOPHAN,
recently crippled and killed so many people. To prevent such incidents
in future, the FDA wants amino acids reclassified as medicines so that
they cannot be sold over the counter as food supplements and possibly
cause serious harm. |
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