3 replies to this topic

[charisma]

My question is about precursors. For example if Phenylalanine is a precursor to Tyrosine, why not just take Tyrosine?

[mnosal]

Not sure about tyrosine in particular but some supplements are unstable or unabsorbable(is that a word?) in their "complete" form. The use of a precursor allows the body's natural sythesis pathways to convert to the required "complete" form after digestion, sparing the breakdown in the gut.

Good example being L-tryptophan. It always worked better for me than taking 5HTP even though the Tryptophan converting to 5HTP anyway.


Some might argue that there is no way of knowing how much conversion occurs. That is the tricky part. Science backs up many claims(ie L-Theanine having more effect on GABA levels than GABA itself) and sometimes it doesn't.

[LifeMirage]

For example if Phenylalanine is a precursor to Tyrosine, why not just take Tyrosine?

Your body converts Phenylalanine into more than just Tyrosine.

Example you could take L-DOPA as a Dopamine precursor instead of Tyrosine, but Tyrosine is also a precursor for Thyroid hormones, and other important biochemical pathways.

It depends on what you're taking it for.