Posted by Larry Hoover on July 25, 2004, at 8:07:46
In reply to Phenylalanine versus Tyrosine, posted by SLS on July 25, 2004, at 7:33:06
> Is there any advantage to using phenylalanine as a supplement to treat bipolar depression?
>
> Tyrosine is one step closer in the synthesis of catecholamine neurotranmitters (which may be meaningless), but phenylalanine allows for the formation of phenylethylamine.
>
>
> - ScottCorrect. Very crudely, about 80% of L-phenylalanine goes to tyrosine. In that respect, you might just as well take tyrosine. It's what happens to that other 20% that differentiates the two. And, if you're considering DLPA, the racemic mixture, you have another major influence on outcomes. D-phenylalanine cannot be converted to L-tyrosine, or even D-tyrosine. It won't fit in the enzyme.
On a gram per gram basis, a crude comparison would be:
1 gram tyrosine gives 1 gram tyrosine
1 gram L-phenylalanine gives 0.8 g tyrosine
1 gram DLPA gives 0.4 g tyrosine.Now, there's a little bit of doubt about what happens to all that phenylalanine that gets diverted over to the PEA pathway. PEA is achiral, which means either form of phenylalanine becomes the identical molecule, PEA (i.e. the D- L- designation disappears). PEA goes on to become other things, too.
PEA appears to enhance the net effects of the endogenous opioids. These are pain-killing and mood-enhancing. They might also influence things like blood pressure and arterial tension, so PEA might also influence things like irritability.
Whether DLPA is a good fit for an individual requires doing the experiment, I'm afraid. I recommend taking it early in the day, as it can be stimulatory, and on an empty stomach. Probably works best if it's taken on and off, rather than each day, every day, ad infinitum.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:370220
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040718/msgs/370228.html