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Catecholamines and Mental Health 

Catecholamines are biologically active compounds that critically influence many specific behaviors,cognitive functions, and emotional experiences.Dopamine, Noradrenaline, and Adrenaline are all known as Catecholamines.Noradrenaline and Adrenaline are also popularly referred to as Norepinephrine and Epinephrine. Adrenaline is a neurotransmitter responsible for the well-known "fight or flight" response which prepares the body to cope with stress,challenges,and  potential dangers or threats.Dopamine and Norepinephrine act as potent,immediate, and effective ‘stimulants’ in our brain,although this is not their only role in our mental health state... 

A.-Dopamine is a chemical messenger involved in some key aspects... 

1.-Too much Dopamine has been consistently associated with Schizophrenia, and too little is linked with some forms of depression as well as the muscular rigidity and tremors usually observed in Parkinson’s Disease. 

2.-Schizophrenia is treated with psychoactive drugs (neuroleptics) which ‘block’ the binding of Dopamine to its postsynaptic receptor sites.The dopamine hypothesis of Schizophrenia is that there is excessive Dopamine stimulation in the frontal lobe due to a combination of genes,excessive levels of stress or some as yet unknown aspect of the environment such as toxins or a perinatal virus.  

3.-Parkinson's Disease is accompanied by a systematic destruction of Dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain which send their axon terminals to the striatum which is involved in motor control. Parkinson's Disease is usually treated with L-Dopa which is a precursor for the production of Dopamine.  

B.-Epinephrine and Norepinephrine are neurotransmitters involved in many behaviors... 

1.-Norepinephrine plays a role in attention and general arousal level. Waking behavior is enhanced by psychoactive drugs which ‘activate’ Norepinephrine systems while REM sleep occurs when Norepinephrine systems are at their lowest level of activity. 

2.-Norepinephrine is depleted in situations of chronic or prolonged stress and this depletion may contribute to the harmful effects of stress.Aerobic exercise appears to enhance and optimize the brain's ability to deal more effectively with stress and protect it from depletion of this essential neurotransmitter. 

3.-Norepinephrine is also involved in Mood Disorders.Some of the synthetic drugs which are used to treat Major Depression block the reuptake of Norepinephrine at the synapse.Too little Norepinephrine has been associated with Depression, while an excess has been associated,according to recent scientific research,with Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders. 

Catecholamines,L-Phenilalanine and L-Tyrosine 

Phenylalanine occurs in two chemical forms: L-Phenylalanine  (a natural amino acid found in proteins) and its mirror image,D-Phenylalanine,a form synthesized in a laboratory.Adults use about 90% of the Phenylalanine consumed to make Tyrosine, children about 40%. Tyrosine in turn is converted into L-Dopa, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine,three key neurotransmitters.Folic Acid, Niacin, Vitamin C, and Copper are needed to support Tyrosine metabolism into these key substances.Because Tyrosine is a precursor of the neurotransmitters Norepinephrine and Dopamine, both of which regulate mood,cognition and behavior, this amino acid has been proposed as a natural and safe treatment for various conditions in which mental function is impaired or slowed down, such as Chronic Fatigue or Depression. 

Tyrosine is known as the ‘antidepressant’ amino acid because appears to have a mild stimulatory effect on the Central Nervous System. It has a mild antioxidant effect, binding up free radicals that can cause damage to the cells and tissues, and is useful in smokers, or those exposed to chemicals and radiation. Tyrosine seems to relieve the physical symptoms of stress if administered before the stressful situation occurs.L-Tyrosine has also been used, usually in a dose of 1–2 grams a day, for low sex drive, Parkinson's disease, and in programs for substance abuse disorders or weight loss.L-Tyrosine supplementation can help reduce the irritability, depression, and fatigue associated with Premenstrual Syndrome.Tyrosine,according to some experts,may also stimulate growth hormone and can act as a mild appetite suppressant. 

Although Tyrosine is found in fish,soy products,chicken, almonds, avocados, bananas, dairy products, lima beans,and sesame seeds, it is difficult to get ‘therapeutic amounts’ of Tyrosine exclusively from food.Tyrosine supplements should be taken 30 minutes before meals three times per day on an empty stomach.Tyrosine should be avoided with other amino acids or with proteins such as milk or eggs. Tyrosine is considered more effective if it is taken with up to 25 mg of vitamin B₆. 

As an antidepressant, 500–1000 mg. of L-Tyrosine can be taken two or three times during the day. Since Tyrosine has a more stimulating antidepressant effect, taking 1000 to 1500 mg. of L-Tryptophan  at night for sleep may be a good therapeutic combination to help in mild to moderate depression (Haas,1992). 

Acetyl L-Tyrosine (ALT) is a more rapidly absorbed and bioavailable form of the amino acid L-Tyrosine.Its impact on clinical depression is a significant contribution to nutritional medicine. The most pronounced effect is on depressive states characterized by apathy and lethargy.For the agitated, verwrought type of depression, L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP, seem to work even better. 

Tyrosine seems to be generally safe, though at high dosages some people have reported some side effects like nausea,diarrhea,headache,vomiting, or excessive nervousness. Tyrosine should not be taken by patients who are taking MAOI’s for Depression or by patients with high blood pressure because it can cause dangerous elevations of blood pressure.Levodopa may interfere with the absorption of Tyrosine and could reduce Tyrosine levels in the blood.Tyrosine may also cause the growth of malignant melanoma by promoting the division of cancer cells. Maximum safe dosages for young children, women who are pregnant or nursing, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been established.

Clinical Applications of L-Tyrosine : Scientific Evidences 

1.-One clinical study detailed two patients with long-standing depression who failed to respond to MAOI’s  and Tricyclic Drugs as well as electroconvulsive therapy.One patient required 20 mg/day of dextroamphetamine to remain depression-free, and the other required 15 mg/day of D,L-amphetamine. Within two weeks of starting L-Tyrosine, 100 mg/kg once a day before breakfast, the first patient was able to eliminate all dextroamphetamine, and the second was able to reduce the intake of D,L-amphetamine to 5 mg/day. In another case report, a 30-year-old female with a two-year history of depression showed marked improvement after two weeks of treatment with L-Tyrosine, 100 mg/kg/day in three divided doses.No adverse side effects were seen during the study period (Goldberg,1980). 

2.-A double-blind study followed 27 individuals,half of whom received DL-phenylalanine (150 to 200 mg daily) and the other half imipramine (100 to 150 mg). When they were reevaluated after 30 days, both groups had improved by a statistically equal amount  (Sabelli et al.,1986). 

3.-Phenylalanine has been used for treatment of depression in the D-, L-, or DL- forms, probably because it forms tyrosine, an excitatory neurotransmitter.L-Phenylalanine works best in bipolar disorders (with manic and depressive states) in doses of 500 mg. twice daily up to 2–3 grams daily, along with 100 mg. of vitamin B6 twice daily, whereas D- and DL-Phenylalanine work better for affective depression (Haas,1992). 

4.-According to preliminary evidence, Tyrosine supplements may help fight fatigue and improve mental function in people who are deprived of sleep or exposed to other forms of stress.A double-blind,placebo-controlled study that enrolled 20 U.S. Marines suggests that tyrosine can improve mental alertness during periods of sleep deprivation. In this study, the participants were deprived of sleep for a night and then tested frequently for their alertness throughout the day as they worked. Compared to placebo, 10 to 15 g of Tyrosine given twice daily seemed to provide a "pick-up" for about 2 hours (Neri et al.,1995). 

5.-Some experts suggest that L-Tyrosine aids in the functions of the adrenal, thyroid and pituitary glands. This specific amino acid is easily converted into thyroid hormone, or thyroxin,"which plays an important role in controlling metabolic rate, skin health, mental health, and growth rate. Tyrosine is specifically used to treat depression because it is a precursor for those neurotransmitters that are responsible for transmitting nerve impulses and essential for preventing depression." (Segala,2000).

Conclusion 

The optimum amino acid balance in the body/mind is an essential and often critical component of our mental health state. Neurotransmitters are ‘manufactured’ in the brain from the amino acids we extract from foods, and their supply is entirely dependent on the presence of these precursor amino acids.Without adequate amino-acid conversion, neurotransmitters are no longer produced in sufficient amounts.These defficiencies and nutritional imbalances,according to many nutritional experts and mental health professionals,may provoke ‘emotional’ symptoms, including depression and / or anxiety.According to the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, "A deficiency of any single nutrient can alter brain function and lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders".Supplementing this specific amino acid in people displaying evidence of neurotransmitter deficiency has been shown to reduce effectively depressive and anxiety symptoms in many people.

Psychoactive drugs and psychotherapy  strategies are not always the best or the only option for an effective and safe treatment of mental disorders.The nutritional treatment of disorders like Depression, Anxiety or Insomnia includes strategic dietary modifications (e.g. the role of hypoglycemia or essential fatty acids intake), supportive treatment with micronutrients (e.g.vitamins and minerals), and supplementation with specific amino acids (e.g.Tirosine) in a systematic protocol that aims to correct the biochemical imbalances and nutritional defficiencies in the brain understood to be a key contributing factor in many psychiatric and emotional disorders. 

References 

Bratman,S. ; Kroll,D. & DePalma,A.(2000)The Natural Pharmacist : Natural Health Bible.California : Prima Health. 

Gelenberg,A. ; Wojcik,J. y Falk,W.(1990). Tyrosine for depression :a double-blind trial. J Affect Disord , 19 , 125-132. 

Goldberg,I.(1980).L-Tyrosine in Depression.Lancet , 2 , 364. 

Haas,E.(1992).Staying Healthy With Nutrition.The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine.Celestial Arts. 

Meyers,S.(2000).Use of Neurotransmitter Precursors for Treatment of Depression. Altern Med Rev , 5 (1) , 64-71. 

Neri,D.;Wiegmann,D.;Stanny,R. et al. (1995).The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness. Avit Space Environ Med.  , 66 , 313–319. 

Sabelli,H.;Fawcett,J.;Gusovsky,F. et al.(1986).Clinical studies on the phenylethylamine hypothesis of affective disorder:urine and blood phenylacetic acid and phenylalanine dietary supplements. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry , 47 , 66–70. 

Segala,M.(2000).Disease Prevention and Treatment.Life Extension Foundation. 

Young,S.(1996).Behavioral effects of dietary neurotransmitter precursors : Basic and clinical aspects. Neurosci Biobehav Rev , 20 , 313-323.