HIgher levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine means less tryptophan and serotonin and more dopamine
Tryptophan is only one type of amino acid that needs to make it into the brain. These building blocks hop on amino acid transporters to cross over the blood-brain barrier. The problem is, the transporters are sometimes difficult to come by. Tryptophan is in competition with at least two other amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine, which are the building blocks for dopamine. The more building blocks for dopamine. the fewer that are available for tryptophan to head to the brain and less contentment. This competitive mechanism of tryptophan transport into the brain is but one way by which reward trumps contentment.
References
- Lustig, H., Robert. (2017). The Hacking of the American Chapter 7. Contentment and Serotonin (Location 1414). New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Biochemistry / Neurochemistry Status:☀️