Rumor.
“Taking tyrosine supplements really does darken your hair!”
There is a claim that regular consumption of tyrosine-rich foods promotes melanin formation and that taking tyrosine supplements can darken your hair.
Rumor Analysis
This claim is not entirely accurate.
Gray hair is usually associated with aging, genetic factors, nutritional status, environmental factors and lifestyle. Although tyrosine is an important raw material for melanin synthesis, supplementing tyrosine does not directly make hair black.
Overnight white head, less white head, postpartum white hair become more …… various reasons of gray hair make people look premature aging, who can have a head of black hair who has gained the youth code.
As a result, the market is flooded with supplements that claim to darken hair, with tyrosine supplements being particularly popular. Tyrosine, as an amino acid, is considered to be an important ingredient in melanin formation and is therefore considered by many to be the “savior” of hair darkening.
However, can taking tyrosine supplements really darken your hair?
Tyrosine is the raw material for melanin
But gray hair is not necessarily a lack of tyrosine!
First of all, it needs to be clarified that why do people grow gray hair?
Gray hair is actually caused by a decrease in melanin in the follicles of the scalp. Lack of vitamin B12, copper and other nutrients, psychological stress, ultraviolet radiation, etc. can make hair gray prematurely. A large population study reported that 6% to 23% of people will have half of their hair gray by age 50.
Tyrosine is really important for melanin synthesis, this is because tyrosine is the raw material in the process of melanin synthesis, under the action of a series of enzymes, through oxidation, decarboxylation and other reactions, and finally converted into melanin.
Melanin synthesis, however, does not depend only on tyrosine, because melanin formation is also affected by a variety of other factors, such as age, heredity, nutrition, endocrine, mental stress and so on. These, in turn, may lead to a decrease in the activity or number of tyrosinase enzymes, or a synthesis disorder, or a decrease in the number of hair mother melanocytes, etc., thus affecting melanin synthesis.
Therefore, tyrosine supplements are only suitable for hair graying due to tyrosine deficiency, and they do not help with other causes of gray hair. However, tyrosine is generally not easily deficient for healthy people, due to the fact that it can be synthesized in the body and is also widely available in food.
Tyrosine is a conditionally essential amino acid. What is a conditionally essential amino acid? This amino acid, in a healthy state, can be synthesized from other amino acids in the body, such as phenylalanine which synthesizes tyrosine. However, in the case of trauma, infection, and certain wasting diseases, this amino acid does not satisfy the body’s needs and must be obtained from food.
However, in healthy states, the body is generally not deficient in tyrosine, even if it is not present in food.
Moreover, most foods contain tyrosine, such as soy products, chicken, fish, peanuts, almonds, bananas, milk, sesame seeds, etc., so healthy people are not prone to tyrosine deficiency.
Few relevant human experiments
More high-quality studies are needed to verify
In order to further validate the effect of tyrosine supplements on hair color, we need to refer to the evidence of some experimental studies. However, there are not many studies on the relationship between tyrosine supplements and hair color in either domestic or foreign literature, and the effect of tyrosine supplements on hair color is not clear.
There have been some animal experiments showing that dietary tyrosine levels are associated with the expression of black fur in animals. However, the results of animal experiments are not entirely representative of how humans would respond in the same situation.
Most international authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) do not directly address the relationship between tyrosine supplements and hair color with a clear view. These organizations focus more on the role of tyrosine in other aspects, such as the impact on human health, the appropriate intake, etc..
The author only saw a relevant description in the Scientific Opinion on the Safety and Efficacy of L-Tyrosine in All Animals on the official website of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), summarizing to the effect that:
The coat color of cats is influenced by dietary tyrosine, which could indicate that adding tyrosine to the diet is effective in deepening coat color when the demand for tyrosine for melanin formation is high.
For other animals (including humans), tyrosine may have the potential to enhance pigmentation, but current evidence is limited.
Overall, international authorities are also wary of the effectiveness of tyrosine supplements to darken hair. In addition to the fact that there is no guarantee of effectiveness, there are a number of adverse reactions that may occur with additional tyrosine supplementation.
Additional tyrosine supplementation
Possible side effects
You may ask, there is no guarantee of results, but will my additional tyrosine supplementation be bad?
While the safety of long-term and high-dose tyrosine supplementation is unknown, tyrosine is virtually safe as a supplement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers tyrosine supplements to be generally safe (GRAS). One study tested tyrosine at a dose of 150mg per kilogram of body weight, and there were no health hazards.
However, there have been some reports of consumers experiencing nausea, fatigue, and headaches after taking tyrosine supplements. Such side effects are frequently seen in user reviews of tyrosine on WebMD, a U.S.-based Internet medical and health information service.
In addition to the possible discomforts listed above, additional tyrosine supplementation may aggravate the condition for those who are themselves suffering from thyroid disease.
The body uses tyrosine to produce thyroid hormones, and taking extra tyrosine may increase thyroxine levels too much, which may worsen hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) and Graves’ disease. If you have thyroid disease yourself, taking tyrosine supplements can add to the problem.
There may also be interactions between tyrosine and some medications, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and levodopa. If you have conditions such as those above and have plans to take tyrosine supplements, be sure to talk to your doctor ahead of time.
Tyrosine products are a mixed bag
It is not recommended to start blindly
In the market, we can see a wide array of tyrosine supplements from various brands with different taglines. However, among these products, not many of them can really achieve the expected results.
First of all, the quality of tyrosine supplements on the market varies. Some have low quality tyrosine added, and some may also contain unknown ingredients. Not only may these products fail to deliver the desired results, they may also cause adverse effects on the body.
Secondly, even with some of the better quality tyrosine supplements, their effectiveness may vary from person to person. Everyone has a different cause of gray hair, so tyrosine supplements will work differently for everyone.
It is rare for hair to turn gray because of a tyrosine deficiency, so it is not wise to blindly take a tyrosine supplement.
In addition, tyrosine supplements on the market often make exaggerated claims of being able to darken hair quickly. However, the change of hair color is a complex process and mere intake of tyrosine does not guarantee darkening of hair. Therefore, consumers need to remain rational when choosing these products and not blindly believe in the taglines.
To summarize, taking tyrosine supplements does not guarantee to make your hair darker. In addition, the quality of tyrosine supplements on the market varies and consumers need to remain rational when choosing them.
Gray hair is mainly caused by a decrease or cessation of melanin production by melanocytes in the hair follicle, which is usually associated with aging, genetic factors, nutritional status, environmental factors and lifestyle. Tyrosine has an effect on hair color, but tyrosine supplementation is not an effective means of directly blackening hair.
Overall, although tyrosine is an important ingredient in melanin synthesis, supplementing with tyrosine does not directly darken hair. If you really want to improve your hair color, it is recommended to start from several aspects.
Firstly, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet and consuming a variety of nutrients will help maintain good health and normal hair growth. Secondly, avoid excessive hair coloring, perming and other hair-damaging behaviors. At the same time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as avoiding excessive exposure to sunlight, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, will also help maintain hair health and color. Finally, it is also very important to maintain a good mood and learn to de-stress.
