Tyrosine is an amino acid found in foods and nutritional supplements. Your body needs tyrosine to produce the hormone melanin and for the proper function of your thyroid and adrenal glands. During pregnancy, your body may require extra tyrosine, but use a dietary supplement only under the direct supervision of your physician, especially if you are pregnant.
Risk of Deficiency
Your body can produce tyrosine on its own, making it a non-essential nutrient. During pregnancy, your risk of developing a tyrosine deficiency increases because your body will slow its rate of natural tyrosine supplementation, according to a 1999 study published in the journal "Metabolism." Low tyrosine concentrations in your body can increase your risk of developing phenylketonuria, or PKU, which is a condition that affects the metabolism of another amino acid, phenylalanine, which contributes to tyrosine production.
Fetal Development
Low tyrosine concentrations in your blood may cause fetal damage during pregnancy, according to a 1998 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Researchers discovered that tyrosine supplementation during pregnancy can provide adequate amounts of tyrosine to your fetus and can support the normal metabolism of proteins, which can reduce the risk of your child developing birth defects related to a tyrosine deficiency.
Precautions
According to eMedTV, the tyrosine your body gets through the natural consumption of food is considered to be safe during pregnancy. However, it is not known if tyrosine supplements are safe for pregnant women because there is insufficient research regarding its side effects during pregnancy. As a result, tyrosine supplementation should only be done under the supervision of your physician.
Side Effects
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that if you suffer from migraine headaches, tyrosine supplements can trigger headaches and intestinal distress. Because of tyrosine's effects on your thyroid gland, you should not supplement with it if you have a thyroid condition such as hyperthyroidism or Grave's disease because supplementation may make these conditions worse. Tyrosine supplements may also have adverse interactions with some medications, especially antidepressants and thyroid hormones.
References
- "Essentials of Sports Nutrition and Supplements"; Jose Antonio, Douglass Kalman, Jeffrey R. Stout, and Mike Greenwood; 2008
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Tyrosine Supplementation in the Treatment of Maternal Phenylketonuria; F.J. Rohr et al.; March 1998
- "Metabolism"; Evaluation of Phenylalanine and Tyrosine Metabolism in Late Human Pregnancy; P.G. Whittaker et al.; July 1999
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Tyrosine
- eMedTV: Tyrosine and Pregnancy
