Top 10 Foods Highest in Tyrosine

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Top 10 Foods Highest in Tyrosine

Tyrosine is a conditionally essential amino acid involved in creating brain signaling molecules such as dopamine, and stress hormones like norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline). (1)

Tyrosine is conditionally essential since it can be made by the body if a person consumes enough of the amino acid phenylalanine. (2) People suffering from Phenylketonuria typically take tyrosine supplements since they cannot consume phenylalanine. (3) Note that many high tyrosine foods also contain phenylalanine and so are not a good substitute.

High tyrosine foods include beef, pork, fish, chicken, tofu, milk, cheese, beans, seeds, nuts, and whole grains.

The reference dietary intake (RDI) of phenylalanine and tyrosine is 25mg per kilogram of body weight or 11mg per pound. (4) Assuming a person gets half their requirement from each amino acid, a person can then consume 12.5mg per kg or 5.5mg per pound. As such, a person weighing 70kg (~154 pounds) should consume around 875mg of tyrosine per day, and this is the amount used to calculate the reference dietary intake (RDI). If you only plan to consume tyrosine, and no phenylalanine, you should double the RDIs.

Below is a list of the top 10 foods highest in tyrosine, for more high tyrosine foods see the extended list of tyrosine rich foods.

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Printable list of foods high in tyrosine.

Even More Tyrosine Rich Foods

FoodServingTyrosine
1. Canned Tuna per 3oz 87% RDI
(762mg)
2. Eggs in 1 large egg 29% RDI
(257mg)
3. Toasted Wheat Germ per oz 29% RDI
(251mg)
4. Sweet Potatoes per cup mashed 24% RDI
(207mg)
5. Spinach per cup cooked 23% RDI
(203mg)
6. Somen Noodles per cup 21% RDI
(185mg)
7. Green Peas per cup cooked 20% RDI
(179mg)
8. Sweet Corn per cup cooked 20% RDI
(178mg)
9. Okra per cup cooked 15% RDI
(130mg)
10. Baked Potato per average potato 13% RDI
(114mg)
11. Avocados per avocado 11% RDI
(98mg)
12. Whole Wheat (Bran) Bread per slice 10% RDI
(91mg)
13. Mamey Sapote 1 cup chopped 10% RDI
(86mg)
14. Kiwifruit per Cup 7% RDI
(61mg)
15. Cocoa Powder per tblsp 5% RDI
(40mg)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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Data Sources and References

  1. Pubchem on Tyrosine
  2. An Overview of Phenylalanine and Tyrosine Kinetics in Humans. J Nutr. 2007 Jun; 137(6 Suppl 1): 1549S–1575S.
  3. Medline Plus on Phenylketonuria
  4. World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Report Series – Protein And Amino Acid Requirements In Human Nutrition ISBN 978 92 4 120935 9
  5. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
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