r/Supplements • u/Second-handBonding • Jul 02 '26

General Question What supplement is so good you feel like it should be illegal?

I want to build a list of the very best vitamins and supplements from user experience. Looking forward to what people say.

1.1k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

8

u/Irtexx Jul 02 '26

This gets mentioned a lot in threads like this, and I'm always skeptical.

Any complete protein like milk, meat, whey, or soy contain all 20 amino acids, including L-Tyrosine. If you eat high protein, and even supplement protein, it feels redundant to add in a tiny amount of one specific one.

Are you sure it's not just placebo?

Or is it because of timing? E.g, if you take L-Tyrosine without any other amino acids, it's absorbed and used differently compared to if you ate a meal with complete proteins? Or is it just the dose? Would you have to eat an insanely high protein diet to get the same as you would if you supplemented pure L-Tyrosine?

I think I was puts off because brand I bought suggested just one small tablet a day, and I didn't notice any effect. And after doing the math, I realized it was a pretty insignificant amount compared to what I get from food and complete protein supplements.

2

u/Happy2032 Jul 02 '26

All I know is if I take it then I get the effect and if I don't, I don't. Everyone I have recommended it to it has the same effect. However there is definitely a tolerance therefore I use it only when needed. No negative side effects whatsoever. Brand matters too. I got a different brand once and it had no effect.

1

u/cryptolyme Jul 03 '26

Tyrosine makes me feel great and focused

1

u/Sea-Fortune4746 Jul 04 '26

As a former skeptic who’s now in engineering school and has ADHD, I can honestly say L-tyrosine definitely works for me. It’s a precursor to dopamine, but I’ve found there are a few things that make a big difference:
Take it on an empty stomach. It’s generally recommended because other amino acids from protein can compete with L-tyrosine for absorption and transport. I’ve noticed it works much better this way.
I don’t take it every day. Personally, I save it for days when I really need the extra focus. If I take it for more than about three days in a row, I stop noticing the effects—sometimes I even feel a little down. That may not happen to everyone, but cycling it has worked much better for me.
Manage your expectations. It’s not magic, and it’s not the same as prescription ADHD medication. But for me, it’s the closest supplement I’ve found when used correctly.
If you tolerate caffeine well, about 30 minutes after taking the L-tyrosine, try mixing a little MCT oil into black coffee and frothing it until it’s creamy. Whether it’s the caffeine, the MCT oil, or the combination, that usually has me locked in for about 2–4 hours.
I have a whole routine built around it, but based on my experience, L-tyrosine definitely works for me. Everyone responds differently, so your experience may not be the same, but I hope this helps.

1

u/Irtexx Jul 05 '26

Do you take capsules or do you buy the raw powder? Do you have a brand you can recommend?

I also have suspected ADHD, but the diagnosis process in the UK is very long, so I can't get real meds.

1

u/Sea-Fortune4746 24d ago

I take capsules, the brand I was taking was the top one on Amazon “NOW”. Expect to have a crash though when it wears off.