Many people that are dopamine dominant require rather large amounts of mucuna 40% powder and/or tyrosine powder to optimize neurotransmitter function; this can be difficult for many people, as the powders often do not mix well. However, we have several tried-and-true methods that can help make this process much easier.
Almost every week I receive inquiries from people asking if they can use a mucuna product they found on the internet that claims to be standardized to 98% L-dopa. The easy answer is “NO”, as there are numerous issues with these products that makes them unacceptable substitutes during amino acid therapy. (more…)
Dyskinesias are abnormal, uncontrolled, involuntary movements that are often associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and therapies used to manage Parkinson’s disease. Many people assume dyskinesias are due to too much L-dopa/dopamine in the system. However, there are many known types of dyskinesias that require very different corrections. (more…)
For those clients that are found to be dopamine dominant, including everyone that has restless leg syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), we often recommend that they avoid foods rich in the amino acid tyramine while taking L-dopa/mucuna pruriens and/or large amounts of L-tyrosine. This is because that in some people, this combination can cause an abrupt increase in blood pressure. (more…)
Since introducing the idea of dopamine dominance, I have received several questions about the difference between dopamine dominance and the dopamine challenge. This post will attempt to clarify these two important points. (more…)
There are two broad classes of people when it comes to neurotransmitter-based disorders: those that are serotonin dominant and those that are dopamine dominant (there is a third class, albeit small, which is often referred to as a ‘hybrid’, meaning that these people need a great deal of support for both the serotonin and catecholamine systems). (more…)
