Best L-tyrosine supplement
James BevanUpdated Oct 30, 2026
L-tyrosine is the amino acid your body makes dopamine from, and it's in a lot of focus stacks, usually as a couple of hundred milligrams. But the trials that found a benefit gave 2,000 mg or far more, in one dose before something stressful. So we've checked every L-tyrosine supplement we've audited against those trials, worked out what each costs a day, and picked the one we'd buy.
Quick verdict
Our scientific audit
Buyer rating
NOW Foods L-Tyrosine 750 mg, Extra Strength Capsules
The one we'd buy. Three capsules a day, the most its label says, give 2,250 mg for 67 cents a day.
- Price per day$0.67
- Capsules a day3
- Dose per capsule750 mg
- FormL-tyrosine, free form
- Capsules per bottle90
- Against the studiesWithin range
How we rated these We audited 17 brain supplements and six single capsules from their labels and published lab reports, weighting dose fit at 40%, evidence 30%, transparency 20% and testing 10%. Every price is a US price. Audited Oct 30, 2026 How we audit We may earn a commission from links on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we make money
In this guide
What our audit found
We checked every L-tyrosine capsule and stack we've audited against the trials, and these are the five things that matter most if you're choosing one.
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No stack comes close to the studied dose
The lowest dose in a trial that found a benefit was a single 2,000 mg, in Colzato 2013.1 The most any stack we audited gives in a serving is 500 mg, a quarter of that, and about half give 175 to 300 mg of tyrosine.
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It's a dose for a hard few hours, not a daily capsule
Most trials gave one big dose about an hour before a stressful test, such as cold, a night without sleep or heavy multitasking.246 When the test wasn't stressful, the gains mostly weren't there.210
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Two singles reach 2,000 mg within their labels, and you can buy one
NOW's 750 mg capsule label says one to three a day, so three give 2,250 mg.18 Pure Encapsulations' label says one 500 mg capsule up to four times a day, but its own site sells only to practitioners, so it isn't a pick.26 Every other single we audited stops at 1,500 mg a day or less.
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Only two brands publish a lab report
Nootropics Depot's lot report measured 525 mg in a 500 mg capsule, from a lab the brand founded.2324 Double Wood's independent report says its capsules conform without printing a figure, and the maker's own sheet measured 1,036 mg a serving.2120 NOW, Nutricost and Pure Encapsulations publish none.18192526
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We count NALT by the tyrosine in it
Mind Lab Pro, Qualia Mind and Thesis Motivation use N-acetyl L-tyrosine, or NALT, which is about 81% tyrosine by weight, so that's what we count. In drip-feeding studies, where NALT went straight into a vein, a third to more than half of it came out in urine.141516 We found no study of NALT taken by mouth in people, and no trial of it for thinking.
Best L-tyrosine supplements
NOW's capsule holds 750 mg, and its label says one to three a day, so three give 2,250 mg for 67 cents a day. It's the one we'd choose, though NOW publishes no lab report. Double Wood's serving is two 500 mg capsules, 1,000 mg, half the studied dose, but it comes with an independent lab report.
750 mg of free-form L-tyrosine a capsule, and the label says one to three a day, so three give 2,250 mg for 67 cents. NOW publishes no lab report.
- 2,250 mg a day
- 3 capsules, $0.67 a day
- Testing
- None published
- Refund
- Unopened bottles only, within 30 days
- Capsule
- Cellulose capsule
- Dose fit 40%Dose fit 100
- Evidence 30%Evidence 70
L-tyrosine's evidence grade is moderate.
- Transparency 20%Transparency 95
Dose printed in full. Five points come off because we read the label online, not on a bottle we bought.
- Testing 10%Testing 0
No lab report is published.
- nowfoods.com direct
- Listed price
- $19.99
- Per serving
- $0.22
- Status
- Not sold on the brand's site
- Amazon
- Price
- Check price on Amazon
- Status
- In stock
We also audited four other L-tyrosine capsules and don't recommend them as picks, because each label stops below 2,000 mg a day. NOW's 500 mg capsule scores 6.4 out of 10, and its label's three capsules give 1,500 mg. Double Wood scores 5.7, and its serving is two 500 mg capsules a day, 1,000 mg, with an independent lab report. Nootropics Depot scores 4.4 and Nutricost 3.4, and both labels say one 500 mg capsule a day, though Nootropics Depot's comes with a lot report.1920212225
L-tyrosine in brain supplements
The table ranks the brain supplements we've audited that contain tyrosine by audit rating, with the amount each one prints and what the formula costs for 2,000 mg of tyrosine.
Brain supplements we've audited that contain L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine (the page copy says Ajipure)
$11.73 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine, 162 mg L-tyrosine
$36.54 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$15.55 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine, 325 mg L-tyrosine
$31.78 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$7.50 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine, 142 mg L-tyrosine
$32.38 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine, 284 mg L-tyrosine
$16.89 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$26.65 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$8.00 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine, 203 mg L-tyrosine
$78.34 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$10.13 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
Not stated
$12.00 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$17.33 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
In a blend, amount not printed
No amount to price
L-tyrosine, in the Amino-MD complex with its amount printed
$19.98 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine
$11.59 of the stack per 2,000 mg of L-tyrosine
N-acetyl L-tyrosine, printed as Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, 49 mg L-tyrosine
No brand-site price
The cost column scales each formula's full daily price to 2,000 mg of tyrosine, several times what a serving holds, so it's a price comparison and not a dose to take.
If tyrosine is why you're buying, three NOW 750 mg capsules give 2,250 mg for 67 cents a day. That's more tyrosine than any stack here at a fraction of the price, though NOW publishes no lab report.18
Is L-tyrosine worth buying, and who it suits
We'd only buy L-tyrosine as a single dose before a hard stretch, such as a night without sleep or a day of heavy multitasking. The trials found gains under stress, at 2,000 mg or far more, while stacks give a few hundred milligrams a day, far below any trial dose.1212
Thomas 1999 gave 20 adults 150 mg per kilogram of body weight, about 10 g for a 70 kg adult, an hour before a multitasking battery. Their working memory held up better than on placebo during the multitasking, but the simpler tests didn't change.2 Two cold-water trials and one in a cold room found the same pattern, with tyrosine bringing working memory back toward where it was in the warm.345
The 2,000 mg trials were in healthy young adults with no outside stressor, just a hard task. Colzato 2013 found better updating on the harder of two memory tasks, but a 2020 trial of 45 young adults at the same dose found no average effect. People who started low did better on tyrosine and people who started high did worse.110 A 2015 review concluded that it helps only when a stressor or a demanding task is using up dopamine and noradrenaline, the brain chemicals the body makes from it.12
So it doesn't suit you as a daily focus capsule. In van de Rest 2017, adults aged 60 to 75 did worse on a memory task as the dose went up.11 If you've decided to try it, NOW's label says up to three 750 mg capsules a day, 2,250 mg, and it's the only label you can buy that reaches the 2,000 mg trials. FitnessVolt's ranking, last evaluated in July 2026, tells you to compare 500 mg capsules but never says how much to take, and Jacked Gorilla's 2023 guide suggests 150 to 1,000 mg a day without citing a trial at that amount.2728
Drugs.com lists tyrosine as one to avoid with MAOI antidepressants such as phenelzine and with an overactive thyroid, and WebMD adds thyroid medicines such as levothyroxine, because tyrosine may change how much thyroid hormone your body has.1729 If you take a prescription medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you try it.
How much to take, and when
Here's what the trials gave, and how it maps onto capsules.
- Study dose benchmark
- 2,000 mg (single dose)
- Dose in the stress trials
- 100 to 300 mg per kg of body weight
- Timing
- Usually about an hour before the test
The lowest dose with a benefit was 2,000 mg in one go, about an hour before testing, and that's the amount we check labels against.1 The stress trials gave 100 to 150 mg per kilogram of body weight, which is 7 to 10.5 g for a 70 kg adult, and two cold trials gave 300 mg per kilogram in all, about 21 g at 70 kg. Mahoney 2007 split it into two 150 mg per kilogram food bars, and O'Brien 2007 gave it in one energy bar.2458
NOW's 750 mg label says one capsule one to three times a day, so three give 2,250 mg, and Double Wood's serving is two 500 mg capsules, 1,000 mg.1820 NOW's label spreads its capsules through the day, though, and the 2,000 mg trials gave the whole amount at once, so even three capsules aren't quite what was tested. None of the single labels we read reaches the weight-based doses, and we wouldn't take more than a label recommends.
Almost every trial gave a single dose on the day of the test. The exception is Deijen 1999, where cadets on a combat training course drank 2 g five times a day for five days and did better on a memory task, against a drink with the same calories.7
What the trials found
Most of tyrosine's controlled trials are small, and nearly all gave one dose before a stressful test.
ModerateSmall trials found working memory held up better under cold or multitasking, and tracking and vigilance during a night without sleep, after a large dose. Without a stressor, the results are mixed.
Under stress, from cold, lost sleep, multitasking or a combat course, most trials found working memory, or tracking and vigilance during a night without sleep, held up better than on placebo. One trial in the heat found nothing.2345679
| Study | Who took part | Dose and length | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas 19992Placebo-controlled, single dose | 20 adults, 10 men and 10 women | 150 mg per kg, 1 hour before | Showed a benefitBetter working memory accuracy during multitasking. No change on the simpler tests. |
| Shurtleff 19943Placebo-controlled, within subjects, US | 8 men | 150 mg per kg, 2 hours before | Showed a benefitWorking memory at 4 °C came back to its level at 22 °C. No effect in the warm. |
| Mahoney 20074Double-blind, within subjects, order counterbalanced, US | 19 young men and women from a military volunteer pool | 150 mg per kg in a food bar before each of two cold-water immersions, 300 mg per kg in all | Showed a benefitWorking memory accuracy recovered against the cold placebo session. |
| O'Brien 20075Three sessions a week apart, warm control, cold placebo, cold tyrosine | 15 adults | 300 mg per kg in an energy bar | Showed a benefitWorking memory and marksmanship held at warm levels instead of falling 18% and 14%. No help with a step test. |
| Neri 19956Double-blind, placebo-controlled, two groups | Adults kept awake through the night | 150 mg per kg, split, 6 hours into the session | Showed a benefitSmaller drop on a tracking task and fewer lapses on a vigilance task, for about 3 hours. |
| Deijen 19997Two groups, against a drink with the same calories | 21 cadets on a combat training course | 2 g in a drink five times a day for five days | Showed a benefitBetter on a memory task and a tracking task, and lower systolic blood pressure. No change in mood. |
| Coull 20169Double-blind, counterbalanced crossover | 8 adults carrying a 25 kg load at 40 °C | 150 mg per kg | No clear benefitNo effect on thinking or on a time trial, though blood tyrosine rose sharply. |
- Thomas 19992Showed a benefit
Placebo-controlled, single dose
20 adults, 10 men and 10 women
150 mg per kg, 1 hour before
Better working memory accuracy during multitasking. No change on the simpler tests.
- Shurtleff 19943Showed a benefit
Placebo-controlled, within subjects, US
8 men
150 mg per kg, 2 hours before
Working memory at 4 °C came back to its level at 22 °C. No effect in the warm.
- Mahoney 20074Showed a benefit
Double-blind, within subjects, order counterbalanced, US
19 young men and women from a military volunteer pool
150 mg per kg in a food bar before each of two cold-water immersions, 300 mg per kg in all
Working memory accuracy recovered against the cold placebo session.
- O'Brien 20075Showed a benefit
Three sessions a week apart, warm control, cold placebo, cold tyrosine
15 adults
300 mg per kg in an energy bar
Working memory and marksmanship held at warm levels instead of falling 18% and 14%. No help with a step test.
- Neri 19956Showed a benefit
Double-blind, placebo-controlled, two groups
Adults kept awake through the night
150 mg per kg, split, 6 hours into the session
Smaller drop on a tracking task and fewer lapses on a vigilance task, for about 3 hours.
- Deijen 19997Showed a benefit
Two groups, against a drink with the same calories
21 cadets on a combat training course
2 g in a drink five times a day for five days
Better on a memory task and a tracking task, and lower systolic blood pressure. No change in mood.
- Coull 20169No clear benefit
Double-blind, counterbalanced crossover
8 adults carrying a 25 kg load at 40 °C
150 mg per kg
No effect on thinking or on a time trial, though blood tyrosine rose sharply.
Without an outside stressor, the results are mixed, and higher doses made older adults worse.11011
| Study | Who took part | Dose and length | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colzato 20131Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover, Netherlands | 22 female students aged 18 to 25 | 2,000 mg in orange juice, 1 hour before | Showed a benefitBetter on the harder of two working memory tasks. No change on the easier one. |
| Jongkees 202010Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover, Netherlands | 45 healthy adults aged 18 to 30 | 2,000 mg in orange juice, 1 hour before | No clear benefitNo effect on updating working memory. On a second measure, low scorers did better and high scorers did worse. |
| van de Rest 201711Double-blind, randomized crossover of three doses, no placebo, Netherlands | 17 adults aged 60 to 75 | 100, 150 or 200 mg per kg, 90 minutes before | No clear benefitWorking memory got worse as the dose went up. |
- Colzato 20131Showed a benefit
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover, Netherlands
22 female students aged 18 to 25
2,000 mg in orange juice, 1 hour before
Better on the harder of two working memory tasks. No change on the easier one.
- Jongkees 202010No clear benefit
Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover, Netherlands
45 healthy adults aged 18 to 30
2,000 mg in orange juice, 1 hour before
No effect on updating working memory. On a second measure, low scorers did better and high scorers did worse.
- van de Rest 201711No clear benefit
Double-blind, randomized crossover of three doses, no placebo, Netherlands
17 adults aged 60 to 75
100, 150 or 200 mg per kg, 90 minutes before
Working memory got worse as the dose went up.
Two reviews pull it together. Jongkees 2015 found that tyrosine helps thinking under short-term stress or heavy demand, and a 2015 review for the US military gave it only a weak recommendation for thinking under stress and none for physical performance.1213
What it's stacked with
Tyrosine turns up in the focus and motivation formulas, usually next to theanine, caffeine or citicoline. These are its usual neighbors, and what's known about each pairing.
- L-TheanineModerateNext to tyrosine in most of the stacks we audited, including Vyvamind, Thesis Motivation and Mind Lab Pro. We found no trial of the pair on its own.
- CiticolinePreliminaryNext to tyrosine in Mind Lab Pro, Vyvamind, Qualia Mind and BrainPill, among others. We found no trial of the pair on its own.
We found no trial of tyrosine with theanine, caffeine or citicoline on its own, only trials of whole formulas.
Questions people ask
How much L-tyrosine should you take?
Is NALT better than L-tyrosine?
Should you take L-tyrosine every day?
When should you take it?
Sources
29 sources cited
- Colzato LS, et al. Working memory reloaded, tyrosine repletes updating in the N-back task. Front Behav Neurosci, 2013. Full text read. Funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 24379768
- Thomas JR, et al. Tyrosine improves working memory in a multitasking environment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 1999. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 10548261
- Shurtleff D, et al. Tyrosine reverses a cold-induced working memory deficit in humans. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 1994. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 8029265
- Mahoney CR, et al. Tyrosine supplementation mitigates working memory decrements during cold exposure. Physiol Behav, 2007. Full text read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 17585971
- O'Brien C, et al. Dietary tyrosine benefits cognitive and psychomotor performance during body cooling. Physiol Behav, 2007. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 17078981
- Neri DF, et al. The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness. Aviat Space Environ Med, 1995. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 7794222
- Deijen JB, et al. Tyrosine improves cognitive performance and reduces blood pressure in cadets after one week of a combat training course. Brain Res Bull, 1999. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 10230711
- Banderet LE, Lieberman HR. Treatment with tyrosine, a neurotransmitter precursor, reduces environmental stress in humans. Brain Res Bull, 1989. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 2736402
- Coull NA, et al. Tyrosine ingestion and its effects on cognitive and physical performance in the heat. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2016. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 26285023
- Jongkees BJ, et al. Baseline-dependent effect of dopamine's precursor L-tyrosine on working memory gating but not updating. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, 2020. Full text read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 32133585
- van de Rest O, et al. Dose-dependent effects of oral tyrosine administration on plasma tyrosine levels and cognition in aging. Nutrients, 2017. Full text read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 29168741
- Jongkees BJ, et al. Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands, a review. J Psychiatr Res, 2015. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 26424423
- Attipoe S, et al. Tyrosine for mitigating stress and enhancing performance in healthy adult humans, a rapid evidence assessment of the literature. Mil Med, 2015. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 26126245
- Magnusson I, et al. N-acetyl-L-tyrosine and N-acetyl-L-cysteine as tyrosine and cysteine precursors during intravenous infusion in humans. Metabolism, 1989. 5 g infused over 4 hours, 56% excreted in urine. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 2507878
- Hoffer LJ, et al. N-acetyl-L-tyrosine as a tyrosine source in adult parenteral nutrition. JPEN, 2003. About 35% excreted unchanged in urine. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 14621123
- Druml W, et al. Utilization of tyrosine dipeptides and acetyltyrosine in normal and uremic humans. Am J Physiol, 1991. Intravenous, about 60% excreted in healthy controls. Abstract read. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. PMID 1996632
- Drugs.com. Tyrosine, professional monograph, contraindications and interactions. Updated Oct 31, 2025. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. drugs.com
- NOW Foods. L-Tyrosine 750 mg Extra Strength Capsules, product page, Supplement Facts label and price. Accessed Oct 21 and 28, 2026. nowfoods.com
- NOW Foods. L-Tyrosine 500 mg Capsules, product page, Supplement Facts label and price. Accessed Oct 21, 2026. nowfoods.com
- Double Wood Supplements. L-Tyrosine, product page, Supplement Facts label, maker's certificate, price and refund policy. Accessed Oct 20, 2026. doublewoodsupplements.com
- Colmaric Analyticals for Double Wood. L-tyrosine, lot AITDH, May 5, 2026, assay by HPLC against 1,000 mg a serving, "Conform", no figure printed. Accessed Oct 20, 2026. Lab report (PDF)
- Nootropics Depot. L-Tyrosine Capsules 500 mg, product page, Supplement Facts label, price and returns policy. Accessed Oct 21, 2026. nootropicsdepot.com
- Omnient Labs for Nootropics Depot. Certificate of analysis, L-tyrosine capsules, lot LTYCS1061926, Jun 19, 2026, 525 mg a capsule by UPLC. Accessed Oct 21, 2026. Lot report (PDF)
- Nootropics Depot. Meet our third party labs. Omnient Labs "was started as an ISO accredited lab to do advanced lab testing for Nootropics Depot." Accessed Oct 21, 2026. nootropicsdepot.com
- Nutricost. L-Tyrosine 500 mg, 180 capsules, product page, Supplement Facts label and price. Accessed Oct 21, 2026. nutricost.com
- Pure Encapsulations. L-Tyrosine, practitioner product page, Supplement Facts label, suggested use and retail price. Accessed Oct 21, 2026. pureencapsulationspro.com
- FitnessVolt. 8 Best L-Tyrosine Supplements of 2026. Last evaluated July 2026. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. fitnessvolt.com
- Jacked Gorilla. Best tyrosine supplements. Published Apr 5, 2023. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. jackedgorilla.com
- WebMD. Tyrosine, uses, side effects and interactions. Medically reviewed Sep 4, 2025. Accessed Oct 30, 2026. webmd.com
Top Rated Nootropics is an independent research and review platform. We are passionate supplement researchers, not medical professionals. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.