Obviously I'm no biochemist - but I do know that mucuna has some of the same properties as the South American extreme-curative-hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, which is why ayahuasca and its components are also impactful on Parkinson's (hence my visits to South America...) In the case of ayahuasca, one is supposed to avoid foods with a high tyrosine content - such as cheese, beer, fava beans, as well as any SSRIs or MAO inhibitors.
Mucuna also has some amount of DMT (dimethyltryptamine) in it, which I think is part of its power for PD. So in that case I would be very wary of combining mucuna with tyrosine, as well as things like Selegiline or Azilect.

I personally believe L-Tyrosine, Curcumin and Citicoline give powerful support if ramping off Sinemet/L-dopa. And Mucuna as well. It has been an amazing week; I saw my x-rays and my neck/spine alignment was out 27 and one half %. I getting things straightened out so to speak. I saw a well respected Natural Path who has his PhD and studies the brain. He said "there is no way in hell that I have Parkinson's disease" Being on Sinemet and getting off it after 11 years is another matter. He went over my supplements and figures I have it covered. He also does acupuncture but wants to wait until the chiro says it's OK.

Bonnie

the report on Tyrosine in your post 7. It has now got me thinking before I add to my nutrition program. Some of the negatives associated with taking Tyrosine such as possible gastroinitaritis needs further checking.

Tyrosine, Citicoline, and Curcumin {curcumin I already take} is an intersting combination. How did you arrive at that combination? and are you going to do it? Our programs of sinemet taking is similar. I am in year nine medicated.

I too would love to get off the sinemet gravy train. Someone is going to hit the jackpot with a healthy nutritional program that will blow us all away. Good luck with your test and measuring. Keep us informed.

Do we all realise that tyrosine is simply a precurser for levodopa?
It is an intermediate in the synthesis of dopamine naturally.The full natural synthesis chain is:
protein ----->phenyl alanine----->tyrosine---->levodopa---->dopamine
So taking tyrosine simply produces levodopa, but makes your body do an extra synthesis step over taking sinemet (levodopa + carbidopa).
Presumably, we could go one stage further back, and take phenyl alanine, but that would make your body do 2 synthesis steps, over just taking levodopa.
Since tyrosine is just a source of levodopa, is it so surprising that it relieves symptoms in the same way as levodopa? I tried tyrosine some years ago, but found it worked, but was less effective than levodopa. This did not surprise me since I was asking my body to do extra work to convert it to levodopa.
Ron

The question to be answered : if tyrosin is a precurser of dopamine, does it have the downsides of L-dopa? and why some of us think it is 'healthier' than L-dopa?

There is purportedly some ongoing but unpublished French research that is very promising. One advantage of the precursor approach would be to allow one's body to regulate the dopamine levels instead of flooding it with Sinemet.

Ron, any idea what doseages you tried?

Now THIS is something I could very much get behind, if there was a way somehow to encourage the body to correct the biochemical faultline that seems to embody PD on its own....and to try and strengthen whatever modest abilities it might have in this direction.

First of all I love your quote "GO HARD SCIENCE" My sentiments exactly. We have had to do our own research when we saw what the pd drugs were doing to us. How did I come up with that combo? I research the INTERNET and print out what interests me and put it in binders so I can study it, compare data etc.

When the Mirapex took me down I lost complete trust in the pharmaceutical approach and the added fact that my neurologist who is a well known researcher bailed on me after 10 years along with his support team was appalling. I was in Phase 3 of a Clinical Drug Trial at the time. The money and time (3 years) they had invested in me was more important than my health. I was told that I could take 8 Mirapex daily instead of 9. Because I chose to get off Mirapex myself I was labeled difficult, unstable with emotional problems. By the way that kind of information is on my electronic medical file that follows me wherever I go. I had a hell of a time getting a GP when I moved or even a neurologist who would empower me as a patient. It took a lot of work and money to put together the health team I have now.

Everyone who has been diagnosed with pd needs this kind of support. The days of being told you have pd, handed some pamphlets along with some prescription and told we will see you in a year should be over. I am incensed when I think of it. They (my former health team and neuro) sure changed their minds when they finally saw me; I had lost 23 pounds in three weeks and was a shadow of my former self. Too late, I have cut all ties.

I would encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with pd to be very diligent in how to handle it emotionally and their treatment options.

Bonnie

We have all been on this merry go round before in relation to the pros and cons of l-tyrosine and the other necessary precursors of dopamine.

bump bump bump