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If you’ve been feeling completely drained—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and you’re struggling to keep your anxiety or depression under control, it can feel like you’re stuck in a cycle. Our mood disorders are increasing so fast they will outrank other causes of early death like violence, aids, or accidents. There’s a natural way to support your mental health through nutrition. Two specific amino acids—tryptophan and tyrosine—can make a huge difference when it comes to feeling more balanced, calm, and energized.

Let’s break it down in simple terms: these amino acids can directly impact your mood, stress levels, and overall mental health, and incorporating more of them into your diet could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for.

What Are Tryptophan and Tyrosine, Anyway?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and they play a big role in many of the body’s processes—especially when it comes to mental health. There are 22 different kinds of amino acids in high protein foods like chicken, beef, eggs and cheese. However only specific amino acids play a role in mental health. We’re just talking about 2 of those today. Both tryptophan and tyrosine are essential amino acids, meaning your body can’t make them on its own, so you need to get them from your diet. In practice, I see in clients an almost immediate effect of adding in more protein focused foods. They get a change in energy and mood very quickly– this is a great encouragement to keep them going.

Get my protein focused shopping list here

Here’s how they work:

• Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin, often called the “feel-good” chemical. It helps regulate mood, sleep, and anxiety. When serotonin is low, it’s linked to feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Tyrosine, on the other hand, is a precursor to dopamine and noradrenaline—the brain chemicals responsible for motivation, focus, and energy. When you’re stressed out, tyrosine can help improve mental clarity and give you the boost you need.

In fact, even addicts found that by supplementing with these amino acids they were able to reduce their relapses.

Why Tryptophan Is Your Friend When You’re Feeling Anxious or Depressed

If you’re constantly on edge, struggling to calm your racing thoughts, or finding it hard to sleep because of anxiety, low serotonin could be playing a big part. Tryptophan helps increase serotonin, which is key to maintaining a calm, stable mood.

Related: Is your favorite breakfast giving you anxiety?

When you get more tryptophan in your diet, your serotonin levels go up, and you’ll start feeling more relaxed and less overwhelmed. That means less anxiety and more peaceful moments throughout the day.

If there isn’t enough tryptophan in your diet, your body won’t be able to manufacture enough 5-HTP or serotonin to keep you happy. Also, natural serotonin production could be interfered with by having too much of some foods like caffeine, alcohol, or aspartame.

In whole body health, you’ll never feel “right” without having the right raw materials your body needs. These amino acids just happen to be one your body needs for best brain performance and moods.

What interferes with serotonin production?

1. Your diet
Consuming too few foods with serotonin producing amino acids (like tryptophan)
Consuming too many serotonin blocking foods like caffeine and aspartame 

2. Chronic stress
Your brain is overwhelmed and under too much pressure

3. Genes
Yes, your genes play a role, but that doesn’t mean it’s destiny 

4. Lack of sunlight 
SAD effects 25% of people and most people respond very well to light therapy
(This effect is immediate!) Check out this light box.

5. Lack of movement
Muscle use requires the body to flood with amino acids this means tryptophan can be sent to the brain to convert to 5-Htp and serotonin 

If you’re constantly anxious and overwhelmed- like your mind never stops racing, and you can’t shut it off. Or you feel on edge all the time, with a heavy fog of gloom- you probably should look at your tryptophan intake.

You can’t just keep wishing this away

Related: Self care for depression

How else is low serotonin seen?

Low serotonin is even related to more compulsive behavior like those seen in BRB like hair pulling or skin picking.

Low serotonin is often seen in women that experience mood issues in PMS or the most common nutrient deficiency in those that suffer from panic attacks.

Related: The devil’s voice: OCD recovery

How Tyrosine Helps You Cope with Stress + Depression

Tyrosine can be seen as natures energizer. When you’re burned out and mentally drained, your body’s response to stress can feel completely overwhelming. You might be dealing with brain fog, lack of focus, and feeling like you’re running on empty. That’s where tyrosine comes in. Tyrosine provides the unique raw ingredients that your brain uses to produce catecholamines- dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. These are responsible for focus, mental clarity, and the ability to handle stress. So, if you’ve been struggling to keep up with your daily tasks or feel like your brain is too foggy to think straight, tyrosine can help clear things up and give you the mental energy you need.

When incorporated with other diet changes (like low sugar) even those with attention deficits can see an improvement in their focus

If adding in more tyrosine foods does not seem to help your attention, you may also need to consider proper thyroid function.

Thyroid hormones are critical for breakdown and proper absorption of amino acids. Without proper thyroid function, these amino acids cannot get converted properly- no matter how many you take in.

Tyrosine is the most important thyroid food, but also nutrients like iron, selenium, zinc or folic acid and B vitamins are also important in the thyroid functioning optimally.

If you’ve been under chronic stress for a significant period of time, the communication between your endocrine glands has probably suffered, making it harder for proper thyroid or stress hormones to produced in adequate way. This is one of the most common things I see in clients that are experiencing burn out.

Get the free burn out recovery course here.

Related: Drink this to handle stress better

A quality omega 3 supplement, can also increase concentration by correcting fatty acid imbalances in the brain

What Foods Are Rich in Tryptophan and Tyrosine?

Tryptophan-Rich Foods:

• Turkey and chicken (yep, it’s true—turkey is known for making you sleepy because of tryptophan!)
  • 4 oz of these high protein foods at every meal is enough.
• Eggs (especially the yolks)
• Cheese, like cheddar and parmesan
• Nuts and seeds, like almonds and sunflower seeds
• Oats and whole grains
• Bananas (bonus: they’re high in vitamin B6, which helps convert tryptophan into serotonin)

Tyrosine-Rich Foods:

• Lean meats like turkey, chicken, and beef
• Fish, including salmon and tuna
• Eggs (again, a great source)
• Dairy (cheese, yogurt)
• Beans and lentils
• Spinach and avocados (both great for brain health)

These also could aid in better sleep performance!

Related: How to improve sleep quality or The stress/sleep cycle and how to fix it

What You Can Expect from Adding Tryptophan and Tyrosine to Your Diet

When you start eating more foods rich in tryptophan and tyrosine, you’ll notice some pretty exciting changes:

• Less anxiety: You’ll feel more calm and relaxed, with fewer moments of panic or overwhelm. Your anxiety won’t feel as all-consuming. You’ll have the mental clarity to make better decisions and feel more confident.
• More energy: You won’t feel so mentally drained. No more brain fog or energy crashes throughout the day.
• Better sleep: With higher serotonin, you’ll find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
• Sharper focus: Tyrosine will help you stay clear-headed and more focused, even on stressful days. No more dragging yourself through the day. You’ll have the energy to handle everything life throws at you, without feeling drained by mid-afternoon.
• Better mood: With balanced serotonin, you’ll feel more positive, less irritable, and better able to enjoy your day-to-day life.
• Stronger resilience to stress: Thanks to tyrosine, you’ll be able to handle the ups and downs of life without feeling like they’re pushing you to your limit.

Related: The best food for OCD, depression, and anxiety

In Conclusion:

If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, burnout, or depression, adding tryptophan and tyrosine to your diet can be a game-changer. By nourishing your brain with these essential amino acids, you’ll feel calmer, more energized, and mentally sharp. You won’t just cope with stress better—you’ll feel like you have the tools to thrive.

However, there is an even better plan. You don’t have to keep piecing together advice from the internet, guessing at what’s causing your anxiety, or exhaustion. The truth is, trying to DIY your health can leave you feeling even more overwhelmed and stuck.

When we work together, we skip the guesswork and go straight to solutions that work for your body. Through mineral testing and a personalized, data-driven approach, I’ll help uncover exactly what’s keeping you in a spiral and map out a simple, streamlined plan to get you real results—faster and with far less stress.

If you’re ready to take control of your health without the endless trial and error, let’s get started. Book your consultation today, and let’s create a plan that works for you and your life.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I do not recommend products I have not personally vetted.

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