New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Eat spinach or eggs for faster reflexes: Tyrosine helps you stop faster

Date:
February 11, 2014
Source:
Leiden, Universiteit
Summary:
A child suddenly runs out into the road. Brake!! A driver who has recently eaten spinach or eggs will stop faster, thanks to the amino acid tyrosine found in these and other food products.
Share:
FULL STORY

A child suddenly runs out into the road. Brake!! A driver who has recently eaten spinach or eggs will stop faster, thanks to the amino acid tyrosine found in these and other food products. Leiden cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato publishes her findings in the journal Neuropsychologia.

The German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach has already said it: Der Mensch ist was er iβt. You are what you eat. Substances that we ingest through our food can determine our behaviour and the way we experience our environment. Researchers at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam have carried out the first-ever study to test whether the intake of tyrosine enhances our ability to stop an activity at lightning speed. The findings seem to indicate that this is the case.

Stopping task

Colzato and her colleagues created a situation in which test candidates had to interrupt a repetitive activity at a given instant. The researchers tested this using a stopping task: the participants were told to look carefully at a computer screen. Whenever a green arrow appeared, they had to press a button as quickly as possible. At the same time they had to make sure the button they chose matched the direction of the arrow. If a red arrow appeared on the screen, the candidates had to keep their hands off the keyboard altogether.

Tyrosine or a placebo

The participants had two sessions in the test lab. On one occasion they were given orange to drink that contained tyrosine, and on the other occasion the orange juice contained a placebo. The tests showed that the candidates performed better on the stopping task if they had drunk the juice with tyrosine.

Benefits

The positive effect of tyrosine on our reaction speed can have benefits for road safety. For example, if a queue suddenly forms, fast reflexes can prevent an accident. But there are many more examples. Colzato: 'Tyrosine food supplements and tyrosine-rich food are a healthy and inexpensive way of improving our intellectual capabilities. This makes them preferable to Ritalin and Modafinil, products that students often reach for to improve their academic performance. Tyrosine is safe and doesn't need a doctor's prescription.

Video

Eating to stop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6cIeBhzPQY

What is tyrosine?

Tyrosine is found in such foods as spinach, eggs, cottage cheese and soya. Anyone who doesn't eat enough of these foodstuffs produces too little dopamine, which can lead to depression and apathy.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Leiden, Universiteit. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Lorenza S. Colzato, Bryant J. Jongkees, Roberta Sellaro, Wery P.M. van den Wildenberg, Bernhard Hommel. Eating to stop: Tyrosine supplementation enhances inhibitory control but not response execution. Neuropsychologia, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.12.027

Cite This Page:

Leiden, Universiteit. "Eat spinach or eggs for faster reflexes: Tyrosine helps you stop faster." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 February 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140211083859.htm>.
Leiden, Universiteit. (2014, February 11). Eat spinach or eggs for faster reflexes: Tyrosine helps you stop faster. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140211083859.htm
Leiden, Universiteit. "Eat spinach or eggs for faster reflexes: Tyrosine helps you stop faster." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140211083859.htm (accessed March 27, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES