Evidence: High Possible Benefits: High Safety: Reasonable
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is L-DOPA?
L-DOPA is a direct precursor to dopamine often synthesized in the body from L-tyrosine. As a supplement, L-DOPA is often used for enhancing cognition and well-being or as a treatment for certain diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease. This article is about the main benefits of L-DOPA, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.
What does L-DOPA do for the body?
L-DOPA directly converts to dopamine in the body through a process called decarboxylation.
Dopamine can then convert into adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) through the dopamine-beta-hydroxylase enzyme.
An increase in these neurotransmitters can lead to a variety of pleasant and unpleasant effects.
It can result in increased attention, motivation, and working memory. On the other hand, too much dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline can cause mild mania, jitteriness, difficulty falling asleep, and more.
Possible benefits
It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. Generally, the higher the dose, the more pronounced the effects are. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Major benefits
Reduced symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – L-DOPA is one of the safest and most effective treatment options for Parkinson’s disease.
Reduced symptoms of depression – The main reason behind this effect is an increase in dopamine levels. About 80% of those who take the supplement notice an improvement in their well-being. It is important to note that this improvement happens in the short term and likely won’t last once you stop taking the supplement.
Reduced stress – L-DOPA is effective at reducing acute stress when taken at low doses. Higher doses may actually increase stress response because of elevated adrenaline levels.
Minor benefits
Improved working memory – L-DOPA has been shown to preserve working memory during acute stressors. It may also have a memory-boosting effect outside stressful situations, but only to a small extent.
Improved well-being – This effect applies mainly to people with depression but also to non-depressed individuals experiencing mild forms of stress.
Reduced symptoms of ADHD – People with ADHD have a general deficit in amino acid transport, absorption, or both. This often leads to significantly lower levels of tyrosine in the body. Since tyrosine is a precursor to L-DOPA, this likely means that people with ADHD will benefit more from L-DOPA supplements than those without ADHD. However, tyrosine is generally safer and should work just as well if not better in this regard.
Possible side effects
These side effects are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.
Headaches
Dizziness
Nausea
Heartburn
Anxiety
Mild forms of mania
Jitteriness
Dopamine dysregulation – Taking L-DOPA or other dopamine-boosting substances leads to higher dopamine spikes in your day-to-day activities. This makes you less sensitive to dopamine over time and once you stop using these substances, you will have to go through a period where excess dopamine receptors break down and you will become more sensitive to the neurotransmitter again. This period is often unpleasant.
Allergic reactions – L-DOPA supplements can trigger allergic reactions that can cause itching, tingling in the mouth, swelling of the face or hands, and trouble breathing.
Toxicity – While acute toxicity has never been reported, taking high amounts of L-DOPA could lead to chronic toxicity over time and cause some health problems, such as nerve damage. To prevent chronic toxicity, it is best to stay below 500 mg a day unless you have a great reason to take more.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. It is highly recommended to check the certificates or read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product on the market. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.
Who should not take L-DOPA?
You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:
are a happy person without a need to take the supplement (in which case, excess dopamine isn’t necessary and it would lead to unpleasant bouts of dopamine withdrawal once you stop taking L-DOPA)
are willing to take a precursor to L-DOPA instead (such as L-tyrosine or DL-phenylalanine; these are much safer because your body gets to regulate how much L-DOPA to produce)
suffer from schizophrenia (taking the supplement can lead to a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenics)
have high blood pressure and-or take drugs for high blood pressure
have difficulty sleeping
eat high amounts of protein from food (most whole foods contain at least some amount of each essential amino acid, including phenylalanine and tyrosine, which are precursors to L-DOPA)
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
often get anxious
are pregnant or breastfeeding (we don’t yet know if the supplement is safe for the child)
are on a tight supplement budget (since there are more cost-effective supplements on the market for most people)
Who will benefit the most?
You should consider taking the supplement if you:
have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
suffer from depression
are looking for a cognitive boost to increase concentration, motivation, and working memory
have ADHD or autism
How much L-DOPA should you take?
If you plan to take L-DOPA as a supplement, 50 mg 3 times a day appears to be the best daily target for most people. This amount should provide notable benefits without meaningful side effects.
Some people may benefit from doses higher than 150 mg/d. These include people with ADHD, depression, and Parkinson’s disease.
If you plan to take doses higher than 300 mg, increase the dose gradually over the course of a few weeks. Never take more than you find necessary.
The upper safety limit for this supplement is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than 500 mg daily unless you have a great reason to do so. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period.
Food sources of L-DOPA
This chemical is mainly found in plants from the Mucuna family.
Mucuna Pruriens is the most popular exogenous source of L-DOPA that contains anywhere from 0.5% to 9% of L-DOPA by weight.
Other sources include Tamarindus indica, Sesbania bispinosa, Entada scandens, Acacia leucophloea, Bauhinia variegata, Canavalia gladiata, Vigna aconitifolia, and Prosopis Chilensis. These contain about 1-5% of L-DOPA by weight except vigna aconitifolia, which only contains about 0.2-0.6%
Best time to take L-DOPA
L-DOPA is water-soluble, so you don’t have to take it with food to absorb it well. Taking the supplement with food is better if it causes stomach upset when you take it on an empty stomach.
To maximize the benefits, take the supplement in the morning or before you work on a cognitively demanding task.
L-DOPA works much better when you take it early in the day. Taking it at night would likely cause more harm than good, mainly because of the increase in dopamine and adrenaline.
Unless it feels too impractical, spread the daily dose into 2+ smaller doses throughout the day.
Interactions
SAM-e At least one study shows that L-DOPA may deplete S-adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) levels in children. This likely applies to adults as well.
Sedatives L-DOPA can increase the effects and side effects of sedatives.
Amphetamines L-DOPA potentiates the effects of amphetamines.
Where to buy L-DOPA
Amazon is the best option for ordering L-DOPA supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.
Beware some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
L-DOPA should be cycled at least 2 days every week to lower your dependence on the supplement and give your dopamine pathways time to become sensitive to the substance again.
All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes some time that can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they often contain bovine gelatin, which rarely comes from an ethical source.
This supplement works much better when you take it in the morning. Taking L-tyrosine at night would likely cause more harm than good, mainly because of the increase in dopamine and adrenaline.
This supplement should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date but can lose potency over time.
Keep the supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place, and it should remain just as potent for many months or even years.
While toxicity is rare, too much L-DOPA in the system can cause some health problems, often related to becoming less sensitive to dopamine and needing more of this neurotransmitter to feel good and motivated. It is best to stay below 500 mg a day to prevent these side effects.
This supplement stays in your system for about 4-6 hours after you ingest it.
You should notice the benefits almost immediately after you take the supplement.
L-DOPA supplements are almost always vegan-friendly. If you buy the supplement in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.
L-DOPA is water-soluble, so you don’t have to take it with food to absorb it well.
While low doses may not break a fast, higher doses might do so. If you practice time-restricted eating, take this supplement during your eating window so it doesn’t break your fast.
References
Most of the information provided in this guide is supported by scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything said in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
