Is taking a regimen of carefully tailored and timed amino acids useful in Parkinson’s disease.?

02.10.09 / parkinson disease treatment / Author: Alex
Tags: aromatic amino acids, bcaa, blood brain barrier, branched chain amino acids, empty stomach, interesting fact, l dopa, neurological symptoms, parkinson, regimen, synthesis, tardive dyskinesia, tyrosine

In my research on Parkinson’s (I have it), I came across an interesting finding – a disease called tardive dyskinesia which is caused by TOO MUCH L-dopa. Parkinson’s is caused by not enough L-dopa (which is converted to dopamine in the brain– the dopamine deficiency is the cause of the neurological symptoms).

The treatment for tardive dyskinesia is to reduce L-dopa.
The treatment for Parkinson’s is to increase L-dopa.

The amino acids which convert to L-dopa are the aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan) . Those with tardive dyskinesia are prescribed a regimen which avoids these amino acids. Instead they take a set of amino acids known as ‘branched chain amino acids’ (bcaa) on an empty stomach because these bcaa’s do not produce L-dopa. But, the VERY INTERESTING fact is that bcaa’s and the aromatic amino acids compete for transport across the blood-brain barrier.

Would a regimen of aromatic amino acids on an empty stomach promote L-dopa synthesis?