L-tyrosine is a protein amino acid and is classified as a conditionally essential amino acid.  (It can be synthesized from the amino acid phenylalanine). It’s one of the many reasons yogurt is good for you!

According to Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Phenylalanine and tyrosine are sometimes prescribed as antidepressants, usually in combination with other nutrients and herbs that have mood elevating properties. Some doctors also recommend these amino acids for appetite control.

According to Evitamins.com, most people should not supplement with L-tyrosine.  If you’re thinking of taking L-tyrosine, check with your doctor first.

Whether you’re traveling by land, air or sea,  motion sickness is no fun.

Motion sickness occurs when your inner ear tells your brain that you are moving, but your eyes aren’t providing the same information to the brain.  That is why when children are placed in the front seat of a car, they usually experience relief from motion sickness.

Ginger is a natural remedy for motion sickness. but there are other "cures".  One cure offered is by using a ReliefBand which uses acupressure to relieve motion sickness.  Another is a Scopoderm TTS patch which you wear.  There are also conditioning exercises you can do to prevent motion sickness.

According to the Cruise and Travel web site, preventing motion sickness is better than trying to CURE motion sickness.

You’ve known lycopene all your life.  Even if you didn’t know it’s name, you saw it’s effects.  Lycopene gives red foods their color, which is a great way to tell which foods are rich in this nutrient. Tomatoes are one natural source of lycopene.  Watermelon is another.

Proposed benefits of lycopene include a possible reduction in prostate cancer as well as reducing your risk of developing blood clots.  It’s also thought that lycopene is a powerful cancer fighting antioxidant.  According to the Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer blog:

In addition to possibly reducing the risk of prostate cancer and slowing the growth of prostate cancer cells themselves, some researchers believe that lycopene may have the same effect on cancers of the lung, stomach, bladder, cervix, and skin, as well as lowering the risk of heart disease and macular degenerative disease, and lowering LDL or the bad cholesterol. In addition to the old proverb, “An apple a day . . . ,”  perhaps we might add the mantra, “A tomato a day keeps the oncologist away.”

Notice the use of the phrase "a tomato a day".  Seems lycopene as a supplement has produced some very disappointing study results.    Eating tomatoes, either raw or in sauce, appears to be the key to increased health benefits. Yes, the "magic" of lycopene, and other hyped nutrients, seems to be linked to healthy eating rather than just taking a supplement.