Pork

Overview

Pork provides thiamine (B1), creatine, zinc, and complete protein, supporting mitochondrial glucose metabolism and neurotransmitter function. Thiamine (B1): Pork, sunflower seeds, salmon, peas, rice, lentils. Thiamine is essential for mitochondrial glucose metabolism in the brain leading to ATP production. Creatine: Supports ATP recycling in neurons; enhances working memory and cognitive processing speed; food sources include beef, lamb, pork, salmon, tuna, cod, scallops.

Recipes

no recipes found

Substances

4 substances in this food

Tryptophan

Serotonin/melatonin precursor; NAD+ pathway substrate; LAT1 transport dynamics

Tyrosine

Dopamine and norepinephrine precursor; LAT1 competition with LNAAs

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Mitochondrial glucose metabolism; ATP synthesis; rapid turnover in CNS

Zinc

Cofactor in neurotransmission and antioxidant enzymes; dopamine modulation

Preparation Notes

• Choose quality sources when possible
• Gentle cooking preserves thiamine; thiamine does not exist in a large brain "reservoir"; the CNS maintains small, tightly regulated intracellular pools that depend on continuous, transporter-mediated supply
• Important for thiamine and creatine intake
• Part of diverse protein strategy
• Supports neurotransmitter synthesis through tryptophan and tyrosine content

Biological Target Matrix

Biological Target	Substance	Contribution Level	Therapeutic Areas	Mechanism of Action
Inflammation & Oxidative Stress	Zinc	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Supports immune signaling; gut barrier integrity disrupted by nutrient deficiencies including zinc
Methylation & One-Carbon Metabolism	Zinc	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease	Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals essential for methylation, such as folate, vitamin B12, and zinc, are correlated to ADHD symptoms; supplementing these micronutrients has shown potential in supporting methylation and reducing symptom severity
Mitochondrial Function & Bioenergetics	Creatine	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Supports ATP recycling via phosphocreatine system; buffers high-energy demand in neurons; enhances mitochondrial energy buffering
Mitochondrial Function & Bioenergetics	Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Essential for mitochondrial glucose metabolism in the brain leading to ATP production; supports PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase) and α-KGDH (alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) function
Neurotransmitter Regulation	Tryptophan	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Precursor for serotonin and melatonin; brain entry competes at LAT1 with other large neutral amino acids (LNAAs); carbohydrate-rich, low-protein meals raise the plasma tryptophan:LNAA ratio because insulin pushes competing LNAAs out to muscles; can feed NAD+ synthesis via the kynurenine pathway
Neurotransmitter Regulation	Tyrosine	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Catecholamine precursor (dopamine, norepinephrine); brain transport via LAT1 competes with other LNAAs; iron is an essential cofactor for tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in conversion of tyrosine to dopamine; cofactors include iron, B6, folate, omega-3s, and BH₄ (tetrahydrobiopterin) to support rate-limiting steps in catecholamine synthesis
Neurotransmitter Regulation	Zinc	Contextual / minor contributor	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Postnatal Depression (PND / PPD) — Evidence Base, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Important for DNA synthesis, cell division, and neurotransmitter regulation, particularly in modulating dopamine—a key neurotransmitter implicated in ADHD; acts as an allosteric modulator of the GABA receptor; supports glutamate regulation

References

• Thiamine (B1): Pork, sunflower seeds, salmon, peas, rice, lentils; essential for mitochondrial glucose metabolism in the brain leading to ATP production Dhir et al. 2019
• Creatine: Supports ATP recycling in neurons; enhances working memory and cognitive processing speed; food sources include beef, lamb, pork, salmon, tuna, cod, scallops
• Zinc: Neurotransmitter modulation, synaptic plasticity, antioxidant enzymes; food sources include oysters, beef, crab, chicken, pork
• Thiamine does not exist in a large brain "reservoir"; the CNS maintains small, tightly regulated intracellular pools that depend on continuous, transporter-mediated supply, making deficiency states potentially acute