Catecholamines are a class of neurotransmitters responsible for many functions in the nervous and endocrine systems; they play an important role in mood, energy, memory, attention, and cognition. 

N-acetyl-L-cysteine is a precursor to L-cysteine, which is required for the synthesis of glutathione, an endogenous antioxidant. 

N-acetyl-L-tyrosine is a precursor to catecholamines including dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. 

L-Dopa from Mucuna cochinchinensis seed extract is a natural source of L-DOPA, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and is the direct precursor to dopamine. 

Active forms of vitamins B6, C, and folate are important for catecholamine synthesis. 

For craving control:

• Dopamine release from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbans is the primary pathway in which reward based behaviors such as cravings are modulated.
• Impaired signaling from decreased dopamine release or receptors (DRD2) is thought to reduce sensitivity to natural reward-based behavior.

Balance D also contains N-acetyl-L-cysteine and selenium that aid in the production of glutathione to counter the oxidation of excess dopamine into quinones, free radicals, and reactive oxygen species.