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• Tryptophan is one of the human body's essential amino acids. As the body cannot make tryptophan on its own, a person must obtain tryptophan from their diet. Tryptophan acts as a minor sedative and helps the brain to produce serotonin.MaconNews.com: Turkey and Tryptophan: Fact or Fiction? (November 25, 2008)

  While it is common knowledge that tryptophan has sedative properties, it is an urban myth that turkey causes drowsiness due to its tryptophan concentration. Tryptophan must be ingested on an empty stomach in order to cause sleepiness.eMedicineHealth: Holiday Turkey...Can It Really Make You Sleepy? In comparison, turkey meat contains less tryptophan than a pork chop and about the same as chicken.MaconNews.com: Turkey and Tryptophan: Fact or Fiction? (November 25, 2008)

• Fast Facts

  1. An essential amino acid
  2. Available as a dietary supplement
  3. Important in protein synthesis
  4. Not produced naturally by human body

• Dietary Sources

  • Turkey
  • Peanuts
  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Soy
  • Tofu
  • Eggs

• Supplement Controversy

  When a correlation emerged between dietary supplements containing L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome outbreak in 1989, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States limited the availability of dietary supplements with L-tryptophan.FDA: Information Paper on L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan

• Disclaimer

  The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Contact your doctor for more information on tryptophan.

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Melatonin | Serotonin | Niacin | Vitamin B6 | Iron | Turkey | Chicken | Milk | Salmon | Rice | Chocolate | Oats | Bananas | Yogurt | Sleeping Pills | Insomnia | Vitamin B6

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