Tryptophan

Tryptophan is one of the human body's essential amino acids, meaning that it must be obtained from dietary sources. L-Tryptophan, the largest of the amino acids,http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/aa/Tryptophan.html is a component of proteins, a portion of it is converted to the vitamin niacin http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-niacin.html and it also acts as a minor sedative by its role in the production of serotonin and melatonin in the brain. http://www.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.mit.edu%2Fdick%2Fwww%2Fpdf%2F623.pdf&ei=hjxKS9ywB8mUtge0y9DkDQ&usg=AFQjCNGFAZ1j94OBAuEt4zXTU5t0ZFsY_w&sig2=grEEGjSB2jvbxSfqPsWmvQ It has also been used for treatment of pain. http://www.google.co.cr/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=30&ved=0CD0QFjAJOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hawaii.edu%2Fhivandaids%2FClinical%2520Nutrition%2520%2520%2520%2520The%2520Fuzzy%2520Boundary%2520Between%2520Nutrition%2520And%2520Psychopharmacology.pdf&ei=OHdKS7_EDceUtgfA2vDjDQ&usg=AFQjCNGb1hPtST6S46tBFjz5L5hrh3rfZg&sig2=k2tfsuz7O_bmcrUrXRoX1g Because of its effect on melatonin levels and your body rhythms, it can be used to help one sleep if taken as a supplement in the evening before bedtime. http://www.maconnews.com/index.php

While it is common knowledge that tryptophan has sedative properties, it is an urban myth that turkey causes drowsiness due to its tryptophan concentration. In comparison, turkey meat contains less tryptophan than rich sources such as peanuts and soybeans.http://www.nwtf.org/flyinghigh/thanksgiving_tryptophan.html Foods that are rich in tryptophan are listed below. Tryptophan uptake by the brain tissue is increased when it is consumed with carbohydrate-rich foods because of the production of insulin, which moves other types of amino acids from the blood-brain barrier, allowing the tryptophan absorption. http://www.scar.toronto.edu/~wellness/wpp/nutri/main_resources_sleep.html

This site has information on dietary sources of this amino acid and the controversial reasons for the 1990 ban of this substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration. 5 hydroxy tryptophan (5-HTP) is a supplement that can be taken in place of tryptophan for improvement of sleep and mood disorders where tryptophan is not available. http://www.lidtke.com/difference_article.html Other information can be found in the fast facts section, in the Google links section, and in the sections that contain blogs and news about L-tryptophan. Related Mahalo pages are also listed on the right-hand side of the page.

About 10 milligrams (0.01 g) of tryptophan is needed per meal to prevent symptoms of deficiency. http://wwwchem.csustan.edu/chem4400/sjbr/Davis02.htm Rich sources of tryptophan include beans, whole grains (including rice), chickpeas, hazelnuts, peanuts, eggs, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. http://www.scar.toronto.edu/~wellness/wpp/nutri/main_resources_sleep.html The tryptophan content of meats is lower (in grams per 100 grams of food:

• Pork chops - .25 g
• Turkey - 0.24 g
• Chicken - 0.24 g
• Beef - 0.23 g
• Salmon - 0.22 g
• Lamb Chop - 0.21 g http://www.nwtf.org/flyinghigh/thanksgiving_tryptophan.html
  
  

Corn and bananas are poor sources for this amino acid.

When a correlation emerged between dietary supplements containing L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (a disease that is associated with a rise in some white blood cell counts and severe muscle pain) outbreak in 1989, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States limited the availability of dietary supplements with L-tryptophan. A survey of patients revealed that 96% had a history of taking L-tryptophan as a supplement prior to the onset of symptoms.however this recall later included supplements containing any amount of this amino acid. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001738.htm

As of November 17, 1989, the FDA issued a recall for all dietary supplements conttaining100 mg or more of a daily amount of this amino acid; however this recall later included supplements containing any amount of this amino acid. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001738.htm A full ban of the sale of this supplement was called in 1990. Impurities, called Peak X, were found in L-tryptophan products provided by Showa Denko K.K. of Japan during a 1991 investigation by the Mayo Clinic. These impurities were related to 95% of the cases in the 1989 outbreak, however in a later report by the Centers for Disease Control stated: "Our data demonstrate that the syndrome is not induced by tryptophan itself ... [a]t this time the pathogenesis of the inflammatory changes of [EMS] remains speculative."http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps1609/www.fda.gov/fdac/departs/1998/698_upd.html

Some think that the 3-5% level of uncertainty was not adequate justification of a total ban of L-tryptophan products, which are safely used in many other countries in the world today. http://www.seedsofdeception.com/utility/showArticle/?objectID=263There is also a patent on the use of L-tryptophan for the treatment of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. www.freepatentsonline.com/5185157.htm Coincidentally, an article in Newsweek was printed a few days after the ban that heralded the benefits of the anti-depressant drug Prozac. http://www.sntp.net/prozac/breggin_prozac_1.htm The FDA lifted the ban in 2002, the same year that the Prozac patent expired, but now L-tryptophan can only be obtained through a doctor's prescription. http://www.lifeofelle.com/category/depression/page/4/

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