Tryptophan
Uses
Tryptophan an essential amino acid that is not made by the body and so must be acquired by food. It is the precursor that eventually turns into serotonin...a chemical in the brain which promotes calmness.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in small amounts in high-protein foods. It is uniquely responsible for serotonin synthesis in the body, using cofactors such as vitamin B6, magnesium, and vitamin C, to facilitate this conversion. Unfortunately, even a normal diet all too frequently does not provide the quantities of tryptophan required since it is the least abundant amino acid found in food. It is believed that the brain receives less than 1 percent of tryptophan from a typical diet as its use is diverted to metabolic functions such as producing various body tissue proteins and vitamin B3 synthesis and it faces tough competition from other amino acids to cross the blood-brain barrier. Modern-day diets, with their emphasis on fast foods and carbohydrates, also make serotonin synthesis more difficult.
Another way to generate higher serotonin levels is to consume its direct precursor 5-HTP, which is made from tryptophan in the body. Unlike tryptophan, 5-HTP absorption is less affected by other amino acids and it cannot be shunted into protein production. Both SSRIs and 5-HTP increase serotonin availability in the brain, but in different ways. SSRIs recycle serotonin, keeping it circulating in the brain for longer, whereas 5-HTP synthesizes new serotonin to replenish depleted levels in the central nervous system.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in small amounts in high-protein foods. It is uniquely responsible for serotonin synthesis in the body, using cofactors such as vitamin B6, magnesium, and vitamin C, to facilitate this conversion. Unfortunately, even a normal diet all too frequently does not provide the quantities of tryptophan required since it is the least abundant amino acid found in food. It is believed that the brain receives less than 1 percent of tryptophan from a typical diet as its use is diverted to metabolic functions such as producing various body tissue proteins and vitamin B3 synthesis and it faces tough competition from other amino acids to cross the blood-brain barrier. Modern-day diets, with their emphasis on fast foods and carbohydrates, also make serotonin synthesis more difficult.
Another way to generate higher serotonin levels is to consume its direct precursor 5-HTP, which is made from tryptophan in the body. Unlike tryptophan, 5-HTP absorption is less affected by other amino acids and it cannot be shunted into protein production. Both SSRIs and 5-HTP increase serotonin availability in the brain, but in different ways. SSRIs recycle serotonin, keeping it circulating in the brain for longer, whereas 5-HTP synthesizes new serotonin to replenish depleted levels in the central nervous system.
Related
Tryptophan is one of the ten essential amino acids you need to stay alive.
Watch for...
If amino acids are not digested readily, they convert to toxins in the gut... where a couple of them become phenols. This conversion to toxin/phenolic compounds may contribute to the phenol sensitivity condition that some people see with increased protein digestion. It could be that by taking enzymes to digest the meats, the production of toxins and more phenolic compounds will be reduced because the amino acids will be absorbed much sooner by the gut before they are converted to toxins. However at the same time, because more amino acids are absorbed, the tryptophan level decreases and serotonin levels drop (because the tryptophan gets out-competed by the other amino acids).
Trytophan competes with 5 other amino acids for active transport across the blood brain barrier.
Trytophan competes with 5 other amino acids for active transport across the blood brain barrier.
Sources
Food
Foods High in the Amino Acid L-Tryptophan
(In milligrams per 100-gram (3.5 ounce) portion, about the size of a deck of playing cards. That is not a large serving, and in a single meal you might easily double or triple the figures listed here.)
Beans
Lentils 215
Dried peas 250
Navy 200
Pinto 210
Red kidney 215
Soy 525
Nuts and Seeds
Brazil nuts 185
Cashews 470
Filberts 210
Peanuts 340
Peanut butter 330 (natural, not commercial)
Pumpkin seeds 560
Sesame seeds 330
Tahini (ground sesame seeds) 575
Sunflower seeds 340
Other nuts generally provide at least 130 mg per small serving; usually more.
Grains
Wheat germ 265
Cheese
Cheddar 340
Parmesan 490
Swiss 375
Other cheeses tend to be lower in tryptophan, but are still very good sources.
Eggs 210
Poultry 250
(Note how vegetarian sources are as good as, and often much better than, flesh sources.)
Brewer's Yeast 700
(Source: USDA, Amino Acid Content of Foods)
(In milligrams per 100-gram (3.5 ounce) portion, about the size of a deck of playing cards. That is not a large serving, and in a single meal you might easily double or triple the figures listed here.)
Beans
Lentils 215
Dried peas 250
Navy 200
Pinto 210
Red kidney 215
Soy 525
Nuts and Seeds
Brazil nuts 185
Cashews 470
Filberts 210
Peanuts 340
Peanut butter 330 (natural, not commercial)
Pumpkin seeds 560
Sesame seeds 330
Tahini (ground sesame seeds) 575
Sunflower seeds 340
Other nuts generally provide at least 130 mg per small serving; usually more.
Grains
Wheat germ 265
Cheese
Cheddar 340
Parmesan 490
Swiss 375
Other cheeses tend to be lower in tryptophan, but are still very good sources.
Eggs 210
Poultry 250
(Note how vegetarian sources are as good as, and often much better than, flesh sources.)
Brewer's Yeast 700
(Source: USDA, Amino Acid Content of Foods)
Supplements
best absorbed
worst
doses
worst
doses
Resources
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