Tryptophan information - Foods high in Tryptophan
l tryptophan food source
Tryptophan is an essential amino
acid found in foods that contain protein.
Tryptophan is able to convert
into 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan), and then to
serotonin. Serotonin is involved
in mood, appetite, sleep and behavior.
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Tryptophan, 500mg
FTH Nutraceuticals

USP Pharmaceutical Grade Tryptophan
PURE L Tryptophan
This tryptophan product as determined by a Certificate of Analysis is the highest grade
available, over 99% Pure.
Tryptophan is formed by a fermentation process in a lab. FTH Tryptophan is USP pharmaceutical grade, which requires a minimum of 98.5%
purity.
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Vegetarian capsules,
all vegan source.
L-Tryptophan - 500 mg *
Suggested use: Take one tryptophan capsule in the evening, preferably on an
empty stomach, or as recommended by your health care provider. * Tryptophan daily value not established.
Foods high in
tryptophan
Some foods rich in tryptophan are turkey, milk, yogurt, eggs, meat, nuts, beans,
fish, and cheese. Turkey is a food rich in tryptophan, however, in order to have
a medicinal effect from the amino acid tryptophan, it needs to be ingested as a
supplement by itself in at least a dosage of a few hundred milligrams.
The unfortunate history of Trypophan
During the 1980s, consumers were using tryptophan for sleep and as
an antidepressant. Tryptophan was available without prescription until 1989 when the FDA prohibited its
over-the-counter sale because a tryptophan manufacturer in Japan shipped a contaminated
batch to the U.S. This caused a serious illness called eosinophilia myalgia syndrome
in about 1,000 individuals.
Around
1995,
tryptophan gradually became available by prescription through compounding
pharmacies, and then since about the year 2000 tryptophan slowly and cautiously was
placed on the over the counter market through a few small vitamin companies. No
large vitamin companies are selling tryptophan at this time (2004). For more
research on tryptophan.
Metabolism of
Tryptophan
Tryptophan converts into 5-HTP, which then readily converts into
serotonin. Once serotonin is made, the pineal gland is able to convert it at night into
melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone. 5-HTP is also available over the
counter. This 5-HTP is
extracted from griffonia seeds, which come from an African shrub-tree grown in Ghana and
the Ivory Coast. There are several European pharmaceutical companies that extract 5-HTP
from these seeds. For a complete discussion of the clinical uses of
Hydroxy tryptophan, cautions, side effects, and
how to combine it with other nutrients to improve mood, see
5-HTP. See here for additional 5-HTP
information.
Tryptophan and
migraine
Tryptophan depletion increases nausea, headache and photophobia in migraine
sufferers.
Cephalalgia. 2006 Oct;26(10):1225-33. Drummond PD. School of Psychology,
Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Sensitivity to light was investigated 5 and 8 h after consumption of an amino
acid drink which contained L-tryptophan (balanced amino acid condition: 19
controls and 22 migraine sufferers) or which produced a short-term reduction in
brain serotonin synthesis by omitting L-tryptophan (tryptophan depletion
condition: 16 controls and 16 migraine sufferers). Migraine sufferers reported
more intense nausea, headache, glare- and light-induced pain than controls. In
addition, glare- and light-induced pain were greater in the tryptophan depletion
condition than in the balanced amino acid condition, in both migraine sufferers
and controls. Eight hours after the amino acid drink, after participants had
completed tests of pain sensitivity and motion sickness provocation, tryptophan
depletion augmented headache in migraine sufferers and aggravated nausea in
migraine sufferers and controls. These findings suggest that a reduction in
brain synthesis of serotonin intensifies photophobia and other migrainous
symptoms and thus might contribute to the pathogenesis of migraine.
Tryptophan and
depression
Some people who take tryptophan notice an improvement in mood. For more info on
depression.
Lowering of serotonin by rapid tryptophan depletion increases impulsiveness in
normal individuals.
Walderhaug E. Ulleval University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002 Dec;164(4):385-91. Epub 2002 Oct 12.
Reduced serotonergic activity has been associated with impulsive behavior;
however, intervention studies have been scarce. To examine whether induced
lowering of serotonin (5-HT) levels would increase behavioral measures of
impulsivity. Twenty-four healthy young males ingested a mixture of the
essential amino acids except for tryptophan in a balanced, randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study design. The
continuous-performance test-identical pairs was administered when the plasma
concentration of tryptophan was expected to be at the lowest point. The plasma
concentrations of 23 amino acids were measured at baseline and 5 h after the
ingestion of the amino acid mixture. The intervention led to a dramatic fall
in free and total plasma tryptophan, and the tryptophan/large neutral amino
acids ratio. This in turn has been shown to lower the level of 5-HT in the
central nervous system. The tryptophan depletion resulted in a statistically
significant more impulsive- or disinhibited response style on the
continuous-performance test-identical pairs when the subjects were solving
verbal tasks. Depleted subjects exposed to spatial stimuli had fewer correct
responses and a decreased ability to discriminate between stimuli.
These results indicate that a rapid lowering of tryptophan
increases impulsiveness and decreases discriminating ability in normal
individuals. The effect of 5-HT depletion on discriminating ability in this
study was similar to that previously reported in depressed patients.
Tryptophan Emails
Q. Interesting reading, your website. Tryptophan, in my humble opinion,
it is a great option for insomnia (when taken with juice). Thanks for the info
on your site.
Q. I have a question about
this amino acid. I was going to do my science fair product on "Does turkey
make you sleepy?", I was going to extract the L-Tryptophan from turkey and
compare these measures to other foods or even certain insomnia drugs. I was
wondering if you knew how to extract this drug from foods and if it will be
possible without much technology. Thanks for your help. Write back soon if
possible!
A. It takes a great deal of sophisticated technology to make
tryptophan. When companies make tryptophan, they do not extract it from food
but they make it through complicated lab chemical steps.
Q. I am a migraine patient for last many years. Zomitriptan
5 mg. works on my headache. I get major attacks if I eat fresh corn, corn
starch, aged cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, banana, grapes, black raisins.
My biggest attack was 6 weeks as I was unaware of it. I kept checking my eyes,
teeth etc. I like banana milk shake so it was in my diet everyday. When I read
about tryptophan, I was wondering why am I getting headaches after eating food
containing tryptophan. Actually, it should increase levels of serotonin and
should stop my headaches.
A. Foods have dozens and hundreds of substances in them and it
would be simplistic to blame symptoms on one amino acid such as tryptophan.
Plus, there is hardly any tryptophan in grapes, raisins, etc compared to the
amount of tryptophan found in meats and fish.
Q. We have taken our son off of a couple of prescription drugs since we have found two supplements that help him- L-arginine and L-tryptophan. He is an adult with strong OCD and also autism and depression. We knew the tryptophan would help but were really surprised when the arginine made a huge difference!
Q. Does a tryptophan product have HTP or is it HTP
free?
A. A tryptophan supplement does not contain 5HTP, but in the
body tryptophan is converted into 5HTP which then converts into serotonin.
tryptophan research tryptophan food source,
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