We Know: All About TryptophanWhat is tryptophan?Tryptophan (chemical symbol W, or Trp) is one of nine essential amino acids that the body does not make. The body's supply of tryptophan comes from an individual's diet. Of the 20 amino acids, tryptophan is one of the largest. How is tryptophan used?Tryptophan builds proteins. Children need tryptophan to grow. Adults need tryptophan to process nitrogen compounds. Niacin (a component of Vitamin B6) and serotonin (a component that aids in sleep and maintains mood stability) are synthesized from tryptophan. Psychiatrists prescribe the L-form of the amino acid to treat mental disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. The L-form of tryptophan comes from animal protein. Where does tryptophan come from?Tryptophan is one of the least abundant amino acids in the body and is obtained solely through food. Foods containing tryptophan include:
How much tryptophan does the body need?The World Health Organization recommends the following amounts of tryptophan in maintaining good health:
What happens if the body doesn't receive its supply of tryptophan?Because tryptophan is necessary for the production of serotonin in the brain, a calming agent, tryptophan deficiencies are likely to produce changes in sleep and increase anxiety and irritability. When serotonin levels are low, depression may occur. Tryptophan deficiencies can also lead to pellagra, a disease caused by the lacks nicotinic acid. Without tryptophan, there is no niacin to synthesize nicotinic acid. Patients suffering from pellagra experience lesions in the skin, gastrointestinal distress, derangement, and confusion. Scientific evidence has suggested that the inability of the body to properly metabolize tryptophan leads to the presence of toxic waste products that may be responsible for schizophrenia. Does eating too much turkey really make a person sleepy?The myth about turkey and sleep holds no truth. The sleepiness comes from the amount of food consumed during these holiday meals, which comes in the form of carbohydrates. Because of the increase in carbohydrates and branched amino acid chains, various amino acids must compete with each other in the body for the attention of insulin, which processes these compounds. The increased competition between the carbohydrates and the amino acids for insulin leaves enough tryptophan in the body to circulate past the blood-brain barrier and into the brain to produce serotonin. Increased serotonin levels calm a person, promoting the myth of "sleepiness." In reality, tryptophan works best on an empty stomach. |
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