Tryptophan
amino acid supplement
benefit, side effects, dosage, use for depression, anxiety and sleep, review of research
studies - how to increase serotonin levels
naturally, capsules of 500 mg, best taken on an empty stomach, discussion of
other supplements used for sleep and mood enhancement
L Tryptophan is an essential amino
acid found in foods that contain protein such as turkey, fish, and meat.
Tryptophan is able to convert
into 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan), and then to serotonin. Serotonin is involved
in mood, appetite, sleep and impulse control. At night serotonin is converted
into melatonin. If you wish to reduce your
appetite effectively, consider an all natural herbal product
called Diet Rx. For better sleep consider Good Night Rx.
Several tryptophan depletion studies have been conducted in the
past few years but hardly any studies have been done since 2007 regarding
the role of tryptophan supplements in mood, sleep, weight control and for stress
reduction / anxiety treatment. Many users of this natural amino acid report mood
improvement and better sleep. There have not been any major reported side
effects with the use of this amino acid since the year 2000.
Metabolism of
L-Tryptophan to serotonin neurotransmitter
L-tryptophan converts into 5-HTP, which then readily converts into
serotonin chemical. Once serotonin is made, the pineal gland in the brain is able to convert it at night into
melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.
Buy L-Tryptophan supplement, 500mg,
along with Diet Rx, 5-HTP, and Mind Power Rx
Pharmaceutical grade source
Pure L Tryptophan supplement product
is the highest pharmaceutical grade available, over 99% Pure, 500 mg *
Click here to buy L Tryptophan supplement product 500 mg, Mind Power Rx
for more focus and mental alertness, Diet Rx appetite suppressant,
Good Night Rx for better sleep, 5-HTP serotonin precursor for mood balance, or to sign up to a FREE
newsletter
Suggested use: Take one l tryptophan capsule in the evening, preferably on an
empty stomach, or as recommended by your health care provider.
* L Tryptophan daily value not established.
5HTP
as an alternative to l tryptophan supplement pills
L tryptophan converts into 5HTP which converts into serotonin.
Many people prefer to take 5HTP supplement instead of a tryptophan supplement.
5HTP is also available over the counter. 5HTP converts readily into serotonin.
You may also consider the amino acid
theanine to help you sleep.
Tryptophan supplement benefit
L tryptophan supplements may be of benefit to those who have low mood or
depression, sleep problems, or anxiety. The use of a tryptophan supplement can
reduce aggressiveness and irritability.
Social behavior and mood in everyday life: the
effects of tryptophan in quarrelsome individuals.
J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2006 July. Department of Psychiatry, McGill
University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, Quebec.
We hypothesized that increasing brain serotonin in healthy individuals with high
scores on 2 self-report measures of trait quarrelsomeness would reduce
quarrelsome behavior and enhance agreeable behavior when measured ecologically
using an event-contingent recording method. We conducted a double-blind
crossover study, in which participants took tryptophan (3 grams a day) and
placebo for 15 days each and recorded how they behaved, felt and perceived
others during everyday social interactions. Tryptophan significantly decreased
quarrelsome behavior and increased agreeable behavior and perceptions of
agreeableness. Men also behaved less dominantly, whereas both men and women
perceived others as more dominant. The effect of Tryptophan on behavior and
perceptions, while more marked in the men, were generally positive and
accompanied by improved mood. Increasing serotonin in quarrelsome people may not
only reduce behavior associated with a predisposition to various mental and
physical disorders but also enhance socially constructive behavior and improve
social perceptions.
Depression
Tryptophan supplements may be helpful in some people with depression if the
depression is due to low serotonin levels and is associated with anxiety. Other
people with depression may respond better to 5-HTP, St. John's wort herb or SAM-e.
B vitamins, rhodiola are other options to consider.
Q. Which is better for depression, L tryptophan or
5HTP?
A. It is a matter of preference. Some people like l tryptophan,
others get a better response from a 5-HTP supplement. They both convert into
serotonin, l tryptophan converts slower since 6-HTP is the direct precursor to
serotonin. Another product to consider is SAM-e, which works within hours. SAM-e
supplement is not recommended to those who have bipolar disorder or a tendency
for mania.
Can a tryptophan supplement cause some depression if you have seasonal affective disorder?
I tried melatonin and it has that effect on me even in small doses. I seemed to
be having some of the same effect when I have started tryptophan. I am not
taking the FTH brand but run across your tryptophan serotonin web sight so I thought you might have
some idea. I had talked to others who had the same affect with melatonin.
We have had reports of melatonin to increase seasonal affective
disorder symptoms. It is possible that in the winter time, when there is less
light, more melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland and it may not be a good
option to take more melatonin. Perhaps this is true also of tryptophan since it
converts also to serotonin which converts into melatonin.
Tryptophan and anxiety relief,
how well does it work?
Trypotphan supplements may be helpful in some people with anxiety if the anxiety
is due to low serotonin levels. Other people with anxiety may respond better to
kava, 5-HTP, passion flower herb or ashwagandha. Some people get benefit from
GABA pills or theanine.
Q. What is the right tryptophan dose for anxiety?
A. The dose can range from 250 mg to 1000 mg once or
twice a day.
Tryptophan and sleep problems
A tryptophan supplement may benefit some people with sleep problems. Other
people with insomnia may respond better to melatonin, hops, valerian, or
passion flower. Good Night Rx is an excellent choice for many people with
occasional sleep problems. Interestingly, the herb graviola can also help with
sleep issues.
Q. Is it ok to take tryptophan and melatonin together
for sleep?
A. Yes, if the dosages are low. We suggest no more than 0. 3 mg of
melatonin when combined with 500 mg of a tryptophan pill.
Tryptophan and 5-HTP
Q. Is 5 hydroxy l tryptophan pill or 5 hydroxy tryptophan pill same as
tryptophan pill itself?
A. They are similar but not the same. 5 hydroxy l tryptophan is
long for 5HTP which is a precursor to tryptophan.
Dosage,
dose and amount
Q. What is the right tryptophan dosage for sleep or depression treatment?
A. Tryptophan dosage for sleep can range from 250 to 1000 mg an
hour to three hours before bed. The dosage of l tryptophan supplement for
depression ranges from 500 mg to 3,000 mg a day.
L Tryptophan side
effects, safety, caution, danger, adverse events
A common l tryptophan side effect from high dose tryptophan use is drowsiness.
It may be a good idea to take l-tryptophan in the evening and not while driving
or operating heavy machinery. Dry mouth is a less common tryptophan side effect.
Other less common l-tryptophan side effects include nausea, dizziness, and loss of
appetite.
A beneficial l-tryptophan side effect is drowsiness since that is
the desired effect of many tryptophan users who take this supplement for sleep.
It is rare for a tryptophan side effect to lead to confusion or
disorientation.
Q. Does taking 4000 mg of l-tryptophan per day (
overdosing) for a long period of time harmful? A doctor told me that it would
cause stiffness in the tissues and even bleeding internally. I was wondering
would it be harmful to take 500 mg of l-tryptophan per day for a period of 1
year?
A. Tryptophan converts to 5-HTP which converts to serotonin. Long
term human studies with high dose l-tryptophan supplements are not available to
know the safety and danger or long term tryptophan side effects. It is a good
idea, until we learn more, to limit the use of l-tryptophan supplements to 5
days a week with a week off each month. This is just a rough guideline.
Tryptophan diet and food source
All protein foods have tryptophan amino acid in them. Therefore, to increase
this amino acid level in your body, increase your intake of protein foods.
However, if you want to increase the level of tryptophan in your bloodstream
quickly, consume carbohydrates.
Tryptophan and carbohydrates -
tryptophan blood levels are raised after a carbohydrate drink or meal
Biol Psychol. 2007 Sep;76(1-2):83-90. Epub 2007 Jun 30.Click here to read
Links
Effects of carbohydrates on brain tryptophan availability and stress
performance. Markus CR. Department of Biological Psycholoy & Psychopharmacology,
University Maastricht, P.O. Box 6200, MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Markus CR.
Brain serotonin may be involved as a postprandial mechanism initiated by
increases in plasma tryptophan to the sum of the other large neutral amino acids
Tryptophan / LNAA ratio. We tested whether carbohydrate drinks compared to
placebo drinks increase the plasma Tryptophan / LNAA ratio and improve stress
performance and mood. Thirty-seven healthy subjects were monitored in a
double-blind placebo-controlled study for performance when continuously exposed
to cold pressor stress; 2h after carbohydrate- or placebo-intake. Cold pressor
stress significantly increased cortisol and reduced mood and cognitive
performance, whereas carbohydrates significantly increased plasma Tryptophan /
LNAA ratio and positively influenced performance and mood under stress.
Tryptophan converts into serotonin
and melatonin
Tryptophan
is an amino acid available in food. The
biochemistry of tryptophan is fascinating. In the body and brain, it gets converted
into 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-HTP) which then converts into serotonin, a
crucial brain chemical involved in mood, appetite, impulse control and
sleep. Serotonin, in turn, is able to convert at night into melatonin.
To confirm this understanding, tryptophan was given to a
group of rats at 8 am in the morning, and to another group of rats at 8 PM
at night. Four hours after administration, researchers measured the blood
and brain fluid levels of serotonin and melatonin. During daytime
administration, tryptophan raised the levels of serotonin. Interestingly,
when tryptophan was given at night, serotonin levels did not increase, but
melatonin levels increased significantly. Therefore, the serotonin that
was generated by tryptophan administration was being converted into
melatonin. This study confirms again that
levels of 5-HTP, serotonin, and melatonin can be influenced by
tryptophan supplements. Second, it shows that the timing of a supplement can make a
difference on how it is metabolized. Since tryptophan, 5-HTP, and
melatonin are available as supplements, the question becomes: which one is best to take for depression, sleep, anxiety, or
appetite control? This is difficult to answer since each person
has a different biochemistry. The most
reliable way to find out is through trial and error. There's really no
practical blood study that can be done to determine which supplement
someone will respond to, and in what dosage. As a rule, melatonin is most helpful for sleep
and does not have a strong influence on mood or appetite. 5-HTP has a
strong influence on mood, appetite and anxiety. Tryptophan is mostly used for
depression and sleep.
Serotonin drugs and appetite
suppression
Serotonin is a brain chemical that reduces appetite. Therefore, the serotonin
system can be manipulated for weight control. Numerous serotonin receptor
subtypes have been identified; of these, serotonin 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C receptors
have been specifically recognised as mediators of serotonin-induced satiety.A
number of serotonergic drugs, including selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs), dexfenfluramine and 5-HT2C receptor agonists, have been
shown to significantly attenuate rodent bodyweight gain. This effect is
strongly associated with marked hypophagia and is probably mediated by the
hypothalamic melanocortin system. Additionally, sibutramine, dexfenfluramine,
fluoxetine and the 5-HT2C receptor agonist chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) have
all been shown to modify appetite in both lean and obese humans, resulting in
reduced caloric intake. Clinical studies demonstrate serotonergic drugs
specifically reduce appetite prior to and following the consumption of fixed
caloric loads, and cause a reduction in pre-meal appetite and caloric intake
at ad libitum meals. Weight loss in the obese has also been produced by
treatment with both the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan and the
preferential 5-HT2C receptor agonist mCPP.A new generation of 5-HT2C receptor
selective agonists have been developed and at least one, lorcaserin (APD356),
is currently undergoing clinical trials. In addition, 5-HT6 receptor
antagonists such as PRX-07034 and BVT74316 have been shown to potently reduce
food intake and bodyweight gain in rodent models and have recently entered
clinical trials. However, the role of the 5-HT6 receptor in the expression of
appetite remains to be determined. The hope is that these drugs will not only
be free of their predecessors' adverse effect profiles, but will also be
equally or more effective at regulating appetite and controlling bodyweight.
Biochemistry of tryptophan
and serotonin
The
biochemistry of tryptophan is fascinating and quite important. It has been
known for some time that in the body and brain, tryptophan gets converted
into 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP) which then converts into serotonin, a
crucial brain chemical involved in mood, appetite, impulse control and
sleep. Serotonin, in turn, is able to convert at night into melatonin. To confirm this knowledge, tryptophan was given to a
group of rats at 8 am in the morning, and to another group of rats at 8 PM
at night. Four hours after administration, researchers measured the blood
and brain fluid levels of serotonin and melatonin. During daytime
administration, tryptophan raised the levels of serotonin. Interestingly,
when tryptophan was given at night, serotonin levels did not increase, but
melatonin levels increased significantly. Therefore, the serotonin that
was generated by tryptophan administration was being converted into
melatonin.
That
levels of 5-HTP, serotonin, and melatonin can be influenced by
supplements. The timing of a supplement can make a
difference on how it is metabolized. Since tryptophan, 5-HTP, and
melatonin are available as supplements, people ask which one is best to take for depression, sleep, anxiety, or
appetite control. This is difficult to answer since each person
has a different biochemistry and would respond differently. The most
reliable way to find out is by trial and error. There's really no
practical blood study that can be done to determine which supplement
someone will respond to, and in what dosage. As a rule, melatonin is most helpful for sleep
and does not have a strong influence on mood or appetite. 5-HTP has a
strong influence on mood, appetite and anxiety. Tryptophan has been used
effectively as a serotonin enhancer for
depression and sleep.
Q. How much of tryptophan gets converted to
serotonin comparing to 5-htp?
A. Tryptophan converts to 5-HTP which converts to serotonin.
Therefore, much less 5-HTP is needed to convert to serotonin that
tryptophan. The exact percentage of conversion of tryptophan to serotonin
varies among individuals and it can vary depending on time of day and
whether there is food in the stomach or not. There are many variables that
influence the conversion of tryptophan to 5htp to serotonin so there is no
simple answer. Plus, different tissues and organs of the body may have a
different conversion rate.
Tryptophan level and
interferon drug use
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment is often associated with
psychiatric side effects and has been found to lower the amount of
tryptophan available to the brain. But depression from the use of
interferon does not seem to be dependent on tryptophan changes.
Tryptophan, serotonin, and
smoking
Effect of tryptophan depletion on the attentional salience of smoking
cues.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 June. Hitsman B, Spring B, Pingitore
R, Munafò M, Hedeker D. Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine,
Brown Medical School, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a serotonin
challenge on the attention to various cues associated with cigarettes. We
hypothesized that cigarette-related word cues would be more distracting
after acute tryptophan depletion than after a placebo challenge.
Thirty-four smokers diagnosed as having or lacking a history of DSM-IV
major depressive disorder underwent acute tryptophan depletion and placebo
challenges in double-blind and counterbalanced order 1 week apart. Acutely
compromising central serotonin neurotransmission via acute tryptophan
depletion heightens the attentional salience of cigarette-related cues,
perhaps by triggering reward and motivational deficits underlying nicotine
dependence.
Tryptophan, serotonin, and
migraine headache
Tryptophan depletion increases nausea, headache and photophobia in
migraine sufferers.
Cephalalgia. 2006 October. 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.
The bad L
tryptophan batch that cause disease and concern
During the 1980s, consumers were taking tryptophan supplements for sleep and
for depression. Tryptophan was available without a 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. The outcome was a serious illness called eosinophilia myalgia syndrome
which inflicted about 1,000 individuals.
Around
1995,
l-tryptophan gradually became available by prescription through compounding
pharmacies, and then since about the year 2000 tryptophan supplements became
available again without a prescription and the popularity of tryptophan
continues to grow again. There has not been any significant tryptophan side
effects since its reintroduction. FTH neutraceuticals sells tryptophan
supplements wholesale.
L Tryptophan serotonin questions
Q.
Before I buy a l tryptophan supplement, I was
wondering if I can use it every night?
A. We know people who have used a l tryptophan supplement every
night for many years without side effects or problems, but we prefer people take
at least two days off a week.
Q. Does one need to take a B-complex with L-Tryptophan
supplement?
A. It is not necessary to take a B complex pill with a l-trytophan
supplement.
I found a l tryptophan formula for sleep. How can I tell if this formula
works for insomnia before I buy tryptophan product?
The best way to tell if it works is to try it. Otherwise it is
difficult to predict.
How do I know if I have low tryptophan blood levels or a low level
in my brain?
Blood tests can be done to determine if you have low tryptophan
levels in the blood. As to checking for low tryptophan level in the brain, this
can be done by spinal tap and checking spinal fluid. This is not routinely done
and these tests are of little practical significance except in rare, rare cases.
The easiest thing to do is to take a l tryptophan supplement to see if it helps
you.
Is l tryptophan a vitamin?
Tryptophan is an amino acid, not a vitamin.
Additional
articles and products of
interest
Trimedica
Isovox supplement
Trimedica SlimSweet
supplement
Trimedica Vital Yew
supplement
Vitalzym enzyme
formula with protease, serrapeptase, papain, and other natural enzymes.
Thymol
found in thyme herb, commonly used in cooking
Troxerutin is
an antioxidant
Tryptanthrin
is found in woad
Ursolic acid
is found in many plants and herbs.
Vitexin found in
hawthorn berries