2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Tryptophan is one of the ten essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesize the necessary proteins. It is well known for its role in the production of messengers of the nervous system, especially those related to rest, relaxation and sleep. Like all other amino acids, tryptophan is used as a building block in protein synthesis.
Tryptophan cannot be synthesized in the body, so it must be taken with food or supplements. The English biochemist Frederick Hopkins isolated for the first time tryptophan in 1901. Tryptophan is vital for the production of sertonine in the brain - a transmitter of nerve impulses to the brain.
This is the main function of tryptophan - to help synthesize melatonin and serotonin, which are key to good mental activity and emotional balance.
Functions of tryptophan
- Prevents niacin deficiency. A small part of the tryptophan we take in through food (about 3%) is converted to niacin (vitamin B3) by the liver. This conversion can help prevent the symptoms associated with niacin deficiency when the daily intake of this vitamin is low.
- Increased serotonin levels. Tryptophan serves as a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps the body regulate appetite, sleep and mood. Due to its ability to increase serotonin levels, tryptophan has been used therapeutically to treat a number of conditions, most notably insomnia, depression and anxiety.
- Tryptophan has been found to have a beneficial effect on the premenstrual syndrome that afflicts so many women around the world.
- Tryptophan may play an important role in the prevention and / or treatment of the following diseases: anxiety, depression, headache, insomnia, nightmares, obesity, pain, senile dementia, Tourette's syndrome.
Tryptophan deficiency
As a basic amino acid, the nutritional deficiency of tryptophan can cause the symptoms characteristic of protein deficiency, namely weight loss and impaired growth in children.
When accompanied by a nutritional deficiency of niacin, the lack of tryptophan in the diet can also cause pellagra - a classic disease characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia and death.
The deficit of tryptophan it can also lower serotonin levels. Low serotonin levels have been linked to depression, anxiety, irritability, impatience, impulsivity, inability to concentrate, weight gain, an insatiable carbohydrate appetite and insomnia.
In 1989 in the United States the use of dietary supplements containing tryptophan begins to be associated with the development of a serious condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), which causes severe muscle and joint pain, fever, weakness, swelling of the arms and legs and shortness of breath, and in some cases leads to death..
Vitamin B6 is needed for the conversion of tryptophan to niacin and serotonin. Therefore, nutritional deficiency of vitamin B6 may lead to lower serotonin levels and / or problematic conversion of tryptophan to niacin.
Some foods, health factors, and lifestyles generally reduce the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. These factors are smoking, high sugar intake, alcohol abuse, excessive protein consumption, hypoglycemia and diabetes.
People taking antidepressant medications (including Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft) should consult a doctor before taking any other supplement or medication that also leads to increased levels and effects of serotonin in the body.
Tryptophan overdose
Tryptophan as a dietary supplement it can be taken in large quantities without much danger, because much of it is broken down in the liver or used to break down proteins. However, the quantities mentioned on the package must be observed, because otherwise the so-called serotonin syndrome - dizziness, headache, warmth, nausea, sweating, fast heart rate, high blood pressure, coma or even death.
Sources of tryptophan
Tryptophan is found naturally in almost all foods that contain protein, but in small amounts compared to other important amino acids. Foods that contain high amounts tryptophan are: red meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, bananas, soy and soy products, tuna, mussels and turkey. Rich sources of tryptophan are sesame flour, pumpkin seeds, eggs, parsley, rabbit meat, chia seeds.
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Foods Rich In Tryptophan
One of the vital amino acids that the human body uses to synthesize proteins is known as tryptophan. When foods rich in tryptophan are consumed, it is converted to vitamin B3 by the liver, which balances the levels of this vitamin in the bloodstream.
Lack Of Tryptophan - How To Get The Amino Acid
There are amino acids that our body cannot get on its own. That is why they are called irreplaceable. One of them is tryptophan. Its main task in the body is to participate in the synthesis of important for the nervous system serotonin and melatonin.
What Does Tryptophan Help With And In Which Foods Should We Find It?
strong Tryptophan has become increasingly popular in recent years. The truth, however, is that he has been known for many years and represents essential amino acid , which has a very important role in various processes in our body. Tryptophan works of our body by releasing niacin, which, in turn, helps synthesize serotonin, known as one of the two hormones of happiness.
