TRYPTOPHAN What is it? Function Food Sources Deficiency Toxicity Cooking & Storage Effects Medications Other Nutrients
Tryptophan DILEMNA Health Conditions that benefit from Tryptophan Tryptophan Dietary Supplements 5-HTP Tryptophan Food Chart Public Health Recommendations
What is tryptophan? Tryptophan is one of the 10 essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesize the proteins it needs. It's well-known for its role in the production of nervous system messengers, especially those related to relaxation, restfulness, and sleep. back What is the function of tryptophan? 1. Preventing Niacin Deficiency Tryptophan has two important functions. First, a small amount of the tryptophan we get in our diet (about 3%) is converted into niacin (vitamin B3) by the liver. This conversion can help prevent the symptoms associated with niacin deficiency when dietary intake of this vitamin is low. 2. Raising Serotonin Levels Second, tryptophan serves as a precursor for serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps the body regulate appetite, sleep patterns, and mood. Because of its ability to raise serotonin levels, tryptophan has been used therapeutically in the treatment of a variety of conditions, most notably insomnia, depression, and anxiety. back Food sources of tryptophan red meat, chicken, dairy products, nuts, seeds, bananas, soybeans and soy products, tuna, shellfish, turkey, mung beans, lobster, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, pineapple, tofu, spinach
back What can high-tryptophan foods do for you? • • •
Help regulate your appetite Help you sleep better Elevate your mood back
What events can indicate a need for more high-tryptophan foods? • • • • • • • • • • •
Depression Anxiety Irritability Impatience Impulsiveness Inability to concentrate Weight gain or unexplained weight loss Slow growth in children Overeating and/or carbohydrate cravings Poor dream recall Insomnia back
What are deficiency symptoms for tryptophan? Dietary deficiency of tryptophan may lead to low levels of serotonin. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, irritability, impatience, impulsiveness,
inability to concentrate, weight gain, overeating, carbohydrate cravings, poor dream recall, and insomnia. back What factors might contribute to a deficiency of tryptophan? Vitamin B6 is necessary for the conversion of tryptophan to both niacin and serotonin. Consequently, a dietary deficiency of vitamin B6 may result in low serotonin levels and/or impaired conversion of tryptophan to niacin. In addition, several dietary, lifestyle, and health factors reduce the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, including cigarette smoking, high sugar intake, alcohol abuse, excessive consumption of protein, hypoglycemia and diabetes. back What are toxicity symptoms for tryptophan? High dietary intake of tryptophan from food sources is not known to cause any symptoms of toxicity. In addition, tryptophan has been given therapeutically, as a prescription medicine or dietary supplement, in doses exceeding five grams per day with no report of adverse effects. back How do cooking, storage or processing affect tryptophan? There is no research showing problematic effects of cooking, storage, or processing on tryptophan levels in food. back What medications affect tryptophan? People taking the anti-depressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (including Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) should consult a physician before taking any other supplement or medication that also increases the amount of, or the effect of, serotonin, in the body. back How do other nutrients interact with tryptophan?
Vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid and magnesium are necessary for the metabolization of tryptophan. In addition, tyrosine and phenylalanine compete with tryptophan for absorption. Because of this, some healthcare practitioners believe that food sources of tryptophan do not cause a significant enough increase in blood levels of tryptophan to produce therapeutic results, and that tryptophan must, therefore, be taken as a supplement to increase its blood levels. back The Tryptophan Dilemna Increasing your tryptophan levels is NOT as easy as just eating more foods high in tryptophan. Tryptophan constantly struggles with other amino acids such as tyrosine, methionine, histidine, and leucine to access the brain and eating a high protein diet increases the blood levels of these amino acids and results in an actual decrease in tryptophan. HIGH PROTEIN DIETS = DECREASE IN TRYPTOPHAN Eating a high carbohydrate diet helps to increase the level of tryptophan in your body. Foods high in carbohydrate cause the release of additional insulin from the body which in turn wipes out the competing amino acids. This allows the absorption of more tryptophan in the brain. This procedure may work in the short term but sustaining a high carbohydrate, low protein diet is not recommended by health experts as the body needs protein to survive. HIGH CARBOHYDRATE DIETS = INCREASE IN TRYPTOPHAN But ……………….. The body needs protein to survive How to overcome this dilemna! • • •
Take tryptophan supplements (or 5-HTP as an alternative) Consume foods high in tryptophan on an empty stomach as this aids absorption Take foods high in tryptophan on their own with no other proteins or amino acids back
What health conditions require special emphasis on tryptophan? Tryptophan may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:: •
Anxiety
• • • • • • • • • •
Depression Headaches Insomnia Nightmares Obesity Obsessive/compulsive disorder Pain Premenstrual syndrome Senile dementia Tourette's syndrome back
What forms of tryptophan are found in dietary supplements? Until 1989, tryptophan supplementation was standard practice in many countries around the world - including the United States - to treat insomnia, depression, and anxiety. In the summer and fall of 1989, hundreds of people taking tryptophan supplements in the U.S. began to report the development of serious side effects including muscle and joint pain, high fever, weakness, swelling of the arms and legs, and shortness of breath, a constellation of symptoms that later became known as eosiniphilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). Upon investigation, it was discovered that nearly all of the cases of EMS could be traced back to a contaminant found in one batch of tryptophan produced by a Japanese manufacturer called Showa Denko K.K. While all manufacturers of supplemental tryptophan synthesized this amino acid through a fementation process using bacteria, several months before the outbreak of EMS, Showa Denko K.K. had altered its process to make it more efficient and was apparently unaware that a toxic contaminant was being produced. A few years ago, a new tryptophan-like supplement emerged in the U.S. marketplace. This supplement is called 5-hydroxytryptophan or 5-HTP. 5-HTP has been used in much the same way as tryptophan for the treatment of depression and insomnia, and for weight loss. The reason is simple: the body ordinarily takes tryptophan and converts it into 5-HTP, and then takes the 5-HTP and converts it into serotonin. By taking 5-HTP, a person is taking a compound that is actually one step closer to serotonin than tryptophan. back
Tryptophan Food Chart The following chart shows the World's Healthiest Foods that are either an excellent, very good, or good source of tryptophan. Next to each food name, you'll find the serving size used to calculate the food's nutrient composition, the calories contained in the serving, the amount of tryptophan contained in one serving size of the food, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating. World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of: tryptophan
Food Shrimp, steamed/boiled Tamari (Soy Sauce) Crimini mushrooms, raw Cod, baked/broiled Tuna, yellowfin, baked/broiled Snapper, baked/broiled Halibut, baked/broiled Mustard greens, boiled Chicken breast, roasted Scallops, baked/broiled Spinach, boiled Turkey breast, roasted Tofu, raw Lamb loin, roasted Beef tenderloin, lean, broiled Calf's liver, braised Salmon, chinook, baked/broiled Soybeans, cooked Kelp (sea vegetable) Asparagus, boiled Broccoli, steamed Mustard seeds Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, shredded Cauliflower, boiled Turnip greens, cooked
Serving Size 4 oz-wt 1 tbs 5 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 1 cup 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 1 cup 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 4 oz-wt 1 cup 0.25 cup 1 cup 1 cup 2 tsp
Cals 112.3 10.8 31.2 119.1 157.6 145.2 158.8 21.0 223.4 151.7 41.4 214.3 86.2 229.1 240.4 187.1 261.9 297.6 8.6 43.2 43.7 35.0
1 oz-wt 72.1 1 cup 1 cup
28.5 28.8
Amount (g) 0.33 0.03 0.08 0.29 0.38 0.33 0.34 0.04 0.39 0.26 0.07 0.35 0.14 0.35 0.36 0.25 0.33 0.37 0.01 0.05 0.05 0.04
World's DV Nutrient Healthiest (%) Density Foods Rating 103.1 16.5 excellent 9.4 15.6 very good 25.0 14.4 excellent 90.6 13.7 excellent 118.8 13.6 excellent 103.1 12.8 excellent 106.3 12.0 excellent 12.5 10.7 excellent 121.9 9.8 excellent 81.3 9.6 excellent 21.9 9.5 excellent 109.4 9.2 excellent 43.8 9.1 excellent 109.4 8.6 excellent 112.5 8.4 excellent 78.1 7.5 excellent 103.1 7.1 excellent 115.6 7.0 excellent 3.1 6.5 good 15.6 6.5 very good 15.6 6.4 very good 12.5 6.4 very good
0.08
25.0
6.2
very good
0.03 0.03
9.4 9.4
5.9 5.9
very good very good
Egg, whole, boiled Collard greens, boiled Swiss chard, boiled Cow's milk, 2% Kale, boiled Kidney beans, cooked Black beans, cooked Lima beans, cooked Split peas, cooked Cucumbers, slices, with peel Navy beans, cooked Pinto beans, cooked Miso Lentils, cooked Green beans, boiled Brussel sprouts, boiled Goat's milk Romaine lettuce Wheat, bulgur, cooked Apricots Pumpkin seeds, raw Sesame seeds Oats, whole grain, cooked Celery, raw Garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked Buckwheat, cooked Onions, raw Sunflower seeds, raw Rye, whole grain, uncooked Garlic Green peas, boiled Barley, cooked Peanuts, raw Bell peppers, red, raw, slices Beets, Boiled Yogurt, low-fat
1 each 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 oz 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 2 cup 1 cup 1 each 0.25 cup 0.25 cup 1 cup 1 cup
68.2 49.4 35.0 121.2 36.4 224.8 227.0 216.2 231.3 13.5 258.4 234.3 70.8 229.7 43.8 60.8 167.9 15.7 151.1 16.8 186.7 206.3 145.1 19.2
0.07 0.05 0.03 0.10 0.03 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.18 0.01 0.19 0.17 0.05 0.16 0.03 0.04 0.11 0.01 0.09 0.01 0.11 0.12 0.08 0.01
21.9 15.6 9.4 31.3 9.4 56.3 56.3 53.1 56.3 3.1 59.4 53.1 15.6 50.0 9.4 12.5 34.4 3.1 28.1 3.1 34.4 37.5 25.0 3.1
5.8 5.7 4.8 4.6 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.1 2.9
very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good good very good very good very good very good very good very good very good good very good good good good good good
1 cup 269.0
0.14
43.8
2.9
good
0.08 0.03 0.10 0.09 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.09 0.01 0.03 0.06
25.0 9.4 31.3 28.1 6.3 18.8 37.5 28.1 3.1 9.4 18.8
2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2
good good good good good good good good good good good
1 cup 1 cup 0.25 cup 0.33 cup 1 oz-wt 1 cup 1 cup 0.25 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup
154.6 60.8 205.2 188.7 42.2 134.4 270.0 207.0 24.8 74.8 155.1
Quinoa, uncooked Winter squash, baked, cubes Eggplant, cooked, cubes Cashews, raw Millet, cooked Almonds, dry roasted Walnuts Cabbage, shredded, boiled Potato, baked, with skin Summer squash, cooked, slices Brown rice, cooked Tomato, ripe World's Healthiest Foods Rating excellent very good good
0.25 cup 1 cup 1 cup 0.25 cup 1 cup 0.25 cup 0.25 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup
DV>=75% DV>=50% DV>=25%
158.9 80.0 27.7 196.6 285.6 206.0 163.5 33.0 133.0 36.0 216.4 37.8
OR OR OR
0.06 0.03 0.01 0.07 0.10 0.07 0.05 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.06 0.01
18.8 9.4 3.1 21.9 31.3 21.9 15.6 3.1 12.5 3.1 18.8 3.1
Rule Density>=7.6 Density>=3.4 Density>=1.5
2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5
AND AND AND
good good good good good good good good good good good good
DV>=10% DV>=5% DV>=2.5% back
What are current public health recommendations for tryptophan? • • • • • • • •
Children 1-3 years: 91 mg of tryptophan Children 4-8 years: 133 mg of tryptophan Males 9-13 years: 238 mg of tryptophan Males 14-18 years: 364 mg of tryptophan Males 19 years and older: 392 mg of tryptophan Females 9-13 years: 238 mg of tryptophan Females 14 years and older: 322 mg of tryptophan Pregnant or lactating females: 497 mg of tryptophan back