Tryptophan - properties, needs and sources of occurrence

• The role of tryptophan in the body
• Tryptophan helpful in the treatment of depression
• Effect of tryptophan on body weight
• Daily tryptophan requirement - norms
• Effects of tryptophan deficiency and excess
• Sources of tryptophan in food
• Tryptophan supplements

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Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own and should be supplied with the diet. It is responsible for the proper functioning of the nervous system, and its deficiencies cause a decrease in energy, worse mood, and even depression. Tryptophan can also be helpful in weight loss - it helps to control the appetite for carbohydrates. Most of it is found in meat, fish, dairy products and legume seeds.

The role of tryptophan in the body

Tryptophan belongs to exogenous (essential) amino acids, i.e. compounds that are not produced in the body and must be supplied to it with the diet. It is necessary for the production of proteins, enzymes and muscle tissue. Tryptophan has many functions in the body, including:

• participation in the production of serotonin, the so-called the happiness hormone,
• participation in the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for the circadian rhythm of the body,
• participation in the biosynthesis of niacin (vitamin PP),
• reduction of hyperactivity and tension, mood regulation,
• participation in the process of reproduction,
• influence on lactation,
• production of kinurein, i.e. a chemical UV filter produced in the eyeball,
• participation in the synthesis of rhodopsin, i.e. a photosensitive dye that enables vision in the dark,
• influence on the nervous system, regulate the level of neurotransmitters: noradrenaline, dopamine and β-endorphin,
• regulation of metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism,
• improved immunity.

Tryptophan helpful in the treatment of depression

Tryptophan is converted in the brain to serotonin, a neurotransmitter called the "happiness hormone". Without the right amount of the precursor, i.e. tryptophan, serotonin deficiency occurs in the body, which is manifested by mood drops, anxiety, insomnia, aggressiveness, increased sensitivity to pain, and finally depressive disorders. Serotonin is also responsible for impulsive behavior, sexual needs and the regulation of appetite - it inhibits it after consuming carbohydrates, and increases it after eating proteins. In the treatment of depression, drugs from the serotonin reuptake group are used, which make the same amount of this neurotransmitter work longer and more intensively. In order to increase serotonin levels inof the brain, it is beneficial to take tryptophan in the form of supplements.

The strong influence of the appropriate level of tryptophan on depression has been confirmed by artificially inducing a deficiency of this amino acid in the blood plasma of two groups of women - he althy and bulimic women. In both groups, intensification of depression symptoms was observed. When examining alcoholics in treatment, low levels of tryptophan in their blood were found with frequent mood drops. Tryptophan supplementation for 2-4 weeks has shown significant effectiveness in combating depression.

Worth knowing

Eating foods containing tryptophan probably does not directly translate into the concentration of serotonin in the body, because the amount of tryptophan in relation to other amino acids is too low to be well absorbed by the blood-brain barrier. Colloquially speaking, food tryptophan loses its competition for absorption with other amino acids. Therefore, it is supplementation that has the greatest impact on the increase in the level of tryptophan and its metabolites in the brain, at the same time reducing depression.

Effect of tryptophan on body weight

Obese people tend to use carbohydrate products frequently. They promote the production of serotonin, and therefore, when consumed, your mood improves. Eating a lot of carbohydrates causes increased insulin secretion and faster removal of certain amino acids from the bloodstream. This, in turn, promotes greater tryptophan uptake across the blood-brain barrier. So it turns out that low levels of tryptophan in the blood make you want to eat carbohydrates. This can be used the other way around to reduce the caloric content of the diet - a high level of tryptophan in the plasma helps to reduce the appetite for carbohydrate products, without limiting the appetite for protein products. It is likely that tryptophan supplementation improves serotonin release in the brain, which reduces the cravings for carbohydrates. Administration of 1.2 and 3 mg tryptophan one hour before a meal resulted in a reduction in caloric intake. In a study of people on a high-protein diet, where one group took 750 mg tryptophan twice a day and the other group - a placebo, significant weight loss was shown with tryptophan.

Daily tryptophan requirement - norms

• for infants up to 12 months of age - 13 mg per kilogram of body weight,
• for children from 1 to 3 years of age - 8 mg / kg bw,
• for children from 4 to 13 years of age - 6 mg / kg bw,
• for boys from 14 to 18 years of age - 6 mg / kg bw,
• for girls aged 14-18 -5 mg / kg bw,
• for adults - 5 mg / kg b.w.

Effects of tryptophan deficiency and excess

Tryptophan deficiencyin the diet can manifest as low mood, growth retardation, anemia, drop in blood protein levels (hypoproteinemia), hair loss, skin hardening, perivorneal vascular growth, steatosis liver, degeneration of the seminiferous tubules in men, degeneration of smooth muscles and inhibition of lactation.

An excess of tryptophanin the body can be the result of overuse of supplementation and is manifested by nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, dry mouth, impaired coordination of movements and blurred vision.

Sources of tryptophan in food

Protein-rich foods like lean meats, fish, yellow and white cheese, milk, soy products, legumes, pumpkin seeds, and eggs are good sources of tryptophan.

Product	Tryptophan content [mg / 100 g]
Pumpkin seeds	576 mg
Soybeans	575 mg
Mozzarella cheese	571 mg
Veal	415 mg
Chicken breast	404 mg
Tuna	335 mg
Oat bran	335 mg
Egg	167 mg
Cooked white beans	115 mg

Tryptophan supplements

Supplements containing tryptophan are intended for people who have problems falling asleep, long-term nervous tension, are exposed to stress and observe energy drops and difficulties in mobilizing to action, as well as for men to improve the quality of sexual life . In products available in pharmacies, tryptophan is most often not the only active ingredient. It is accompanied by other substances that have a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system, soothe states of tension (e.g. pyridoxine and niacin) or facilitate falling asleep (e.g. extract of hops and lemon balm). Supplements containing tryptophan are recommended to improve well-being and eliminate insomnia. They may also be beneficial in premenstrual syndrome and migraines.

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