Tryptophan (L-tryptophan) 250 mg caps. No. 60 - Instructions

Tryptophan and the nervous system

Supplementation of this amino acid to the diet is considered as a treatment for depression and sleep disorders, mainly due to tryptophan's connection with the synthesis of serotonin (the happy hormone) and melatonin (the sleep hormone). In addition, tryptophan supplements are used as an additional treatment to help treat cognitive disorders, depression, or neurodegenerative diseases.

Decreased serotonin secretion, in turn, is associated with autism spectrum disorder, obesity, anorexia and bulimia nervosa, and other diseases presenting symptoms of peripheral diseases. The literature strongly suggests that tryptophan plays a significant role in the proper functioning of the brain-gut axis and immunology.

Available information suggests tryptophan to be an important dietary component due to its role in the serotonin pathway [1].

Signs of shortage

Amino acid deficiency is manifested by the following symptoms:

• causeless anxiety and nervousness;
• despondency, depression;
• increased craving for sweets;
• insomnia, frequent awakenings at night;
• decreased memory and attention;
• weight gain.

In severe tryptophan hypovitaminosis, the synthesis of melatonin and niacin is disrupted, resulting in new clinical manifestations. Pellagra, dental caries and bleeding gums are observed, and hair loss increases. Women tend to develop severe PMS.

To replenish the amino acid balance, nutritionists recommend including more meat, nuts and hard cheeses in your diet. You can also use dietary supplements with L-tryptophan.

Tryptophan metabolism

The WHO recommended daily intake of tryptophan from food is 4 mg/kg (1/2 to 2 g per day). In addition, it is important to know that the entry of tryptophan into the brain depends on the amount of free tryptophan in the blood and on the concentration of other amino acids (such as BCAAs) that compete with tryptophan for transporters used to cross the blood-brain barrier.

The enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase, which catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), can be inhibited by various factors such as stress, insulin resistance, vitamin B6 deficiency, or magnesium deficiency. For this reason, magnesium and vitamin B6 are often used together for nervous system disorders. Their deficiency prevents tryptophan from converting into 5-HTP and subsequently into serotonin [2].

Food sources

Tryptophan is a traditional component of most protein products.

Amino acid reserves are found in chocolate, oats, dates, milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, sesame, chickpeas, bananas, peanuts, corn, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. You can also replenish the amount of amino acids from asparagus, beet tops, chard, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, watercress, spicy greens, radishes, ginger, pumpkin, carrots, cabbage, including broccoli, cauliflower and seaweed.

But probably the most popular product, the name of which is traditionally associated with tryptophan, is turkey.
Researchers are divided into 2 groups: some claim that the meat of this bird is extremely rich in tryptophan, others reject this. But recently the debate came to an end: the parties agreed that turkey meat contains the same amount of tryptophan as most other birds. Top 10 Foods Rich in Tryptophan

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If we analyze each category of these products, then among seeds and nuts the highest concentration of the substance can be found in sesame, sunflower, pistachios, cashews, almonds and hazelnuts. Among soy products, it is better to give preference to tofu, and favorites in the cheese category are Parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella. Although this does not mean that you should neglect varieties such as edam, gouda or Swiss - they also contain tryptophan.

Rabbit is the meat most saturated with amino acids (100 grams of product contains more than 130% of the recommended daily intake). Somewhat less of the substance, but also quite a lot, is found in pork, goat meat and veal. Among poultry meat, the leaders are chickens, turkeys, chickens (wings and legs).

When choosing fish, it is better to opt for halibut, salmon, trout or mackerel. But you can take anything seafood. Lobster, octopus, shrimp, lobster, crayfish, oysters and scallops, even in small portions, will satisfy the daily need for tryptophan.

The healthiest grains are wheat germ, buckwheat, oatmeal and wheat bran. The best legumes: different varieties of beans and lentils.

Soft-boiled, scrambled and scrambled eggs contain slightly more tryptophan than hard-boiled eggs.

Tryptophan as a precursor to serotonin

Tryptophan is the only precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Supplemental tryptophan may enhance serotonin neurotransmission to produce therapeutically important effects and reverse serotonin deficiency. Anorexia nervosa (AN), an eating disorder associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, including psychosis, hyperactivity, depression and anxiety, has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric diseases. Evidence suggests that excessive dieting and food restriction may reduce tryptophan and thus serotonin levels in the brain in patients, causing depression, psychosis and hyperactivity. It has been found that, in general, patients with depression are deficient in tryptophan compared to healthy subjects. Two intervention studies examining the effects of L-tryptophan or 5-HTP supplementation on depression found that both tryptophan and 5-HTP were superior to placebo in relieving depressive symptoms [3].

In one study, the subjects were male patients suffering from alcoholism and associated depression and sleep disorders. Subjects taking L-tryptophan 3 g per day for 4 days reported significantly lower levels of depression than participants receiving placebo [4].

general information

Tryptophan (L-Tryptophan, abbreviated as Trp) is an essential amino acid that is part of all protein compounds in the human body. The substance was discovered by the German scientist Richard Neumeister, who isolated the nutrient from the digestive enzyme trypsin. The name of the chemical formula is derived from the word “trypsin” and the particle “fan” (which means “pointing to”).

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More details

There are 3 ways to obtain an amino acid compound:

1. Method of chemical transformations. Using this method, synthetic tryptophan is obtained, which is included in animal feed.
2. Chemical-enzymatic method.
3. Microbiological synthesis.

Using the last two methods, amino acids are obtained for food additives.

The effect of tryptophan on sleep

The earliest experimental results convincingly demonstrated the sleep-inducing effects of L-tryptophan in doses ranging from 1 to 15 g at bedtime. But a later laboratory study expanded the dose-response curve by comparing even smaller doses of 1/4, 1/2, and 1 g of L-tryptophan versus placebo in 15 subjects with moderate insomnia (sleep latency greater than 30 minutes). One gram of L-tryptophan significantly reduced sleep latency, but lower doses produced a trend in the same direction. Stage IV sleep was significantly increased by 1/4 g of L-tryptophan at bedtime. Thus, the effective dosage of tryptophan taken before bed may be within 1 gram [5].

Chemical properties

Structural formula of tryptophan
According to the structure, the substance tryptophan is an alpha amino acid; it has the international scientific name aminopropionic acid. In nature, there are 2 optical isomers, which differ in the spatial configuration of the amino group. The L-form is beneficial for the human body, while the D-form is chemically inert.

The compound has a molecular weight of 204 g/mol and at the same time exhibits the properties of an acid. In water, the nutrient turns into internal salt, which activates its buffering properties. The structural formula of tryptophan can undergo decarboxylation and non-enzymatic cyclization to form new biologically active compounds.

The effect of tryptophan on appetite

Gut hormones such as cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) play a role in satiety factors. Strategies to increase the secretion of satiety hormones may provide a therapeutic approach to the treatment of obesity.

One study examined the role of oral tryptophan at dosages of 0.52 g and 1.56 g on the secretion of these hormones in individuals without diabetes. At a higher dose, L-tryptophan stimulated the release of cholecystokinin, induced a significant delay in gastric emptying, and caused a slight increase in GLP-1 secretion [6]. In another study in normal-weight and overweight men, 3 g of tryptophan consumed 15 minutes before a carbohydrate meal reduced postprandial blood glucose by slowing gastric emptying [7].

Later experiments revealed that tryptophan taken within 1-1.5 g affects both intestinal motility and hormonal function, significantly reducing energy consumption. The strong inverse correlation between energy intake and plasma L-tryptophan suggests that, in addition to intestinal mechanisms, the direct effects of circulating L-tryptophan also mediate its inhibitory effect on food intake [8].

Another interesting study linked amino acid intake to large-scale changes in brain networks involved in regulating metabolism. A direct connection between satiety hormones and brain regions involved in metabolic regulation was confirmed by a positive correlation between brain activity in the insular cortex and plasma insulin levels after oral administration of L-tryptophan (within 1 g). Supplementation with L-tryptophan (or L-leucine) immediately affected specific brain networks that support the food-reward system and appetite regulation [9].

Tryptophan for interval training

Team sports players perform better on the field if they take 600 mg of the amino acid tryptophan daily. Scientists from the University of Barcelona came to this conclusion after conducting experiments on students involved in sports.

Tryptophan and exercise

Discussions among physiologists about whether tryptophan enhances performance tend to end in deadlock. Tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. If you have more serotonin in your brain than usual, you feel good. Your brain becomes less sensitive to pain, and you will be less distracted by unpleasant thoughts and unnecessary information. Thus, supplementation with tryptophan may create a condition that also helps improve athletic performance.

Conflicting Research

In the 1980s, this idea inspired researchers at the University of Barcelona to conduct an experiment with students playing sports. Students were required to run at an intensity that was 80% of their maximum oxygen consumption. At this level of intensity, you can no longer hold a conversation without getting out of breath. When subjects were given 600 mg of tryptophan before running, they ran almost fifty percent longer than after taking a placebo. In 1992, researchers from the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education repeated the experiment with several modifications.

They gave subjects 1200 mg of tryptophan and forced them to work at 100% of their maximum oxygen consumption. This had no effect. [10]

Dutch researchers in the mid-nineties also did not record any effect. They gave their subjects tryptophan not before, but during physical activity. [11] But one person who is most reluctant to believe that tryptophan can improve athletic performance is the researchers who believe in the ergogenic effects of BCAAs. These amino acids are generally believed to reduce fatigue during endurance events because they interfere with the entry of tryptophan into the brain, thereby preventing its conversion to serotonin. [12] [13] [14]

According to this theory, the brain can only absorb a limited amount of amino acids. During intense physical exercise, muscles take all amino acids from the blood except tryptophan. As a result, the brain absorbs more tryptophan and converts it into serotonin, and serotonin causes athletes to feel tired. Supplementing with BCAA inhibits the brain's uptake of tryptophan, reducing fatigue and increasing endurance, while supplementing with tryptophan only leads to negative effects, say BCAA proponents.

Research on the effect of tryptophan

Spanish researchers who demonstrated the performance-enhancing effects of tryptophan in 1988 conducted another experiment decades later. Scientists forced 20 sports students aged 20-22 to do an hour-long interval training on a bicycle ergometer. The training session simulated the training load of team sports players during a match.

First, students cycled for 10 minutes at 50% of their VO2max (maximum oxygen consumption level). They then drove for exactly 30 seconds at top speed. The subjects had to repeat this cycle three more times. Finally, the students cycled for another 20 minutes at 50 percent of their VO2max.

The researchers ran the test twice. In one case, students took 2 capsules containing 300 mg of tryptophan for three days before the test and on the day of the test itself (two hours before the start of the cycle). In total, they took 600 mg of tryptophan per day.

Results of the effect of tryptophan on interval training

The supplement worked. The figure below shows that during half of the burst 30-second sessions, tryptophan resulted in greater average power and greater peak power. Simply put, athletes were able to pedal harder when they took tryptophan.

Moreover, subjects walked more distance in the last 20 minutes of the test when they took tryptophan. This can be seen in the picture above.

Researchers have found that supplementing with tryptophan reduces the increase in fatigue. In experiments where tryptophan had no effect, it is possible that too high a dose of tryptophan was used or that it was not given sufficiently in advance of the exercise. The authors of this study suggest that tryptophan may not only be a precursor to serotonin, but also related compounds that do not cause fatigue and may actually have stimulating effects.

Can tryptophan change behavior?

If you take a few grams of the amino acid tryptophan every day, you will behave in a more dominant manner. This follows from a human study that Canadian psychologists published in 2001 in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. According to the material, adding tryptophan also makes you a little less grumpy.

Study of behavioral factors after tryptophan intake

In the body, enzymes convert the amino acid tryptophan into 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) and 5-HTP into serotonin.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in our well-being. Its levels usually decrease with depression, but if we win a conflict or climb the social ladder, serotonin levels usually increase.

The researchers wondered whether adding tryptophan could change behavior, so they gave 98 subjects 3 grams of the supplement daily for 12 days. During each of three meals, subjects took 1 capsule containing 1000 mg of tryptophan. Another time, subjects were given a placebo. The researchers determined the subjects' behavior by presenting them with a daily list of statements from which the participants had to indicate whether they applied to their behavior.

Argument-related statements included, for example, “I made a sarcastic comment,” or “I gave incorrect information,” “I was impatient,” and “I raised my voice.” Statements associated with dominant behavior included “I asked the other for something,” “I spoke my mind,” and “I set goals for the other.”

Research results

Tryptophan supplementation made subjects behave more dominantly and reduced grumpiness, but did not change compliance. In addition, tryptophan reduced the maximum and average levels of aggressive behavior.

The supplement had side effects and the most common was fatigue. This is likely due to the fact that tryptophan is also converted into the sleep hormone melatonin at the end of the day.

“In conclusion, our study provides preliminary evidence that increasing serotonin levels may reduce aggressive behavior and increase dominance in healthy individuals,” the Canadians wrote. “These conclusions should remain preliminary until confirmed, taking into account possible order effects. However, our study indicates the feasibility

further research examining the influence of specific neurotransmitter systems on human social interaction in everyday life. These studies may also be generalizable to patients suffering from different types of psychopathology and may reveal the extent to which different psychopharmacological agents, as well as psychotherapeutic methods, alter specific aspects of social interaction."

Symptoms of excess

Symptoms of amino acid overdose occur extremely rarely. But if the immune system is malfunctioning, an excess of the substance can provoke oncological transformation of cells. In allergy sufferers, an overdose of a nutrient often causes individual intolerance to certain amino acid-rich foods.

With long-term use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in combination with tryptophan, serotonin syndrome may occur. The disease is manifested by fever, convulsions, and disturbances of consciousness. A person in this condition requires medical attention and detoxification therapy.