Tryptophan belongs together with phenylalanine and tyronine to the group of aromatic amino acids, and it is an essential one.
This amino acid has a history of being the first which was proven to have a direct influence on the manufacturing of a neurotransmitter; serotonin - which is one of the major drugs governing mood and behaviour. For this reason, it is crucial for the development of orthomolecular psychiatry. Despite the comprehensive research which has been carried out, there are still many unclarified areas and questions which are yet to be answered.
Trptophan in food
Among the essential amino acids, tryptophan is the one generally found in the smallest amounts in a standard diet. Most diet proteins are therefore too low in tryptophan. Ham, minced beef, eggs, parmesan cheese, anchovies, and venison contain fairly large amounts of tryptophan. A vegetable diet is generally low in tryptophan. The best vegetable sources of tryptophan are pumpkin seeps, sunflower seeds, and almonds.
The functions of tryptophan, including its transformation to serotonin are - as for most amino acids - completely dependent on vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Other nutrients involved in the complex tryptophan metabolism are vitamin B3 (niacin) - closely related to the amino acid, folic acid, and magnesium.
The amino acid tryptophan is under normal circumstances transformed into niacin to some extent. Since 60 mg. of tryptophan is expected to be transformed into 1 mg. of niacin, this amount is called 1 niacin equivalent (NE).
The deadly form of vitamin B3 deficiency is pellagra; historically known from the big epidemics in Southern Europe and the southern states of the USA in the beginning of last century.
Tryptophan deficiency is one of the causes of this disease. Pellagra was particularly widespread in poor areas where maize was one of the major staples, since the body cannot easily transform the kind of tryptophan found in maize into vitamin B3.
Since then the world has witnessed another kind of pellagra: a kind of pellagra which is not caused by malnutrition but by medicinal poisoning and afflicts e.g. patients who are treated with chemotherapy in the form of 3-mercaptopurine.
Pellagra was characterized by the 3 Ds: diarrhoea, dermatitis, and dementia. Early on several scientists noticed that the mental implications of a vitamin B3 deficiency were quite similar to schizophrenia. This observation would later prove important in the development of orthomolecular psychiatry where the question was raised whether or not schizophrenics were individuals with an extreme biochemistry and an abnormous need of vitamin B3. This has been a starting point for successful treatment of schizophrenics.
The classic way to detect a vitamin B6 deficiency is by means of a tryptophan load test: Take 50 mg. of tryptophan per pound of body mass. If more than 30 mg. of xanthurenic acid can be found in the urine, it indicates B6 deficiency. But high excretion of xanthurenic acid is also observed in connection with stress, anxiety attacks, depression, hyper-ventilation, and as a reaction to contraceptive pills.
Picolinic acid - which is one of the metabolic products of tryptophan and closely related to niacin - is a very important factor in the organism's distribution of zinc. A B6 or tryptophan deficiency inhibit the absorption of zinc.
Crypto pyrrol is a poisonous drug formed by an erroneous production of haemoglobin. It occurs as pyroluria which can cause mental diseases, schizophrenia, criminal or other deviant behaviour. Pyroluria can be treated effectively with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and zinc.
It induces the body's absorption of nicotinic acid and serotonin. In combination with vitamin B6 and magnesium is counteracts insomnia. Population studies have shown an inverse correspondence between tryptophan intake, mental disorders, aggression, violence, and crime. Deficiency leads to sugar cravings and hypoglycemia. Tryptophan supplements counteract depression, anxiety attacks and stress symptoms in many patients and are useful for the treatment of anorexia, alcoholism (and its sequelae), and insomnia.
Tryptophan has for many years been prohibited in practically all countries because of an incident in the USA in December 1989. In this incident, a single shipment of insufficiently purified synthetic tryptophan, produced genetically by the Japanese company Showa Denko, caused cases of the often deadly eosinophilia myalgia syndrome.
Although the reason is known to have been caused by the impurity of this single product which has never been sold in Europe, the ban was upheld in both the USA and several other countries despite protests. The ban was imposed simultaneously with the introduction of the later herostratically famed "happy pills" - Prozac and Fontex which took over the market. However, tryptophan can be purchased with a doctors prescription in Denmark and, since 2002, tryptophan can be purchased in the United States.
Therapeutic dosage of tryptophan
Against insomnia: 500 mg. - 1 g. with 100 mg of vitamin B6, 100 mg of vitamin B3, and 250 mg. of magnesium in the form of e.g. magnesium orotate or -citrate.
Against depression and anorexia nervosa: 3 g. plus 1 g. of vitamin B3 (nicotine amide and nicotinic acid) daily.
Maximum of 8 g. Tryptophan daily.
Warning
Should not be taken with MAOIs such as Marplan, Cinement, Eldepryl, and the like. Should not be taken by pregnant women or women planning on getting pregnant.
Other amino acids compete with tryptophan for transport through the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, tryptophan supplement intake should not be taken at same time as other proteins.
5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, 5-HTP
The body produces 5-HTP from regular tryptophan. 5-HTP is a kind of intermediate between tryptophan and the important neurotransmitter serotonin and the conversion is performed by, for example, the enzyme tryptophan hydrolase. 5-HTP is significant for the body's own production of endorphins, the serotonin, and the "daily rhythm hormone" melatonin.
For some purposes, 5-HTP is better, but it does not have as broad an effect as ordinary tryptophan and a tryptophan deficiency as such is not relieved by taking 5-HTP. However, 5-HTP has much easier access to the brain via the blood-brain barrier than tryptophan.
Likewise, when taken orally, only 3% of the regular tryptophan is converted into sertonin in the body, whereas, when taken in the form of 5-HTP, a total of 70% is converted. Some studies show that 5-HTP can be just as effective as ordinary depression medication (SRIs and tricyclic antidepressants).
If the body lacks the enzyme that is necessary for the transformation of tryptophan into serotonin, or if the enzyme is somehow blocked, it can have negative effets on the person's psychological well being, quality of sleep, and pain threshold.
Most 5-HTP products are produced from the seeds of the African plant Bandeiraea simplicifolia, also known as Griffonia simplicifolia.
5-HTP is used in the treatment of depresseion, eating disorders, insomnia, headache, overweight, Parkinson's disease, strong cravings for carbohydrates, and certain kinds of epilepsy.
5-HTP has also shown good results in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients who were given 5-HTP had a reduced number of pain points, relieved anxiety, better quality of sleep, and a reduction of tiredness
Vitamin B at meals
When treating e.g. endogenous depression and anorexia, the best results are achieved when 5-HTP is taken together with zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B - especially B6 and B3 (the amid form). Vitamins and minerals can be taken in connection with meals, but 5-HTP should be taken between meals.
Therapeutic dosage of 5-HTP
- Appetite regulation:600 - 900 mg. a day.
- Depressive conditions: 50 - 100 mg. 3 times a day between meals. The effect can be fortified if combined with the herb St. John's wort: 150 - 300 mg. standardized extract (0.3% hypericin) 3 times a day.
- Headaches:
- Migraine: 400 - 600 mg. a day.
- Tension headache: 100 mg. 3 times a day.
- Sleeping disturbances: 100 - 300 mg. 30 minutes before bedtime.
Please note
5-HTP:
- Should not be taken together with medicine against depression without your doctor's consent.
- Should not be taken by Parkinson's patients without your doctor's consent.
- Should not be taken during pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
Side effects
In some cases, 5-HTP can cause symptoms from the gastrointestinal canal, including nausea, if the tablets are not coated.
Also see
"Tryptophan is back ", "Amino acids generally", "Amino acid complexes - Protein supplements", and "Melatonin".
