Tryptophan dosage, 500 mg pills, benefit for sleep and mood enhancement, metabolism, for depression

Tryptophan depression research, proper dosage 500 mg
Amino acid benefit for sleep and mood enhancement

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in foods that contain protein. Tryptophan is able to convert into 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan), and then to serotonin. Serotonin is involved in mood, appetite, sleep and behavior. For an all natural appetite suppressant formulated by a medical doctor, see Diet-Rx.

Tryptophan metabolism
The metabolism of tryptophan is rather straightforward in the sense that one metabolic pathway leads to Hydroxy tryptophan, which in turns converts into serotonin and then to melatonin. Tryptophan is an amino acid that has numerous other functions, including being incorporated into protein structures.
The pineal gland is able to convert tryptophan at night into melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.

Tryptophan, 500mg FTH Nutraceuticals

USP Pharmaceutical Grade Tryptophan
PURE L Tryptophan

This tryptophan product as determined by a Certificate of Analysis is the highest grade available, over 99% Pure. Tryptophan is formed by a fermentation process in a lab. FTH Tryptophan is USP pharmaceutical grade, which requires a minimum of 98.5% purity.

Tryptophan is available for sale
FTH is often the first L Tryptophan choice for Doctors and Pharmacies and now... perhaps you.

Vegetarian capsules, all vegan source. L-Tryptophan - 500 mg

Suggested use: Take one tryptophan capsule in the evening, preferably on an empty stomach, or as recommended by your health care provider. * Tryptophan daily value not established.

The unfortunate history
During the 1980s, consumers were using tryptophan for sleep and as an antidepressant. Tryptophan was available without prescription until 1989 when the FDA prohibited its over-the-counter sale because a tryptophan manufacturer in Japan shipped a contaminated batch to the U.S. This caused a serious illness called eosinophilia myalgia syndrome in about 1,000 individuals. Around 1995, tryptophan gradually became available by prescription through compounding pharmacies, and then since about the year 2000 tryptophan slowly and cautiously was placed on the over the counter market through a few small vitamin companies. As time progressed and no major side effects or dangers were reported, more vitamin companies are now selling tryptophan and this amino acid is widely available in health food stores and online.

Tryptophan taken orally converts into serotonin and melatonin
The biochemistry of tryptophan is fascinating and quite important. It has been known for some time that in the body and brain, tryptophan gets converted into 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP) which then converts into serotonin, a crucial brain chemical involved in mood, appetite, impulse control and sleep. Serotonin, in turn, is able to convert at night into melatonin. To confirm this knowledge, tryptophan was given to a group of rats at 8 am in the morning, and to another group of rats at 8 PM at night. Four hours after administration, researchers measured the blood and brain fluid levels of serotonin and melatonin. During daytime administration, tryptophan raised the levels of serotonin. Interestingly, when tryptophan was given at night, serotonin levels did not increase, but melatonin levels increased significantly. Therefore, the serotonin that was generated by tryptophan administration was being converted into melatonin.

Tryptophan and depression
Some people who take tryptophan notice an improvement in symptoms of depression. Experimental tryptophan depletion lowers mood. When rodents are placed on a low tryptophan diet, they are more likely to be sensitivite to external and stressful stimuli. For more info on depression.
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment is often associated with psychiatric side effects and has been found to lower the amount of tryptophan available to the brain.

Q. I had been reading about the effect of tryptophan on sleep. As I have a very hard time getting to sleep and have been taking melatonin for several years and having noticed that it wasn't working as well for me I decided to try tryptophan. I ordered a bottle from a reputable source and started taking 500 mg every night. I started having depression. There was nothing that had changed in my life to make me depressed so I stopped taking the tryptophan and my depression immediately stopped. Have you ever heard of this before, could it have been the higher dose? I know that in addition to helping sleep it is also to help with mood but it did not seem to help with me.
A. Sometimes the same supplement can have a positive effect on a particular dosage, but if too much is taken or if used too many days in a row, it can begin to have an adverse effect.

Tryptophan Research Update
The effect of a nutritional source of tryptophan on dieting-induced changes in brain 5-HT function.
Attenburrow MJ.
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford.
Psychol Med. 2003 Nov;33(8):1381-6.
Dieting in healthy women results in a decrease in the availability of tryptophan, the amino-acid precursor of serotonin (5-HT), for brain 5-HT synthesis. This is associated with increases in the prolactin response to 5-HT drug challenge suggesting a 'supersensitivity' of 5-HT neuroendocrine responses. The aim of the study was to assess whether increased tryptophan intake during dieting would prevent the changes in TRP availability and 5-HT neuroendocrine function. Fifty female subjects underwent a 1000 kcal daily diet for 3 weeks. In the final week of the diet subjects were randomly allocated to receive either nutritionally-sourced tryptophan (1.8 g daily) or placebo in a double-blind, parallel group, design. Tryptophan supplementation failed to modify the dieting-induced reduction in fasting tryptophan availability to the brain. However, in contrast to placebo-treated subjects, subjects receiving additional tryptophan did not show enhanced prolactin responses to intravenous tryptophan challenge. The decrease in tryptophan availability produced by dieting may be due to increased tryptophan metabolism rather than decreased tryptophan intake. While tryptophan treatment did not increase fasting tryptophan availability it may have modified the effect of dieting on brain 5-HT function. Further studies will be needed to see if this effect of TRP has consequences for the effectiveness of dieting as means of weight control.

Interferon-alpha-induced changes in tryptophan metabolism. relationship to depression and paroxetine treatment.
Capuron L. mory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Nov 1;54(9):906-14.
Tryptophan degradation into kynurenine (KYN) by the enzyme, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, during immune activation may contribute to development of depressive symptoms during interferon (IFN)-alpha therapy. Twenty-six patients with malignant melanoma were randomly assigned in double-blind fashion to receive either placebo or paroxetine, beginning 2 weeks before IFN-alpha treatment and continuing for the first 12 weeks of IFN-alpha therapy. At treatment initiation and at 2, 4, and 12 weeks of IFN-alpha treatment, measurements of TRP, KYN, and neopterin (a marker of immune activation), were obtained, along with structured assessments of depression, anxiety, and neurotoxicity. Regardless of antidepressant treatment status, all patients exhibited significant increases in KYN, neopterin, and the KYN/TRP ratio during IFN-alpha therapy. Among antidepressant-free patients, patients who developed major depression exhibited significantly greater increases in KYN and neopterin concentrations and more prolonged decreases in TRP concentrations than did nondepressed, antidepressant-free patients. Moreover, in antidepressant-free patients, decreases in tryptophan correlated with depressive, anxious, and cognitive symptoms, but not neurovegetative or somatic symptoms. No correlations were found between clinical and biological variables in antidepressant-treated patients. The results suggest that reduced tryptophan availability plays a role in IFN-alpha-induced depressive symptoms, and paroxetine, although not altering the KYN or neopterin response to IFN-alpha, attenuates the behavioral consequences of IFN-alpha-mediated tryptophan depletion.

Acute administration of nutritionally sourced tryptophan increases fear recognition.
Attenburrow MJ. Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Aug;169(1):104-7.
The serotonin precursor tryptophan has been widely used as a nutritional supplement and antidepressant. Recently, however, the use of tryptophan has been severely restricted due to its association with the eosinophilic myalgic syndrome, an autoimmune disorder probably caused by ingestion of a contaminant produced in certain tryptophan manufacturing processes. To determine the bioavailability of a nutritional source of tryptophan obtained from milk protein and to assess whether administration of this material produced neuroendocrine and neuropsychological effects consistent with increased brain serotonin activity. We studied 24 healthy subjects who ingested approximately 1.8 g of nutritionally-sourced tryptophan or placebo in a double-blind, parallel group, design. We carried out venous sampling for amino acid and hormone estimation and performed a test of emotional processing using a facial expression recognition task. The nutritionally-sourced tryptophan caused a substantial increase in the availability of tryptophan in plasma. Relative to placebo the tryptophan material produced some evidence of an increase in plasma cortisol, and enhanced the perception of fearful and happy facial expressions. A nutritional source of tryptophan increased the availability of tryptophan for brain serotonin synthesis and produced endocrine and neuropsychological changes consistent with increased brain serotonin function. The effect of tryptophan on emotional processing may be relevant to its reported activity in primate studies of social behaviour.

Tryptophan supplement questions
Q. What is the effect of tryptophan on testosterone level? Does tryptophan influence libido or sex drive?
A. We have not come across such research regarding the influence of tryptophan supplements on blood levels of testosterone. Since tryptophan increases serotonin levels, it may reduce libido.

Q, I took 5HTP for depression and felt much better. The only problem was that it increased my blood pressure which I am taking medication for. I was wondering whether L Tryptophan supplement increases blood pressure or causes hypertension.
A. 5HTP does not increase blood pressure to a significant extent in most people so it is difficult to predict what effect a tryptophan supplement would have on your blood pressure. Tryptophan converts into 5HTP which then converts into serotonin so their actions are similar. Blood pressure fluctuates from hour to hour and day to day. Tryptophan is not known to have a significant effect on blood pressure in those who have hypertension.

Q. Can taking a tryptophan capsule in the evening at 500 mg overcome the alertness caused by the use of a yohimbe bark extract? I take tryptophan for depression and it seems to help my mood by I occasionally want to take a sexual enhancing herb.
A. Trypotophan helps with sleep but it may not be able to overcome the alertness caused by this sexual stimulant if it is taken within three to four hours of sleep.