Category Archives: L-tryptophan

Tryptophan Nutrition: Niacin

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Niacin is a general name for nicotinic acid (pyridine-3-carboxylic acid) and nicotinamide (niacinamide or pyridine-3-carboxamide) and niacin is considered an essential vitamin that is grouped with the B vitamins. Niacin is considered a vitamin because its absence can result in … Continue reading →

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Tryptophan and Light Exposure to Improve Mood?

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Robert Barrington

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that may become depleted in the brain in cases of depression and related mood disorders. As serotonin is in turn a precursor to melatonin, and … Continue reading →

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Tryptophan Metabolism in the Gut

Posted on January 13, 2022 by Robert Barrington

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is metabolised in the brain to synthesise serotonin. Because tryptophan cannot be synthesised in humans, the diet is the only source of the amino acid. Dietary manipulation can alter mood because it changes … Continue reading →

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Is Tryptophan an Antidepressant?

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Robert Barrington

Depressive disorder is not fully understood. However, generally stress is considered a trigger for the development of depressive disorder. The stress is thought to cause changes to the metabolism of the brain, perhaps through the action of cortisol. This can … Continue reading →

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Tryptophan Depletion and Depression

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Robert Barrington

Dietary tryptophan is required for the synthesis of serotonin in humans. Evidence suggests that changes to the blood level of tryptophan can alter the synthesis rates of serotonin and that this may in turn change the mood of the individual. … Continue reading →

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Tryptophan Metabolism, Immunity and Depression

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Robert Barrington

L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid for human nutrition. L-tryptophan is used in the important biosynthetic pathway for the creation of the neurotransmitter serotonin. L-tryptophan concentration in blood have been observed to fall during the periods where the immune system … Continue reading →

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More on Protein, L-Tryptophan and Depression

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Robert Barrington

Stress is thought to increase the risk of depression because it causes brain changes that lead to an inadequate supply of certain neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin. One strategy to treat depression revolves around attempting to increase the availability of serotonin, either … Continue reading →

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Do High Protein Diets Decrease Anxiety?

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Robert Barrington

High protein diets have been shown to have a number of health benefits. One of these benefits may be an improvement in mental health. For example, in one study researchers fed a group of rats with either low (8 %), … Continue reading →

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Dietary Tryptophan as a Treatment For Anxiety

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Robert Barrington

Anxiety may be caused in some cases by dysfunctional serotonin synthesis. Increasing dietary intake of tryptophan may be a useful strategy in the treatment of anxiety because tryptophan is converted into serotonin. Supplemental tryptophan has been shown to increase brain … Continue reading →

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Why Do Carbohydrate Foods Make You Tired?

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Robert Barrington

Many people are aware that high carbohydrate foods can make them drowsy. The reason for this is well understood and relates to the way that carbohydrate foods cause the release of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for … Continue reading →

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