Many people associate tryptophan with the drowsiness they feel after a big Thanksgiving dinner.
Tryptophan is one of the many amino acids that we intake from our food daily. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein which make up the physical structure of food, as well as the physical structure of our own bodies, like muscles and organs and even neurotransmitters. Tryptophan is one of the 22 most prominent of the hundreds of amino acids. Other prominent amino acids you might recognize include lysine, arginine, cysteine and tyrosine. We get many of our amino acids pre-made from food, though some we must piece together ourselves.
Tryptophan is one of the “essential” amino acids that must be taken into our bodies already fully formed. It is found in most foods, though many people believe it is concentrated in the white meat of turkey.
Keeping a fresh supply of this building material around is simple. We eat food that is then broken down by digestive enzymes into its individual amino acids. After this, other enzymes piece together the individual amino acids into different proteins that our bodies can use, thus replacing old ones. This is one reason people say that we have a new body every seven years.
After the individual amino acids are pieced together by an enzyme, using DNA to direct the sequencing, the resulting long string is twisted and folded by electromagnetic attractions to create a usable form for our bodies.
Tryptophan is a precursor, or building block, for serotonin. Serotonin is the inhibitory neurotransmitter related to dreaming. Thus, tryptophan contributes to our sleepiness after a big meal with turkey, though the size of the meal and the amount of carbohydrates taken in may play a prominent role in our sudden drowsiness.
An inhibitory neurotransmitter such as serotonin sends signals that relax the body. It counterbalances the excitatory neurotransmitters that signal arousal. Tryptophan can be used in certain medical conditions to counter an overabundance of excitatory signals and thus bring a person back into a more balanced state of being. 5HTP (5-hydroxy tryptophan) is a form sometimes used because of its closer approximation to serotonin.
Tryptophan is also very useful in situations of prolonged depression. It eases stress and allows a more balanced view of life. Interestingly, tryptophan is also a precursor to niacin, the B-vitamin associated with relaxing smooth muscles like those surrounding our blood vessels that are directly linked to the autonomic (emotional) nervous system.
The L, in L-tryptophan, refers to the fact that most molecules (tryptophan is a molecule that happens to be an amino acid because of the nitrogen group in its configuration) exist with two mirror image configurations. So, the same molecule, in this case tryptophan, can be right handed (Dextro) or left handed (Levo). The most usable form is the left handed one, and is labeled the “L” form.
5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan (5HTP) is a form of tryptophan that is sometimes used daily to balance out neurotransmitters that were shocked into imbalance such as seen with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I hope this article enhances your experience and provides entertaining table talk during upcoming holidays that may involve conspicuous consumption of recognized tryptophan sources.