Tryptophan is one of the essential amino acids that the body needs for protein metabolism. Unlike plants, humans cannot make tryptophan and thus, get it from the diet. Without tryptophan one cannot build muscle and many other important chemicals like neurotransmitters. Tryptophan is available in many foods including chocolate, oats, milk, yogurt, poultry, eggs and many types of seeds.
Health food stores market tryptophan as a cure for a few mental disorders, especially depression and seasonal mood disorder. While there are lots of anecdotal reports that tryptophan can ease depression or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, reliable clinical data are lacking.
In the body, tryptophan is synthesized into an important chemical known as 5 hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). 5-HT is a vital chemical and plays an important role as a messenger in many nerves. It is widely believed that low levels of 5-HT may be the cause of depression and that is the reason why many of the novel anti depressants prevent the breakdown of 5HT.
About 2 decades ago; tryptophan was associated with a serious muscle disorder and caused a number of deaths. It was banned for a few years but is now back on the market. Today, tryptophan is widely available in food stores, but its quality and quantity remain suspect.
Health care experts claim that many such products arrive from the Orient where fakes and counterfeit products are common- so in the end it is a buyer beware market when it comes to health supplements like tryptophan