The health benefits of tryptophan and it's uses.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which is used by the body for many different functions.
This comes from protein rich foods such as eggs, fish, meat or plant proteins such as
seeds or algae.
In today's video we will explore the benefits of tryptophan and its effects in the body.
1. Sleep Consuming tryptophan from foods is very important
because it is converted into niacin in the body. This is involved with making serotonin
and melatonin, the hormone responsible for your wake/sleep cycles. Getting enough tryptophan
along with other essential nutrients helps to regulate your body clock for better sleeping
patterns.
2. Mood Tryptophan is intimately involved with making
serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain which improves your mood. Low levels of serotonin
are linked to depression and mood disorders, so it's important that you have enough of
this to feel good.
3. Concentration By helping to produce serotonin in the brain,
the amino acid tryptophan also stimulates better concentration levels and mental focus.
Studies show that serotonin increases your ability to learn and store more information.
4. Digestion Approximately 90% of the human body's serotonin
is located in the GI tract, which helps to regulate bowel movements and the intestines.
Consuming foods rich in tryptophan helps to make this chemical messenger, to keep the
bowels moving for better digestion.
5. PMS Some women take a supplement of L-tryptophan
to try and ease mood swings caused by premenstrual syndrome. By helping to raise serotonin levels
in the body, tryptophan essentially helps you to feel calmer, relaxed and cheerful.
6. Muscle Growth Although tryptophan doesn’t directly influence
your muscle growth, it actually helps you get a more restorative night's sleep. The
majority of muscle growth and fat burning takes place whilst you are resting and asleep,
which is why tryptophan is excellent for improving this.
7. Cholesterol The body converts some tryptophan that you
consume into Vitamin B3 (niacin). This nutrient is well known for helping to regulate cholesterol
levels when it comes to HDL and LDL, two important lipoproteins in the body.
8. ADHD Some studies show that children with ADHD
tend to have lower levels of tryptophan in the body. Supplements do not appear to improve
the symptoms, however they may benefit from eating a nutrient dense diet, with higher
amounts of DHA and omega 3-s.
9. Migraines Those who have low levels of tryptophan may
also suffer with migraines and intense headaches. We recommend eating fish at least 3 times
per week to help fight off painful migraines, including blurred vision and disorientation.
10. Supplement Instead of taking L-tryptophan as a supplement,
it is recommended to take 5-HTP (5 hydroxytryptophan) if you wish to boost your mood, sleep or concentration
levels. This is easier for the body to use and has less side effects than regular tryptophan
supplements. 5-HTP can be directly converted into serotonin and melatonin.
As you can see tryptophan is extremely important, especially when it comes to regulating sleeping
patterns and improving your mood.
The body cannot make this amino acid on its own, so we must get this in the diet from
healthy food sources.
In our other video we share a list of the best food sources of tryptophan, be sure to
select this at the end to learn more.
Alternatively we also have a "Brain Health" playlist where you can learn about all sleep,
brain chemistry and the best nutrients for thinking
Thank you very much for listening, a like
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I wish you great health, wealth and happiness.