Mood disorders affect a large portion of the U.S. population. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 10 percent of the U.S. adult population had a mood disorder over a 12-month period in 2005, with 45 percent of those qualifying as severe disorders. Tryptophan plays an important role in the regulation of emotion and might assist in alleviating symptoms of depression. Discuss using tryptophan to treat mood disorders with your doctor prior to use.
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid; it is obtained through diet and is not produced by your body. Sources of tryptophan include turkey, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, tofu, nuts, fish, eggs, milk products and soy. Tryptophan is also available in supplement form as L-tryptophan. Your body uses tryptophan to produce serotonin and niacin.
5-HTP and Serotonin
Your body uses tryptophan to produce 5-HTP, or 5-hydroxytryptophan, an important precursor to serotonin. 5-HTP is not available from dietary sources. Tryptophan is next converted into serotonin, a monoamine neurotransmitter found in your central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin is responsible for regulating mood, sleep, appetite, some cognitive functions and muscle contraction.
Tryptophan and Mood
Tryptophan plays an important role in the regulation of mood. Inadequate levels of tryptophan might lead to depressed mood requiring pharmacological treatment with antidepressants or supplemental 5-HTP, L-tryptophan. The publication "Science" reported in 2000 that decreasing tryptophan precipitated an increase in aggression in studies of both human and primate subjects. L-tryptophan is used as a supplement to treat depression in combination with other medications, as well as to treat bipolar affective disorder in combination with lithium, reports MayoClinic.com.
Cautions
You should discuss tryptophan with your doctor prior to using, particularly if you are using other medications that increase serotonin levels in the body. Too much serotonin might lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. This condition can cause agitation, restlessness, poor coordination, confusion, sweating, nausea, vomiting, excitability and uncontrollable talking, seizures and potentially death, reports MayoClinic.com. It requires immediate medical attention.
References
- "Science"; Dysfunction in the Neural Circuitry of Emotion Regulation -- A Possible Prelude to Violence; Richard J. Davidson, et al.; 2000
- News Medical: What Is Serotonin?
- University of Maryland Medical Center; 5-Hyrdroxytryptophan; Steven D. Ehrlich, N.M.D.
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Tryptophan -- Overview; Patrika Tsai, M.D., M.P.H.
- MayoClinic.com; Tryptophan (Oral Route); 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Depression (Major Depression); 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; An Estimated 1 in 10 U.S. Adults Report Depression; 2011
- National Institute of Mental Health; Any Mood Disorder Among Adults; 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Serotonin Syndrome; 2011
