Does your body have enough of the amino tryptophan? It’s one of the 20 amino acids, and it’s important to have enough of each of them. That’s because they have different functions for the body and mind. Tryptophan was discovered over a century ago in a milk protein. This amino is used for different functions. Like others, your body must have enough of the amino acid. Foods high in this amino acid include beef, cheese, nuts/seeds, and soybeans. This is one of the “essential” amino acids. In other words, people have to get it from food/supplements since the body doesn’t produce it. So it’s critical to know the foods that contain high amounts of it.
Tryptophan is used for several functions. They include quitting smoking, boosting mood, and improving athletic performance. It’s critical to know the various benefits of this amino acid. You’ll then know the possible benefits. In some cases, there’s solid evidence that it can provide certain health benefits. In other cases, there’s little/no evidence that’s the case. For example, since tryptophan is related to “feel-good” hormones there’s a chance it could help with mental disorders related to mood. However, some benefits are unlikely.
What Is the Amino Tryptophan?
This is one of the body’s 9 essential amino acids (EAAs). These aminos are needed through food and supplements. That’s because the body simply doesn’t produce them naturally. That’s the case with “non-essential” amino acids.
There are a total of 20 amino acids. There are 11 non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) and sometimes the human body doesn’t make enough of them. In that case, you might have to supplement the amino acid with food or supplements.
All EAAs/NEAAs are building blocks of protein. The body needs to have enough of all of them due to their role in helping the body/brain to work properly. That won’t be possible if your body doesn’t have enough of the particular amino acids.
Tryptophan is an important amino aci9d that’s used to build the body’s DNA molecules. It’s also important for other functions related to hormones linked to mood and sleep.
Since this is an EAA it’s important to consume foods that contain it. They include pork, beef, bananas, dairy, and chocolate. It’s important to consume these foods and others that are high in the amino acid.
This amino acid can help to boost mood since it’s related to the body’s production of the hormone “serotonin.” This is one of the hormones that are linked to a person having a “runner’s high” if they’re running or doing another exercise that boosts mood.
The amino acid can help the body make the hormone melatonin. This is related to the body’s wake/sleep cycles. So if you’re having a problem getting enough shut-eye at night. It could be related to not getting enough amino acids in your diet. It’s critical to make sure that isn’t an issue.
There are various old-school treatments for treating sleeplessness that include high-tryptophan foods. For example, a glass of milk at bedtime is often used to treat insomnia.
Amino Tryptophan: Possible Health Benefits
Insomnia
It’s unclear whether or cold or warm milk is a better option to help you get shut-eye when you’re tossing and turning. However, it seems that consuming food/supplements high in tryptophan might help you to fall asleep faster.
Interestingly, people used tryptophan foods to fall asleep without knowing it was the amino acid that was helping them to doze off faster. Interestingly such treatments are somewhat helpful for dealing with sleeplessness and maybe just as effective as “counting sheep.”
Today high-tryptophan foods are used for different functions. They include falling asleep and boosting mood. However, if you’re taking the amino acid for a specific purpose, it’s critical to find out whether or not there’s strong scientific proof it helps for that function.
Anxiety/Depression
One of the side-effects of consuming tryptophan through foods or supplements is it might increase the risk of anxiety/depression. Sometimes meds with this amino acid are used to help treat these conditions. That’s because it’s related to the body’s production of the so-called feel-good hormone serotonin.
It’s believed that increased serotonin might help to reduce anxiety/depression. Thus, these treatments are often effective in treating the conditions. More research is needed about whether or not consuming high-tryptophan foods can help to reduce these mental conditions. However, in theory, it’s possible.
Weight loss
Dairy products are high in this amino acid. One of the possible benefitsz of the amino acid is helping to shed pounds and burn fat. This can help to reduce your waistline and reach your weight loss goals. However, more research is needed.
If you want to lose weight then full-fat dairy, in particular, might help. One reason is that it can help to boost metabolism, which can help you burn calories. Another benefit is some studies show that high-fat diets are more effective than low-fat diets for weight loss.
Best Foods for Amino Tryptophan
Cheese
You can pick from various options include parmesan, Adam, and cheddar. Don’t worry—mozzarella is also high in the amino acid so it’s a good excuse to add some pizza to your diet.
If you want to make your pizza healthier then go with homemade ingredients including organic pizza sauce and toppings. You could also pick cauliflower crust if you want to make the whole meal low-carb.
Soybeans
This doesn’t just include soybeans themselves but also products made from them like soy milk, miso soup, sprouted soybeans, tofu, etc. All of these foods are high in the amino acid tryptophan so you can get all the benefits from them.
Fish
This food provides several health benefits. Some good options include:
- Cod
- Mackerel
- Salmon
- Trout
- Tuna
Fish is high in nutrients like protein, healthy fat, vitamins/minerals, etc. You can also get a lot of the amino acid tryptophan. /This can provide several health benefits.
Red Meat
That includes options like pork, beef, veal, goat, and lamb. Make sure to go with lean meats for the healthiest options. This will help to produce the best results in terms of overall health along with the amino acid tryptophan.
Poultry
If you’re a fan of chicken and turkey, then consider these foods for more of the amino acid. You can go with wings, breasts, drumsticks, or even ground turkey. All of these options are good ones to boost your intake of the amino acid. You should also consider the cooking method for better health like grilling, baking, and broiling.
Nuts and seeds
Some of the best options are:
- Cashew
- Flaxseeds
- Hazelnuts
- Pistachio
- Pumpkin
- Sesame
- Squash
- Sunflower
As always it’s a good idea to consume a wide variety to make sure you’re getting the most vitamins/minerals/enzymes possible. However, they all can provide the various benefits you can get from amino tryptophan.