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tryptophan

What can high-tryptophan foods do for you?

  • Help regulate your appetite
  • Help you sleep better
  • Elevate your mood

What events can indicate a need for more high-tryptophan foods?

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Impatience
  • Impulsiveness
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Weight gain or unexplained weight loss
  • Slow growth in children
  • Overeating and/or carbohydrate cravings
  • Poor dream recall
  • Insomnia

Food sources of tryptophan include red meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, legumes, soybeans and soy products, tuna, shellfish, and turkey.

World's Healthiest Foods rich in
tryptophan
FoodCals%Daily Value

 Chicken187157.6%

 Soybeans298150%

 Turkey167138.4%

 Tuna147134.6%

 Salmon158115.3%

 Lamb350115.3%

 Tofu164107.6%

 Shrimp135107.6%

 Cod96100%

 Sardines18996.1%

For serving size for specific foods see the Nutrient Rating Chart.

Description

What is tryptophan?

Tryptophan is one of the 10 essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesize the proteins it needs. It's well-known for its role in the production of nervous system messengers, especially those related to relaxation, restfulness, and sleep.

How it Functions

What is the function of tryptophan?

Preventing Niacin Deficiency

Tryptophan has two important functions. First, a small amount of the tryptophan we get in our diet (about 3%) is converted into niacin (vitamin B3) by the liver. This conversion can help prevent the symptoms associated with niacin deficiency when dietary intake of this vitamin is low.

Raising Serotonin Levels

Second, tryptophan serves as a precursor for serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps the body regulate appetite, sleep patterns, and mood. Because of its ability to raise serotonin levels, tryptophan has been used therapeutically in the treatment of a variety of conditions, most notably insomnia, depression, and anxiety.

Deficiency Symptoms

What are deficiency symptoms for tryptophan?

As an essential amino acid, dietary deficiency of tryptophan may cause the symptoms characteristic of protein deficiency, which include weight loss and impaired growth in infants and children.

When accompanied by dietary niacin deficiency, lack of tryptophan in the diet may also cause pellagra, the classic niacin deficiency disease that is characterized by the "4 Ds" —dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death. This condition is very rare in the United States, however, and cannot occur simply because of a tryptophan deficiency.

Dietary deficiency of tryptophan may lead to low levels of serotonin. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, irritability, impatience, impulsiveness, inability to concentrate, weight gain, overeating, carbohydrate cravings, poor dream recall, and insomnia.

Toxicity Symptoms

What are toxicity symptoms for tryptophan?

High dietary intake of tryptophan from food sources is not known to cause any symptoms of toxicity. In addition, tryptophan has been given therapeutically, as a prescription medicine or dietary supplement, in doses exceeding five grams per day with no report of adverse effects.

However, in 1989, the use of dietary supplements containing tryptophan was blamed for the development of a serious condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), which caused severe muscle and joint pain, high fever, weakness, swelling of the arms and legs, and shortness of breath in more than a thousand people. In addition, more than 30 deaths were attributed to EMS caused by tryptophan supplements.

Many experts believe that the EMS was caused by a contaminant that was found in one batch of tryptophan sold by one manufacturer and occurred in only a small number of susceptible individuals. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration, the agency responsible for overseeing the dietary supplement industry, remained convinced that high doses of tryptophan were categorically unsafe. Since 1989, tryptophan has not been available as a dietary supplement in the United States.

To date, a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (TUL) for tryptophan has not yet been established by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

How do cooking, storage or processing affect tryptophan?

There is no research showing problematic effects of cooking, storage, or processing on tryptophan levels in food.

Factors that Affect Function

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of tryptophan?

Vitamin B6 is necessary for the conversion of tryptophan to both niacin and serotonin. Consequently, a dietary deficiency of vitamin B6 may result in low serotonin levels and/or impaired conversion of tryptophan to niacin.

In addition, several dietary, lifestyle, and health factors reduce the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, including cigarette smoking, high sugar intake, alcohol abuse, excessive consumption of protein, hypoglycemia and diabetes.

Nutrient Interactions

How do other nutrients interact with tryptophan?

Vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid and magnesium are necessary for the metabolization of tryptophan. In addition, tyrosine and phenylalanine compete with tryptophan for absorption.

Because of this, some healthcare practitioners believe that food sources of tryptophan do not cause a significant enough increase in blood levels of tryptophan to produce therapeutic results, and that tryptophan must, therefore, be taken as a supplement to increase its blood levels.

Health Conditions

What health conditions require special emphasis on tryptophan?

Tryptophan may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions::

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Headaches
  • Insomnia
  • Nightmares
  • Obesity
  • Obsessive/compulsive disorder
  • Pain
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Senile dementia
  • Tourette's syndrome

Food Sources

What foods provide tryptophan?

Tryptophan occurs naturally in nearly all foods that contain protein, but in small amounts compared to the other essential amino acids. The following foods contain tryptophan: red meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, legumes, soybeans and soy products, tuna, shellfish, and turkey.

Nutrient Rating Chart

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the World's Healthiest Foods that are either an excellent, very good, or good source of tryptophan. Next to each food name, you'll find the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition, the calories contained in the serving, the amount of tryptophan contained in one serving size of the food, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.
World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of
tryptophan
Food Serving
Size
Cals Amount
(g)
DV
(%)
Nutrient
Density
World's
Healthiest
Foods Rating
Chicken 4 oz 187.1 0.41 157.69 15.2 excellent
Soybeans 1 cup 297.6 0.39 150.00 9.1 excellent
Turkey 4 oz 166.7 0.36 138.46 15.0 excellent
Tuna 4 oz 147.4 0.35 134.62 16.4 excellent
Salmon 4 oz 157.6 0.30 115.38 13.2 excellent
Lamb 4 oz 350.4 0.30 115.38 5.9 excellent
Shrimp 4 oz 134.9 0.28 107.69 14.4 excellent
Tofu 4 oz 164.4 0.28 107.69 11.8 excellent
Cod 4 oz 96.4 0.26 100.00 18.7 excellent
Sardines 3.20 oz 188.7 0.25 96.15 9.2 excellent
Scallops 4 oz 125.9 0.20 76.92 11.0 excellent
Spinach 1 cup 41.4 0.07 26.92 11.7 excellent
Beet Greens 1 cup 38.9 0.06 23.08 10.7 excellent
Asparagus 1 cup 39.6 0.05 19.23 8.7 excellent
Mushrooms, Crimini 1 cup 15.8 0.04 15.38 17.5 excellent
Bok Choy 1 cup 20.4 0.03 11.54 10.2 excellent
Soy Sauce 1 TBS 10.8 0.03 11.54 19.2 excellent
Kidney Beans 1 cup 224.8 0.18 69.23 5.5 very good
Black Beans 1 cup 227.0 0.18 69.23 5.5 very good
Dried Peas 1 cup 231.3 0.18 69.23 5.4 very good
Pinto Beans 1 cup 244.5 0.18 69.23 5.1 very good
Navy Beans 1 cup 254.8 0.18 69.23 4.9 very good
Lima Beans 1 cup 216.2 0.17 65.38 5.4 very good
Pumpkin Seeds 0.25 cup 180.3 0.17 65.38 6.5 very good
Lentils 1 cup 229.7 0.16 61.54 4.8 very good
Garbanzo Beans 1 cup 269.0 0.14 53.85 3.6 very good
Barley 0.33 cup 217.1 0.13 50.00 4.1 very good
Sesame Seeds 0.25 cup 206.3 0.12 46.15 4.0 very good
Sunflower Seeds 0.25 cup 204.4 0.10 38.46 3.4 very good
Oats 0.25 cup 151.7 0.09 34.62 4.1 very good
Wheat 1 cup 151.1 0.09 34.62 4.1 very good
Cheese 1 oz 114.2 0.08 30.77 4.8 very good
Buckwheat 1 cup 154.6 0.08 30.77 3.6 very good
Eggs 1 each 77.5 0.08 30.77 7.1 very good
Milk 4 oz 74.4 0.05 19.23 4.7 very good
Broccoli 1 cup 54.6 0.05 19.23 6.3 very good
Collard Greens 1 cup 62.7 0.05 19.23 5.5 very good
Flax Seeds 2 TBS 74.8 0.04 15.38 3.7 very good
Brussels Sprouts 1 cup 56.2 0.04 15.38 4.9 very good
Swiss Chard 1 cup 35.0 0.03 11.54 5.9 very good
Mustard Greens 1 cup 36.4 0.03 11.54 5.7 very good
Turnip Greens 1 cup 28.8 0.03 11.54 7.2 very good
Miso 1 TBS 34.2 0.03 11.54 6.1 very good
Cauliflower 1 cup 28.5 0.03 11.54 7.3 very good
Kale 1 cup 36.4 0.03 11.54 5.7 very good
Cashews 0.25 cup 221.2 0.10 38.46 3.1 good
Quinoa 0.75 cup 222.0 0.10 38.46 3.1 good
Peanuts 0.25 cup 206.9 0.09 34.62 3.0 good
Sweet Potato 1 medium 180.0 0.08 30.77 3.1 good
Millet 1 cup 207.1 0.07 26.92 2.3 good
Brown Rice 1 cup 216.4 0.06 23.08 1.9 good
Rye 0.33 cup 188.5 0.06 23.08 2.2 good
Walnuts 0.25 cup 196.2 0.05 19.23 1.8 good
Green Peas 1 cup 115.7 0.05 19.23 3.0 good
Onions 1 cup 92.4 0.04 15.38 3.0 good
Yogurt 1 cup 149.4 0.04 15.38 1.9 good
Almonds 0.25 cup 132.2 0.04 15.38 2.1 good
Potatoes 1 medium 160.9 0.04 15.38 1.7 good
Winter Squash 1 cup 75.8 0.03 11.54 2.7 good
Beets 1 cup 74.8 0.03 11.54 2.8 good
Corn 1 each 73.9 0.02 7.69 1.9 good
Cabbage 1 cup 43.5 0.02 7.69 3.2 good
Green Beans 1 cup 43.8 0.02 7.69 3.2 good
Thyme 2 TBS 4.8 0.01 3.85 14.3 good
Bell Peppers 1 cup 28.5 0.01 3.85 2.4 good
Watermelon 1 cup 45.6 0.01 3.85 1.5 good
Basil 0.50 cup 4.9 0.01 3.85 14.2 good
Apricot 1 whole 16.8 0.01 3.85 4.1 good
Tomatoes 1 cup 32.4 0.01 3.85 2.1 good
Cucumber 1 cup 15.6 0.01 3.85 4.4 good
Romaine Lettuce 2 cups 16.0 0.01 3.85 4.3 good
Sea Vegetables 1 TBS 10.8 0.01 3.85 6.4 good
Kiwifruit 1 2 inches 42.1 0.01 3.85 1.6 good
Plum 1 2-1/8 inches 30.4 0.01 3.85 2.3 good
Leeks 1 cup 32.2 0.01 3.85 2.1 good
Grapefruit 0.50 medium 41.0 0.01 3.85 1.7 good
Garlic 6 cloves 26.8 0.01 3.85 2.6 good
Summer Squash 1 cup 36.0 0.01 3.85 1.9 good
Strawberries 1 cup 46.1 0.01 3.85 1.5 good
Mustard Seeds 2 tsp 20.3 0.01 3.85 3.4 good
Eggplant 1 cup 34.6 0.01 3.85 2.0 good
Celery 1 cup 16.2 0.01 3.85 4.3 good
World's Healthiest
Foods Rating
Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR
Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR
Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR
Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%

Public Health Recommendations

What are current public health recommendations for tryptophan?

In its most recent 2005 public health recommendations for amino acids (published as the Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients), National Academies Press, 2005), the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) established a general principle for tryptophan intake. The NAS recommended that all individuals 1 year of age or greater consume 7 milligrams of tryptophan for every 1 gram of food protein. Here is how that recommendation would look for each age and gender group, assuming RDA-level protein intake for each group:

  • Children 1-3 years: 91 mg of tryptophan
  • Children 4-8 years: 133 mg of tryptophan
  • Males 9-13 years: 238 mg of tryptophan
  • Males 14-18 years: 364 mg of tryptophan
  • Males 19 years and older: 392 mg of tryptophan
  • Females 9-13 years: 238 mg of tryptophan
  • Females 14 years and older: 322 mg of tryptophan
  • Pregnant or lactating females: 497 mg of tryptophan

References

  • Bell C, Abrams J, Nutt D. Tryptophan depletion and its implications for psychiatry. Br J Psychiatry 2001 May;178:399-405. 2001. PMID:15990.
  • Celenza JL. Metabolism of tyrosine and tryptophan--new genes for old pathways. Curr Opin Plant Biol 2001 Jun;4(3):234-40. 2001. PMID:16010.
  • Crean J, Richards JB, and de Wit H. Effect of tryptophan depletion on impulsive behavior in men with or without a family history of alcoholism. Behav Brain Res 2002 Nov 15;136(2):349-57. 2002.
  • Groff JL, Gropper SS, Hunt SM. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. West Publishing Company, New York, 1995. 1995.
  • Lininger SW, et al. A-Z guide to drug-herb-vitamin interactions. Prima Health, Rocklin, CA, 2000. 2000.
  • Mahan K, Escott-Stump S. Krause's Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy. WB Saunders Company; Philadelphia, 1996. 1996.
  • Martinez A, Knappskog PM, Haavik J. A structural approach into human tryptophan hydroxylase and its implications for the regulation of serotonin biosynthesis. Curr Med Chem 2001 Jul;8(9):1077-91. 2001. PMID:15980.
  • Moore P, Landolt HP, Seifritz E, et al. Clinical and physiological consequences of rapid tryptophan depletion. Neuropsychopharmacology 2000 Dec;23(6):601-22. 2000. PMID:16020.
  • Van der Does AJ. The effects of tryptophan depletion on mood and psychiatric symptoms. J Affect Disord 2001 May;64(2-3):107-19. 2001. PMID:16000.
  • Widner B, Wirleitner B, Baier-Bitterlich G, et al. Cellular immune activation, neopterin production, tryptophan degradation and the development of immunodeficiency. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2000;48(4):251-8. 2000. PMID:16030.

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