L-tryptophan

[Wufflebear]

has anyone taken L-tryptophan and did it help?? I took it briefly in high school before bed and thought it was great, but then it was taken off the market because of a contamination issue. I just wondered since I read that it is involved w/ seritonin that maybe it might be a good puzzle piece to explore...

Has anyone taken it? Did it help? Does anyone know anything about it?

[Be Still]

I used it way back and it helped me sleep. Now, it's only available by prescription.

If you are interested, 5HTP, available OTC, is commonly used in place of L-Tryptophan. 5HTP (5-Hyroxytryptophan) is a further broken down version of the amino acid and people take it for serotonin enhancement. Unfortunately, 5HTP does not help me.

[MightyMouse]

You are correct. All OTC direct derivations of L-tryptophan were pulled from the marketplace a number of years ago.

Nina

[lthomas521]

The tryptophan product that was contaminated was produced by genetically engineered bacteria. Unfortunately, the bacteria were also producing an amino acid that no one had ever observed before and that proved to be toxic. When journalists "pooh-pooh" food activists who question the safety of genetically modified foods, they conveniently forget this story. Down the memory hole it goes.

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/tryptophan.php

Also unfortunately, all tryptophan products were taken off the market, even though it was only the GMO-produced product that was a problem.

I've worked for a pharmaceutical company that makes a recombinant drug, but that drug went through all sorts of chemical analysis, safety testing, and postmarketing surveillance. I wouldn't worry about using a genetically engineered drug, but I wonder about the safety of some of the genetically engineered foods, which haven't undergone anywhere near as much testing.