Tryptophan is one of 22 standardamino acids and is an essential amino acid in the human diet. Because L-tryptophan(the form required by the human body) can not be produced by the body itself, it must be obtained through diet or through supplementation. Tryptophan is a naturally occurring amino acid obtained from plants and animals. It is especially plentiful in chocolate, oats, dried dates, milk, yogurt, cottage cheesered meat, eggs, fish, poultry, sesame seeds,chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, spirulina, bananas, and peanuts.
L-tryptophan is often sold as an herbal supplement and in the 1980's it was a very popular dietary supplement. It is sold over the counter in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and in some European countries.L-tryptophan is used in alternative medicine to assist in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, depression, premenstrual syndrome, attention deficit disorder, smoking cessation, sleep apnea, obesity and other conditions.
In 1989, the over the counter sale of L-tryptophan was banned in the United States after a manufacturing error by one of the world's five L-tryptophanproducers introduceda contaminant into the productthat resulted in more than 1500 cases of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (ems) (which is characterized by muscle pains, increasing fatigue, skin rash, shortness of breath (sob), cough,and swelling around the ankles and eyes) and in atleast 37 deaths. The manufacturing error was identified and corrected relatively quickly, and there have no reports of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (ems) resulting from the use of uncontaminated L-tryptophan.
In February of 2001, the FDA loosened it restrictions on the sale and marketing of tryptophan. In 2005, the FDA fully lifted the ban on tryptophan and is now legally sold as a dietary supplement.
References
1. Gaby, Alan R MD; L-tryptophan is Back, Natural Medicine Journal.
2. Trytiphan, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, p1-11.
3. Bruckheim, A Dr., Why Fda Ordered L-tryptophan Ban, Chicago Tribune, June 1990.
4.Barrett, Stephen MD, Notes on the Tryptophan Disaster, Quackwatch.
5. Corriher, SC, Special Investigative Report: L-tryptophan, Lactic Acid, Prozac, and Naturally Treating Depression the Holistic Way, Newsweek, February 08, 2010.
