L-Tryptophan Capsules – 60 Pcs.

Definition: Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (more specifically: an aromatic amino acid), which means that it must be obtained through food, as it cannot be produced by the human body itself.

Origin: Sugar cane

Effects:

• promotes sleep
• serotonergic (affects mood)

Indications:

• During the day Serotonin: inner restlessness, nervousness
• In the evening/night Melatonin: sleep disorders

Side effects: Dizziness, headaches, fatigue, low blood pressure

Contraindications: Severe liver insufficiency (severe liver dysfunction), severe kidney diseases, kidney insufficiency, hepatic encephalopathy, small intestine carcinoid with heart damage (Hedinger syndrome), children and adolescents (insufficient data)

Interactions: Concurrent treatment with MAO inhibitors, SSRIs or amphetamines

Miscellaneous:

Tryptophan is metabolised to serotonin via 5-hydroxytryptophan. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter as well as a tissue hormone. Alongside dopamine, noradrenaline, oxytocin, phenethylamine and endorphins, serotonin is also one of the so-called "happiness hormones".

Happiness hormones are messengers that evoke feelings of happiness and well-being. This feeling is achieved through a relaxing, pain-relieving, numbing or stimulating effect. In darkness (in the evening or at night), serotonin is converted into melatonin in a further step.

Melatonin is regulated in a circadian rhythm in the brain and inhibited by light. A deficiency of melatonin can lead to sleep disorders. As one ages, the body produces less melatonin, the average sleep duration decreases, and sleep problems occur more frequently ("senile bed escape").