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Article: L-tryptophan.(Monograph)
- Article from:
- Alternative Medicine Review
- Article date:
- March 1, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Thorne Research Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
L-tryptophan (tryptophan; Trp) is a large neutral amino acid essential to human metabolism because it is the metabolic precursor of serotonin (a neurotransmitter), melatonin (a neurohormone), and niacin (vitamin B3).
As a component of dietary protein, tryptophan is particularly plentiful in chocolate, oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, meat, fish, turkey, and peanuts. Approximately 300 mg Trp is available in three ounces of turkey, lamb, beef, tuna, or peanuts. (1) Relative to other amino acids, small amounts are needed to have a therapeutic effect, which is fortunate because Trp is the least abundant amino acid in the diet. ...