China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Sleep
Published in Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau, Beyond Menopause, 2023
Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau
L-tryptophan is an amino acid that is used to support restful sleep. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning the body cannot synthesize it; it must be obtained from the diet. Once in the brain, tryptophan is converted to serotonin, which is further metabolized into melatonin by the pineal gland. Evidence indicates that L-tryptophan in doses of 1 gram or more increases sleepiness and decreases the time it takes to fall sleep. Vitamin B6 is often added to the formula to provide enhanced support.
Kidney Failure/Renal Insufficiency/Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Published in Charles Theisler, Adjuvant Medical Care, 2023
For difficulty getting to sleep, L-tryptophan is effective in reducing sleep onset time on the first night of administration in doses ranging from 1-15 g. In more chronic, well-established sleep-onset insomnia or in more severe insomnias characterized by both sleep onset and sleep maintenance problems, repeated administration of low doses of L-tryptophan over time may be required for therapeutic improvement.16
Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Spirituality in Cardiovascular Disease
Published in Stephen T. Sinatra, Mark C. Houston, Nutritional and Integrative Strategies in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2022
Erminia Guarneri, Shyamia Stone
L-Tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTP) have been used to increase levels of serotonin, in lieu of SSRI medication for depression and anxiety. L-Tryptophan intake at a dose of 2 g three times per day was studied in the 1970s and found to have equivalent outcomes with TCAs.129 Since this time, it has become more controversial due to its potential interaction with SSRIs and development of serotonin syndrome. In addition, eosinophilic myalgia syndrome was linked to a contaminant in tryptophan supplements. However, if no serotonin-producing drugs are being utilized, tryptophan and 5-HTP can serve to potentiate serotonin and decrease depressive or anxious symptoms, provided that a source made to pharmaceutical grade is utilized. A study performed by Lu and colleagues found that in an animal model, a post-MI population had lower 5-HTP levels in the hippocampus, suggesting this as a potential mechanism of post-cardiac event depression.130 A proposed mechanism of low tryptophan in depression is based upon HPA axis regulation of tryptophan.131 Since HPA axis dysregulation in itself is a mechanism of correlation between depression and CVD, targeting HPA axis regulation is also an area of treatment.
Pharmacotherapeutic management of sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Published in Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 2019
Oliviero Bruni, Marco Angriman, Maria Grazia Melegari, Raffaele Ferri
Tryptophan is an essential plant-derived amino acid that is needed for the in vivo biosynthesis of proteins. After consumption, it is metabolically transformed to bioactive metabolites, including serotonin, melatonin, kynurenine, and the vitamin niacin (nicotinamide). As early as 1974, the use of L-tryptophan (LT) was suggested as a natural hypnotic and was widely used in the 80s for the treatment of sleep disorders and headache prophylaxis. LT produces a negligible decrease in REM sleep and increase in NREM sleep [129], does not have opioid-like effects, and does not limit cognitive performance or inhibit arousal from sleep [130]. Several positive effects on sleep have been reported in the literature: improvement of SL and decrease in arousal [131,132]. One study with LT at different doses (250 mg, 1 g, and 3 g) in adults showed improvement in SL and a reduction in WASO, with a moderate effect on sleep quality. None of the papers reported systematic information regarding adverse effects associated with tryptophan [133–135].
Inhibition of hormonal and behavioral effects of stress by tryptophan in rats
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2019
Sumera Gul, Darakhshan Saleem, Muhammad A. Haleem, Darakhshan Jabeen Haleem
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid; its source is therefore dietary.14 It is reported in a clinical investigation that fasting as well as postprandial plasma levels of leptin are increased and those of ghrelin decreased in normal healthy controls given an oral dose of 500 mg/kg tryptophan.15 Because exposure to stress increases circulating leptin and injected leptin can reduce stress effects on behavior,5,6 we hypothesize that exogenous tryptophan will produce a greater increase in circulating leptin in stressed animals to reduce stress effects on behavior. The present study was therefore designed to monitor effects of orally administered tryptophan on serum levels of leptin, ghrelin, food intake, and behavior in an elevated plus maze in unstressed and stressed animals. In view of tryptophan-induced increases of serum serotonin16 playing a role in leptin release from the adipocytes,17 circulating levels of tryptophan and serotonin are also determined. In the first part of the study, effects of tryptophan at doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg were determined on circulating levels of leptin and ghrelin. A dose of tryptophan (300 mg/kg) selected from the dose response study was used to investigate effects of tryptophan on serum serotonin, leptin, ghrelin, food intake, and behavior in the elevated plus maze in rats exposed to immobilization and in unstressed controls.
An evening milk drink can affect word recall in Indonesian children with decreased sleep efficiency: A randomized controlled trial
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2018
Rini Sekartini, Dian Novita Chandra, Tiana Arsianti, Saptawati Bardosono, Tjhin Wiguna, Anne Schaafsma
Furthermore, some neurotransmitters play an important role in the process of sleep. It is known that diet-dependent serum concentrations of tryptophan are important for the synthesis of brain serotonin, which stimulates sleep onset. For that reason, tryptophan-rich whey proteins are of interest, whereas high GI carbohydrates support the uptake of tryptophan in brain tissue.11,12 The gamma-amino butyric acid receptors, involved in sleep and calming, might be a target of bovine αs1-casein (α-casozepine: Tyr-Leu-Gly-Tyr-Leu-Glu-Gln-Leu-Leu-Arg) that has shown stress-reducing and sleep-improving properties in rats and human adults.13,14 Effective amounts were 2.5–12 mg/kg of body weight (BW) in human adults.15 Finally, the development of an acidic metabolism should be limited since this, as well as stress, may stimulate the neurotransmitter orexin, which is a regulator of arousal, wakefulness, and appetite.16 For that reason, higher intakes of potassium and magnesium might favor sleep duration.17–19