When tryptophan is ingested as a food or supplement, it is naturally degraded by specialized enzymes in the body. The problem is activity of one of these enzymes increases with age thereby denying the brain the tryptophan it needs to produce adequate serotonin. The result of the excess degradation of tryptophan can be seen in serotonin-associated troubles, such as:

• Poor sleep quality
• Emotional mood and stress
• Weight gain and appetite
• Loss of feeling of well-being

The degradation of tryptophan in the body can be inhibited with the intelligent use of other nutrients. For instance, the amino acid lysine competes with tryptophan in the same oxidative degradation pathway. This means that in the presence of sufficient lysine, less tryptophan is broken down through oxidation. Supplementation with nicotinamide has also been shown to spare plasma L-tryptophan from oxidation through the major pathway, permitting more plasma L-tryptophan to be available for conversion into serotonin.

The primary tryptophan-degrading enzyme is overactivated by inflammatory cytokines. The most comprehensive way to help prevent the enzymatic degradation of tryptophan thus is to suppress the inflammatory factors by taking the proper dose of extracts from ginger, hops, and rosemary.

A patent-pending formula called Optimized TryptoPure® Plus has been developed to protect tryptophan against excessive degradation in our aging bodies, thus sparing it for conversion into serotonin in the brain. Lysine, niacinamide, hops, ginger, and rosemary extracts have been shown to help the body utilize tryptophan more efficiently.14,15

The Optimized TryptoPure® Plus formula contains tryptophan that is certified pure enough to be used as an active ingredient in pharmaceutical products. This pharmaceutical-grade L-tryptophan costs more than other tryptophan raw material as it undergoes significantly more rigorous manufacturing processes to safeguard purity.

TryptoPure® is a registered trademark of Ajinomoto Company, Inc.

Serotonin syndrome is characterized by high levels of serotonin and symptoms like confusion, sweating, agitation, nausea, involuntary muscle contractions, and racing heartbeat. Do not take L-tryptophan if you experience these symptoms. Do not take L-tryptophan in combination with other agents that increase serotonin levels in the central nervous system. Agents that increase serotonin levels can include psychiatric medications (e.g., antidepressants, lithium), migraine medications (e.g., sumatriptan), Parkinson’s disease medications (e.g., carbidopa), and dextromethrphan, an over-the-counter cough suppressant. Do not use before driving or operating heavy machinery.