L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps the body make proteins and certain brain-signaling chemicals.
Your body changes L-tryptophan into a brain chemical called serotonin. Serotonin helps control your mood and sleep.
Why do people take L-tryptophan?
You can get all the L-tryptophan that your body needs by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Supplement doses depend on the health condition you are trying to prevent or treat.
Some people take L-tryptophan supplements to try to help them sleep.
Low levels of L-tryptophan have been seen in people with depression. Some claim up to 60 milligrams of L-tryptophan daily may help improve your mood or ward off mental health disorders such as depression.
There is limited research to back these claims and studies show mixed results in supporting these claims.
Some women take L-tryptophan supplements to try to ease mood swings due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), also called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The theory is that these conditions may be linked to a problem with serotonin processing in the body, and that L-tryptophan could help that. However, there is little evidence to show this really works.