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Written by Sarah Cain
Friday, 28 May 2010 00:10
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L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is found in many foods. It cannot be produced by the body itself, so it must be gained through a healthy diet or through supplementation. L-tryptophan was a very common dietary supplement until 1989. Prior to that, it was used as a natural and holistic treatment for depression, and as a sleep aid.
It is widely believed that the body uses L-tryptophan as a building material to produce serotonin as needed. This is technically not usually true, as will be explained later. There is a greater efficacy from L-tryptophan than pharmaceutical S.S.R.I. anti-depressants, because it helps a body to regulate its own serotonin more effectively, so that there will not be too little, or too much. In addition, it helps the body to produce lactic acid, which has its own effects on mood regulation. Did we mention that L-tryptophan is an all natural food nutrient, or that it is cheap and has no side effects? We certainly should not forget to mention that as a natural substance, L-tryptophan cannot be monopoly patented, which was a big concern for the F.D.A. and its business partner, Eli Lilly (maker of Prozac), during the late 1980's.
In the fall of 1989, the F.D.A. banned L-tryptophan sales, claiming that it caused a rare and deadly flu-like condition known as Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome. Of course, the F.D.A. allegation was not true, which follows the usual pattern regarding herbs and supplements. L-tryptophan is a naturally occurring amino acid that is already found in foods, after all. In other words, all of us would be in serious trouble if the F.D.A. cronies had been telling the truth, unless we could find a way to survive without eating food. Food wasn't banned, by the way. The illnesses were actually caused by toxic impurities in L-tryptophan products, which were imported by a Japanese manufacturer. The manufacturer was found to have been secretly experimenting with a genetically engineered bacteria, in an attempt to speed the production process and efficacy of its tryptophan products. Mixing a G.E. neurotoxin with a neurotransmitter precursor like L-tryptophan would result in accelerated excitotoxin reactions beyond what is normally biologically possible. It was like mixing either monosodium glutamate or aspartame with a bio-engineered, bio-toxic, nervous system stimulant together: only worse. Imagine 'Genetically modified cocaine enhanced monosodium glutamate', and you will get the picture.
E.M.S. is now diagnosed as fibromyalgia, since "the cause" (L-tryptophan) was removed from the market, so there just had to be a completely different disease inflicting people, which coincidentally had exactly the same symptoms. This is the usual pattern for how FDA science works to remove unpatentable pharmaceutical competition. No action was ever taken against the Japanese company responsible for the poisoned L-tryptophan products, by the way, and their involvement was abruptly hushed. We'll bet you never learned about it from your news network. Instead of dealing with the manufacturer, or issues of importation and contamination, the F.D.A. completely banned the innocent L-tryptophan as an illegal product on March 22nd, 1990. In contrast, Chinese manufacturers poisoned our toothpastes with deadly antifreeze, but somehow toothpastes were never removed from the market.
Prozac was officially approved by the F.D.A. in December of 1987, but the marketing scheme of this partnership had not yet been employed. That's where our story gets interesting. Just four days after the F.D.A. ban on L-tryptophan, on March 26, 1990, Newsweek magazine featured a cover article praising the anti-depressant drug Prozac. Four days later. Its multi-color cover payed homage to a floating, gigantic green and white capsule of Prozac with the bold caption: "Prozac: A Breakthrough Drug for Depression". Eli Lilly marketed Prozac as a new "breakthrough" to differentiate it from other S.S.R.I.'s, which had been taken off the market because they were dangerous.
This 4 day coincidence went completely unnoticed by media sources, but it is jarring to anyone with a knowledge of how these two substances are believed to work. L-Tryptophan and Prozac are both believed to work with serotonin, which was a relatively new concept at the time. Prozac (fluoxetine) is marketed to "enhance" the serotonin that is already present in the brain through some mystical reaction that can only be defined in grotesquely long marketing buzz words. It's really up there with the space-time-continuum in other words, but it made great fodder for waiting room brochures. Prozac was never fully understood, so everyone was fair game in the experimental medicine game. Some things never change.
In contrast, the all natural L-tryptophan is fairly well understood. It is used as a building material for the body to produce either serotonin or lactic acid; both of which play large roles in mood regulation. This allows a body to produce exactly the amounts of its own natural serotonin and lactic acid that it needs; so that it has neither too much, nor too little of them. It's an internal balancing act. Tryptophan safely works with a body, instead of against it; by giving it a tool that is needed. Poor diets can cause L-tryptophan deficiencies, but Prozac deficiencies have never existed.
The drug patent on Prozac expired in 2001, which coincidentally is the very same year that the F.D.A. ban on L-tryptophan was lifted. It's another coincidence indeed. The F.D.A. were helping Eli Lilly again, this time by eliminating their would-be competitors. The F.D.A. was being flooded by legal actions regarding Prozac at the time, due to its murderously psychotic "side effects". It's worth noting that Eli Lilly then re-branded Prozac as "Sarafem" for the treatment of Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), in an attempt to illegally extend their patent through deception. Their patent was invalidated in a lawsuit against a generic drug manufacturer, which judicially laid to rest the patent for this sinister drug.
The Chemical Imbalance: Serotonin, L-Tryptophan, Fructose and Lactic Acid
The effects of serotonin on the brain are actually more theory than they are science. When a patient tells his doctor that he is depressed, there are no tests of his serotonin levels. No such tests even exist. Yet, supposedly serotonin-altering drugs are prescribed, just as surely as antibiotics are for the common cold. Increasingly, doctors and other medical professionals are coming forward to question the theory that states low serotonin levels always lead to depression. Their medical training likewise does not generally teach them about how L-tryptophan reduces depression either, but they generally accept that it is as effective as Prozac.
After exhaustive research, we have come to some new discoveries about the mechanisms of this amino acid. Those who are lactose intolerant, experience gastrointestinal problems, or who experience fructose mal-absorption are likely to experience depression. This is believed to be because L-tryptophan from food sources is not being properly absorbed by the intestines, leading to reduced L-tryptophan in the blood and brain. Thus, supplementation provides good results for treating the symptoms. However, there are loopholes in this logic, because both fructose and lactose are metabolized and absorbed differently.
Exercise results in both reduced depression, and an increase in lactic acid in the blood. It is this lactic acid that is believed to be responsible for muscular soreness afterward. Exercise has been proven to be equally effective as a treatment for depression as pharmaceutical anti-depressants. Thus, exercise brings about physical changes that can reduce depression, and we will shortly see a clear link between blood-borne lactic acid and mood elevation going beyond the endorphins. Technically, this makes lactic acid one of those endorphins.
The reason why people with lactose intolerance and fructose mal-absorption experience depression may not be a direct result of L-tryptophan deficiency, but of a plasma lactic acid imbalance. Fructose can be converted into lactic acid, but not in the case of somebody who is suffering with fructose mal-absorption. In addition, those who are lactose intolerant are unable to create their own lactic acid through the usual route of lactose metabolization. This could be remedied by L-tryptophan intake because lactic acid is metabolized from L-tryptophan reserves. This tells us that lactic acid may well be the cure for non-psychological depressions, but not when it is ingested in a synthetic form. It must be foremost ingested as L-tryptophan or fructose, and then be converted by the body. Without this conversion process, lactic acid is known to produce side effects, which ironically include depression.
Curing is about restoring balance, and the body can do better regulation than any chemist. With that said, lactic acid has long been demonized, especially by athletes in ignorance, but recent studies are showing that such an attitude may be backwards. According to the New York Times, new studies show that lactic acid is the main catalyst for muscle repair and regrowth, not the menace causing unnecessary pain and suffering.
The following table shows some of the organic chemical transformations that take place inside the human body. It graphically shows the importance of lactic acid, and that the body can use L-tryptophan whenever it needs to produce either serotonin or more lactic acid to get that so-called "chemical imbalance" balanced again.
| Serotonin |
→
|
Lactic Acid |
| Fructose |
→
|
Lactic Acid |
| L-tryptophan |
→
|
Lactic Acid |
| L-tryptophan |
→
|
Serotonin |
Of course, we are not going to recommend that people start consuming processed sugars or high fructose corn syrup to eliminate their depressions. To the contrary, lactic acid that is produced from chemically extracted fructose seems to be less effective in helping with depression, and it fosters a huge array of very serious disease states. People should also avoid homogenized milk as a source of lactic acid too, because it too will bring long term health consequences through inflammation, and these consequences include heart disease. Lactic acid containing milk is nevertheless something of an antidepressant and calmative, as is shown in its use with young children. Crying due to spilled milk is not just a figure of speech.
We recommend L-tryptophan supplementation for those who are suffering with non-psychological depressions, as a method of naturally increasing bio-usable lactic acid, but not necessarily serotonin. 5-HTP is based upon L-tryptophan, and has very similar effects, but it is believed to be not as effective. The calmative actions of both lead to much more restful sleep (a problem for depressed individuals), and L-tryptophan is actually the compound inside of turkey meat that causes drowsiness. L-tryptophan will only produce more serotonin if it is needed. Only the right balance of serotonin and naturally produced lactic acid will reduce depression. L-tryptophan helps the body to tip the chemical scales in whichever direction they need to go. This is the difference between new age experimental medicine and God's medicine.
Additional Depression Fighting Supplements
- niacin (vitamin B3)
- chlorophyll
- Nuts. Cashews and walnuts are very helpful in stabilizing the hormones that contribute to depression, and providing the B vitamins that improve moods.
- Magnesium (requires vitamin D and calcium).
- Salvia Divinorum
- Hormone regulating fruits
- Unlike L-tryptophan, supplementing with melatonin can make depression worse or improve it, depending on the individual. We thus recommend against supplementing with melatonin. Melatonin is produced from serotonin, so the need for melatonin can be fulfilled with L-tryptophan supplementation.
- 5-HTP has been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years for its efficacy in eliminating depression. It has been demonstrated to be effective in multiple studies. Start supplementing with 25mg, and increase the dosage by 25mg every four days if it is not having any effect. Do not exceed 100mg. If you feel anxious, have trouble sleeping, experience nausea, or have diarrhea, reduce the dosage. A lot of people take too much 5-HTP and thus experience side-effects.
The Status Quo
Despite the knowledge and use of L-tryptophan for decades, official studies are still surprisingly scarce, because no company will spend millions on something that they can never patent. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence that it does safely and effectively reduce depression, so long as it is not contaminated, of course. The safety and efficacy of tryptophan was the true reason for the coincidental F.D.A. ban. We have noticed in the past that if something really is an alternative medicine fraud (ie. magnet therapy, urine therapy, foot detox) then the F.D.A. will leave the fraudsters alone. That's because alternative medicine frauds malign the reputation of alternative medicine as a whole, which is what the F.D.A. seeks. In other words, the efficacy of an alternative supplement can be judged by the F.D.A.'s reactions to it. If the F.D.A. seems to hate something, then you can literally bet your life that you need to investigate it, and you really will be betting your life if you ignore this advice, whether you realize it or not.
Using Tryptophan to Eliminate Depression
Whenever you try to treat depression, it's critical that you remember that depression is often appropriate for the circumstances. If depression can be linked to an obvious psychological cause, such as the loss of a loved one, a poor work environment, or a relationship that went terribly wrong; you should consider those psychological issues before seeking biological options. To feel depressed in these cases is entirely human, and not the result of a chemical imbalance. Try to do something that makes you happy, and perhaps seek a Jungian Analytical Psychologist, for they are the elites in the psychological community. Jungian (Analytical) Psychologists deal with the root unconscious causes of psychological problems, and they do not prescribe dangerous drugs. Taking L-tryptophan supplements alongside the psychological analysis is an option for some, especially for those whose depressions are severe. For best results, take tryptophan on an empty stomach, because mixing it with foods decreases its effectiveness.
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. She suffered from clinical depression. 
