Another possible treatment
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:11 am
Tryptophan as a Sleep Aid
Q: What are some food sources rich in the amino acid Tryptophan besides dairy products and turkey?
Q: You may already be aware that having a warm glass of milk or part of a turkey sandwich can make you drowsy when you're having trouble falling asleep. "Certain foods help trigger sleep, especially milk, tuna fish, soybeans, turkey, even eggs...These are all rich in natural L-tryptophan, a sleep-promoting amino acid that acts on the brain to cause drowsiness, and does so more quickly when combined with a carbohydrate like orange juice" writes conservative author Rosenfeld. But if you choose to eat a vegan diet, what are some good food or dietary sources of tryptophan? Try adding the following foods: almonds, cabbage, kidney or lima beans, oats, pistachios, poppy seed, pumpkin seed, spinach, and wheat. Evening primrose seed contains the most tryptophan of a food source.
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Those getting the most niacin from foods (22 mg per day) were 70% less likely to have developed Alzheimer's disease than those consuming the least (about 13 mg daily), and their rate of age-related cognitive decline was significantly less. In addition to eating the niacin-rich foods, another way to boost your body's niacin levels is to eat more foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan. Your body can convert tryptophan to niacin, with a little help from other B vitamins, iron and vitamin C. Foods high in tryptophan include shrimp, crimini mushrooms, yellowfin tuna, halibut, chicken breast, scallops, salmon, turkey and tofu. As you can see, several foods rich in tryptophan provide two ways to increase niacin levels as they are also rich in the B vitamin.(august 23, 2004)