<div class="" data-article-body="true"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Every Thanksgiving, myths of the quasi-magical powers of tryptophan rise again.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">There’s the turkey/drowsiness myth: Eating lots of juicy turkey meat supposedly makes people feel tired because it contains an amino acid called tryptophan. This molecule travels into the brain, where it’s converted into a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which in turn is converted into a hormone called melatonin. Voila! Sleepiness.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39420.420370.25" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:But science;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">But science</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=turkey+and+sleepiness" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:the internet;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">the internet</a> agree: It’s not the turkey’s tryptophan to blame for your post-feast nap. All protein sources, and even vegetables, contain some tryptophan; turkey isn’t at all special in this regard.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt='What could eating more tryptophan, or taking it in pill form, mean for your brain? &lt;a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/5htp-bottle-l5hydroxytryptophan-precursor-serotonin-1052268893?src=9701ca16-33c4-4a4d-91d7-f45bafa7eed1-1-0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Evan Lorne/Shutterstock.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "&gt;Evan Lorne/Shutterstock.com&lt;/a&gt;' loading="lazy" width="400" height="600" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/GZFIOQkWEzzoSC7F5VkJXg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTEwNTg7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/c429891278f8319b98ee053f389fc0ec"></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">What could eating more tryptophan, or taking it in pill form, mean for your brain? <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/5htp-bottle-l5hydroxytryptophan-precursor-serotonin-1052268893?src=9701ca16-33c4-4a4d-91d7-f45bafa7eed1-1-0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Evan Lorne/Shutterstock.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Evan Lorne/Shutterstock.com</a></div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">So the sleepiness myth of turkey may be fading, but other legends around tryptophan’s effects in the brain are taking hold. Some people are eyeing tryptophan supplements as an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8010056" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:unconventional treatment for depression;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">unconventional treatment for depression</a>. Others are curious whether <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-5215.2010.00508.x" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:eating foods that are high or low in tryptophan;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">eating foods that are high or low in tryptophan</a> could be useful for influencing mood. Recently, some scientists have even proposed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.027" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:gut bacteria are driving changes in emotion;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">gut bacteria are driving changes in emotion</a> by producing or breaking down tryptophan.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">This tryptophan/mood connection is an area of ongoing research. And while some are captivated by tryptophan’s potential, it’s not clear whether the excitement is warranted.</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">Looking for a tryptophan link to mood</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">There is some scientific evidence that eating tryptophan can alter your mood.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">For example, back in 2000, researchers found that when people ate an isolated protein that was very high in tryptophan, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.6.1536" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:felt less stress while doing math problems;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">felt less stress while doing math problems</a>.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">However, placebo-controlled clinical trials haven’t, in general, shown much of a connection. A few studies have found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.05.042" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:supplementing with pure tryptophan;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">supplementing with pure tryptophan</a> provided little to no benefit for people with depression. Some studies have even looked at what happens when you <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001949" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:remove tryptophan from people’s diets;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">remove tryptophan from people’s diets</a>, but also found little to no effect.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">So what explains the mixed results?</p><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">Serotonin itself still holds mysteries</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Alongside human studies, the biology of tryptophan has been well studied in rodents. Research in the early 1970s showed that taking <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.178.4059.414" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:tryptophan supplements can boost serotonin;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">tryptophan supplements can boost serotonin</a>, a neurotransmitter that was historically associated with feelings of well-being and happiness.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Since then, scientists have learned lots of interesting facts <a href="https://www.serotoninclub.org/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:about serotonin;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">about serotonin</a>. For example, there are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2830-16.2016" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:14 separate receptors for serotonin;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">14 separate receptors for serotonin</a>, and they’re found all over the brain.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt='SSRIs block neurons’ abilities to reabsorb serotonin, leaving more of the neurotransmitter in the brain to affect other receptors. &lt;a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/drawing-synapse-showing-serotonin-reuptake-action-309901151" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Blamb/Shutterstock.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "&gt;Blamb/Shutterstock.com&lt;/a&gt;' loading="lazy" width="400" height="670" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/V.ZzOI9Fx7ge0YBOoEwd8w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTExODE7Y2Y9d2VicA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/735436740d445436139df3e139f64ba5"></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">SSRIs block neurons’ abilities to reabsorb serotonin, leaving more of the neurotransmitter in the brain to affect other receptors. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/drawing-synapse-showing-serotonin-reuptake-action-309901151" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Blamb/Shutterstock.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Blamb/Shutterstock.com</a></div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Researchers have learned how to affect this system with drugs, but not with much precision. For example, drugs like the antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors – more widely known as SSRIs – don’t target individual receptors and they don’t restrict themselves to particular brain regions. Instead, SSRIs, the <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/kc/prozac-fluoxetine-side-effects-263773" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:best-known of which is Prozac;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">best-known of which is Prozac</a>, bluntly boost serotonin everywhere.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">This non-specificity is why, in my mind, it’s hard to believe that SSRIs work at all. Here’s an analogy: Say you’re Jeff Bezos and you want to increase Amazon’s revenue by speeding up your deliveries. So you decide to crank up the speed on all delivery vehicles. From now on, every truck will boost its speed by 5%. It may be a stroke of logistical genius, or it may, perhaps more likely, end up in chaos. Like ramping up serotonin all over the brain, this blunt approach might not be ideal.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Analogies aside, whether SSRIs affect people’s moods is an experimental question, and some research has supported the idea that these drugs work. However, especially lately, their effectiveness has <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23931980-100-nobody-can-agree-about-antidepressants-heres-what-you-need-to-know/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:come under intense scrutiny;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">come under intense scrutiny</a>. Some recent analyses cite 30 years’ worth of studies and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1173-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:question the clinical value of SSRIs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">question the clinical value of SSRIs</a>, while others maintain that these drugs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:improve the symptoms of depression;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">improve the symptoms of depression</a>.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">It’s complicated, and there’s still some disagreement, but most psychiatrists agree that SSRIs are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:not effective for everyone;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">not effective for everyone</a>. These drugs are not psychiatric-cure-alls.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt='Tryptophan’s role in any gut-brain connection still isn’t clear. Andrew Neff, &lt;a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:CC BY-ND;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "&gt;CC BY-ND&lt;/a&gt;' loading="lazy" width="960" height="596" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7py3HkBS5e.HLpps_oc7CQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU5NjtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/9bb4e49f7c9c92bedfeadbff565dbf2a"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">Tryptophan’s role in any gut-brain connection still isn’t clear. Andrew Neff, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:CC BY-ND;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">CC BY-ND</a></div></figcaption></figure><h2 class="mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl">More chemical fine-tuning for mood</h2><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">In light of all this, I’ve often found myself asking whether psychiatric researchers needed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001949" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:73 studies;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">73 studies</a> looking at whether tryptophan depletion has an impact on mood.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">When it comes to understanding connections between gut bacteria and the brain, or the bigger challenge of understanding and treating mental illness, should researchers really still be thinking about tryptophan?</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">It’s seems true that, similar to SSRIs, boosting tryptophan <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035916" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:has a broad impact on serotonin;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">has a broad impact on serotonin</a>. It’s definitely possible that cranking up serotonin can influence mood, and that therefore boosting tryptophan could do the same. But it’s also possible that to manipulate something as complicated as human emotion requires a little more nuance.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Psychiatric research has long been moving away from the idea that <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/david_anderson_your_brain_is_more_than_a_bag_of_chemicals?language=en" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:your brain is a bag of chemicals;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">your brain is a bag of chemicals</a>; modern neuroscientists are asking for a little more specificity. From this perspective, I’m skeptical of the notion that tryptophan is the depression remedy psychiatry needs. Not only has experimental research found fairly weak results, but the theory itself isn’t very compelling.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Serotonin, seemingly full of psychiatric possibility, has long fascinated psychiatric researchers. But what the past half century seems to have demonstrated is that the neuroscience of human emotion is not simple. To promote lasting changes in mental health, scientists may need a little more reverence for the complex emotional beings that we all are.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">So no, a big turkey dinner, as filled with delicious tryptophans as it might be, will likely not be the neurochemical driver for your mood on Thanksgiving.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">[ <em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=inline-link&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter-text&amp;utm_content=youresmart" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>. ]</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com/us?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link-0&amp;utm_content=article-125633" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:The Conversation;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">The Conversation</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-neff-835525?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=byline-link&amp;utm_content=article-125633" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Andrew Neff;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Andrew Neff</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rochester-university-4161?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=byline-link&amp;utm_content=article-125633" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Rochester University;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Rochester University</a></em> </em></p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><strong>Read more:</strong><br></p><ul class="mb-4"><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/no-turkey-doesnt-make-you-sleepy-but-it-may-bring-more-trust-to-your-thanksgiving-table-87052?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link0&amp;utm_content=article-125633" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:No, turkey doesn’t make you sleepy – but it may bring more trust to your Thanksgiving table;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">No, turkey doesn’t make you sleepy – but it may bring more trust to your Thanksgiving table</a></p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/ack-i-need-chocolate-the-science-of-pms-food-cravings-116341?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link1&amp;utm_content=article-125633" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Ack! I need chocolate! The science of PMS food cravings;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Ack! I need chocolate! The science of PMS food cravings</a></p></div></li><li class="ml-4 list-disc"><div class=""><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><a href="http://theconversation.com/does-publication-bias-make-antidepressants-seem-more-effective-at-treating-anxiety-than-they-really-are-40049?utm_source=Yahoo&amp;utm_medium=related-link&amp;utm_campaign=related-link2&amp;utm_content=article-125633" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Does publication bias make antidepressants seem more effective at treating anxiety than they really are?;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Does publication bias make antidepressants seem more effective at treating anxiety than they really are?</a></p></div></li></ul><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em><span>Andrew Neff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p></div>

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