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HEALTH: SEROTONIN DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

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SEROTONIN DEFICIENCY SYNDROME: THE L-TRYPTOPHAN ALTERNATIVE

 

The August 2001 issue of Neuropsychopharmacology reports that

L-tryptophan, tested on 98 volunteers in 12-day trials, was found to

have a clear impact on mood, making test subjects more agreeable and

less quarrelsome. This is one more of many studies to show that

L-tryptophan boosts serotonin levels.

 

Serotonin is one of the brain's major neurotransmitters - the

biochemicals used by nerve cells to communicate with each other.

Serotonin has been the focus of many scientific studies to determine its

 

effect on behavior, mood, aggression, appetite control, pain

transmission, sexual behavior, and other activities and functions. The

concept of serotonin deficiency syndrome (SDS) grew out of the work of

researchers headed by Dr. W. Pöldinger of the Psychiatrische

Universitats-klinik in Basel, Switzerland, who observed that a majority

of their subjects who experienced depression, insatiable appetite,

obsessive/compulsive behavior, learning difficulties, and/or any

combination of the above, also suffered from low levels of serotonin.

 

Serotonin affects the entire body. In the central nervous system, it

plays a role in sleep, appetite, memory, learning, temperature

regulation, mood, sexual behavior, cardiovascular function, muscle

contraction, endocrine regulation, and depression.

 

In an article in Drug Topics, University of Mississippi researcher

Ronald F. Borne, Ph.D., called serotonin " the Neurotransmitter of the

90's. " Of all the chemical neurotransmitter substances " serotonin may be

 

the most implicated in the etiology or treatment of various disorders,

particularly those of the central nervous system, including anxiety,

depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, stroke,

obesity, pain, hypertension, vascular disorders, migraine, and nausea.

Evidence suggests that every one of these disorders can be treated by

either (1) mimicking the actions of serotonin, (2) enhancing its supply,

 

or (3) blocking its action. "

 

Unfortunately, the common treatment today is number (3), blocking its

action. Blocking serotonin is the function of a class of

pharmaceuticals known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors

(SSRI's). SSRI's, such as Prozac, are routinely prescribed to handle

the symptoms of these various disorders.

 

Prozac blocks the normal action of serotonin by interfering with normal

brain metabolism. Serotonin travels from one neuron to another by

crossing a gap between them known as a synapse. Normally, once the

receiving neuron is activated, the brain reabsorbs serotonin. Prozac

prevents the brain's reabsorption of the serotonin, thereby allowing it

to remain in the synapse and interact with its neuron targets for much

longer than it otherwise would.

 

Although SSRI's increase the availability of serotonin in this process,

the well-documented side effects of the drugs demonstrate the body's

reactions to this unnatural act the nerves are forced to perform. As

Dr. Borne has pointed out, other approaches, such as enhancing serotonin

 

supply, can be taken.

 

What are the other options? One substance that enhances serotonin supply

 

has been widely tested, and used by doctors in the US and Europe for the

 

last 30 years, is the essential amino acid L-Tryptophan.

 

L-Tryptophan is critical in the formation of structural proteins,

enzymes, and the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. It is truly

 

a building block and is considered so vital that it is added to baby

formulas, and IV solutions. However, it is not as widely available in

our diet as other nutrients, and plasma amino-acid profiles of hundreds

of patients have shown that L-Tryptophan may be the amino acid most

lacking in the blood of Americans. As SDS is associated with a

deficiency of L-Tryptophan, it is not surprising that it has been widely

 

recommended as a supplement by doctors in both the US and Europe.

 

In the late 1980's, Showa Denko, then the major L-Tryptophan producer in

 

the world, sent a batch to the U.S. that was contaminated with over 60

different bacteria. Many people who were taking large doses became ill

and some died. On the assumption that the L-Tryptophan itself had

caused the illnesses, the FDA issued a voluntary recall of all

L-Tryptophan and announced import restrictions. When it was later

discovered that the batch was contaminated, the FDA stated that the

evidence of the illnesses being caused by the bacteria, rather than the

L-Tryptophan, was inconclusive. For the next decade, the only

L-Tryptophan available was the pharmaceutical-grade used for baby

formulas, intravenous solutions, animal use, and prescribed medical

uses.

 

In a healthy person, L-Tryptophan passes through the blood-brain barrier

 

and is converted into 5-HTP, a substance very similar to L-Tryptophan.

The brain then converts the 5-HTP to serotonin. Although supplements of

 

5-HTP are widely available, and have been somewhat successful in

treating the symptoms of SDS, they cannot replace L-Tryptophan.

 

L-Tryptophan is available only by prescription in the U.S. Foods high in

 

L-Tryptophan include turkey, pecans, and bananas. If you take

L-Tryptophan as a supplement, it is recommended that it be taken with

carbohydrates (half a potato, for example) for better absorption.

Determining the correct dosage can be complicated, so seek advice from

your doctor or health professional.

 

 

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com

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