An Alternative to Prozac?

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Prozac Alternatives?

 

Before the FDA removed all tryptophan supplements from

the market due to a temporary, and now corrected,

industrial manufacturing error, millions of people had

safely taken regular suppertime doses of this amino

acid, usually between 500 to 2,000 mg, to help them

sleep. Inside you, tryptophan is broken down into

anxiety-reducing, snooze-inducing niacin. Even more

important, tryptophan is also made into serotonin, one

of your body's most important neurotransmitters.

Serotonin gives a feeling of well-being and

mellowness, what we in Australia ( " g'day, mate! " )

would call " no worries. " This is such a profound

effect that Prozac, Paxil and similar antidepressants

usually either mimic serotonin or artificially keep

the body's own serotonin levels high. You can do the

same thing with your food. And no one can tell us that

beans, peas, cheese, nuts and wheat germ are toxic if

you eat a lot of them!

 

Plenty of carbohydrates (starches) in your meals help

tryptophan get to where it does the most good: in your

brain. In order to cross the blood-brain barrier to

get in, carbos are required. So cheese and crackers

provides a better effect than the cheese standing

alone. An egg or two on toast is better than just the

egg. Beans, peas, and nuts already contain

carbohydrate, so you are all set there.

 

Consider that five servings of beans, a few portions

of cheese or peanut butter, or just one big handful of

cashews provides one to two thousand milligrams of

tryptophan, which will work as well as prescription

antidepressants... but don't tell the drug companies.

Some skeptics think that the pharmaceutical people

already know, and that is why the FDA is keeping

tryptophan supplements unavailable. Here are two

quotes in evidence:

 

" Pay careful attention to what is happening with

dietary supplements in the legislative arena... If

these efforts are successful, there could be created a

class of products to compete with approved drugs. The

establishment of a separate regulatory category for

supplements could undercut exclusivity rights enjoyed

by the holders of approved drug applications. "

 

(FDA Deputy Commissioner for Policy David Adams, at

the Drug Information Association Annual Meeting, July

12, 1993)

 

" The task force considered many issues in its

deliberations including to ensure that the existence

of dietary supplements on the market does not act as a

disincentive for drug development. "

 

(FDA Dietary Task Force Report, released June 15,

1993)

 

Remember that tryptophan is one of the ten essential

amino acids you need to stay alive. It is by law

added to liquid feedings for the elderly and all

infant formulas. Yet tryptophan supplements remain

illegal. You can legally buy L-5-hydroxytryptophan, a

non-prescription tryptophan derivative, at health

foods stores. 5-HTP is quite costly, however. The

good news is that plenty of inexpensive vitamin C

enables your body to convert dietary Tryptophan into

your own 5-HTP, and then on into serotonin.

 

So go; eat; and be happy!

 

Foods high in the Amino Acid L-Tryptophan (in

milligrams (mg) per 100 gram (3.5 ounce) portion),

about the size of a deck of playing cards. That is

not a large serving, and in a single meal you might

easily double or triple the figures listed here.

 

 

Beans

Lentils 215 mg

Dried Peas 250

Navy (pea) 200

Pinto Beans 210

Red Kidney 215

Soy 525

 

 

Nuts and Seeds

Brazil Nuts 185 mg

Cashews 470

Filberts 210

Peanuts 340

Peanut Butter 330 (this is for natural peanut butter,

not popular commercial brands)

Pumpkin Seed 560

Sesame Seeds 330-575 (if seeds are ground up)

Sunflower 340

 

Other nuts generally provide at least 130 milligrams

per small serving; usually more.

 

Grains

Wheat Germ 265 mg

 

Cheese

Cheddar: 340 mg

Parmesan: 490

Swiss: 375

 

Other cheeses tend to be lower in tryptophan, but are

still very good sources.

 

Eggs 210 mg

 

Brewer's Yeast 700 mg

 

(Source: US Department of Agriculture, Amino Acid

Content of Foods.)

 

Meats are generally regarded as a good source of

tryptophan, organ meats supposedly being the highest.

However, most meats are in the range of 160 to 260

mg/100 g, (chicken is about 250) with organ meats

ranging between 220 and 330. These figures certainly

do not compel meat eating. Compare with soybeans,

split peas, cheese and cashews!

 

Copyright C 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and prior years

Andrew W. Saul. From the books QUACK DOCTOR and FIRE

YOUR DOCTOR, by Dr. Andrew Saul, Number 8 Van Buren

Street, Holley, New York 14470 USA. Telephone (585)

638-5357