Prozac Alternative

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An Alternative to " Prozac " ?

 

Inside you, the essential amino acid L-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, or as the Australians would say, " 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. 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. You can buy tryptophan, or

L-5-hydroxytryptophan, a tryptophan derivative, at health foods

stores. Both are 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. And,

tryptophan is really quite easy to get from the good foods listed below.

 

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 2004 and prior years Andrew W. Saul. Reprinted from the

books DOCTOR YOURSELF and FIRE YOUR DOCTOR, by Andrew Saul, Number 8

Van Buren Street, Holley, New York 14470 USA. Telephone (585) 638-5357