Tryptophan is an amino acid your body needs to survive. Learn everything it does for body, foods to get it from (besides turkey), and why you should be cautious when supplementing. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, indicating that you need it but you cannot produce it yourself. So, this amino acid should be obtained through dietary means. Tryptophan is a rate-limiting essential amino acid and a unique building block of peptides and proteins. This largest amino acid serves as the precursor for important endogenous indoleamines such as serotonin, N-acetylserotonin and melatonin, which act as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and neurohormones. An enhanced synthesis of these signaling molecules can improve health, quality-of-life and well-being. The main metabolic pathway of tryptophan is the oxidation to bioactive kynurenines ... Tryptophan is an amino acid that comes from plants or animals. It is called “essential” because it is not produced in the body. Tryptophan is essential for the functioning of many organs. When you ingest tryptophan, your body absorbs it and converts it into a hormone called serotonin.
