Foods » Foods High In Tryptophan

People suffering from insomnia will often try nearly anything to get to sleep. It can be agonizing to lay awake, tossing and turning endlessly. There are many sleep aids on the market, but many of them are some type of drug and are best left as a last resort. A more natural, healthier option is to choose foods that can help you sleep.

We've probably all experienced drowsiness after eating a big turkey dinner, right? This is due to a chemical called tryptophan. It helps your body to produce an amino acid called L-Tryptophan which is essential to the production of serotonin and melatonin. These two chemicals help to slow the nerve traffic in your brain with the result of relaxing your entire body.

Of course, you're probably not going to want to eat a big turkey dinner before going to bed every night! Fortunately, turkey isn't the only food source for tryptophan. It's also found in dairy products, meat (poultry in particular), soy, nuts, eggs, bean, fish and many other foods that are high in protein. Eating a small amount of these things shortly before going to bed can help you get to sleep.

The trouble with many foods containing tryptophan is that they also contain another amino acid called tyrosine which has the opposite effect - it will perk you up and make you feel more energized. When you eat foods that contain both, the net result is that you don't feel any different.

The key to eating to help you sleep is to eat other things as well that can help your body use the tryptophan while neutralizing the tyrosine. Carbohydrates are good for this. They help your body to product insulin, which keeps the tyrosine "tied up" and allows the tryptophan to work its magic.

Other foods that can help your body take full advantage of tryptophan are things rich in calcium. Dairy products are a good source of calcium and because they also contain tryptophan, they are an excellent choice. Why do you think your mother always gave you warm milk before bed?

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Source: www.articlesphere.com