Q. What is tryptophan?

A. Tryptophan is an amino acid and essential in human nutrition. It is one of the 20 amino acids in the genetic code (codon UGG). The main function of tryptophan is as a building block in protein synthesis.

Q. What are the benefits of taking tryptophan?

A. Many people find tryptophan to be a safe and reasonably-effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels) and/or melatonin (a slumber-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels). Clinical research tended to confirm tryptophan's effectiveness as a natural sleeping pill.

Q. Are there any side effects with taking tryptophan?

A. You should have few problems if you take other medications, although a few problems can occur. Tryptophan can "interact" with "MAOIs" and the "SSRIs" (e.g. citalopram ['Cipramil'], fluoxetine ['Prozac'], fluvoxamine ['Faverin'], paroxetine ['Seroxat'], sertraline ['Lustral']) although your doctor should know about these. Side effects are rare but you may get some, such as nausea (a feeling of sickness), drowsiness, headache and light-headedness. These tend to wear off after a few days.