Tryptophan is an essential amino acid with is conerted in our bodies into serotonin, a neurotransmitter or chemical in the brain. Low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are often associated with depression.Our bodies can't produce tryptophan so we need to get it through our food.
Amino Acids are protein fragments, so it is protein-rich foods that can keep your serotonin levels in the happy zone. And the need for serotonin may even explain why we crave carbs - the blood-to-brain absorbtion of tryptophan is helped by carbohydrates, so those cravings may be our brains crying out for more serotonin.
This means protein and tryptophan-rich foods-such as chicken and turkey, tuna and salmon, beans and seeds - can be most effective when eaten alongside slow-release carbohydrates.
If you can improve your diet to include more tryptophan-rich foods, as well as increasing exercise, cutting out caffeine and sugar, and drinking more water, this will boost sertotonin production - doctors claim acts "exactly the same way as anti depressant drugs"
Extract taken from "How to lift your mood with the right food" SMH 22 April 2010
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