Mind Power Rx combination formula

This mind and mood enhancing product is a sophisticated cognitive formula with a dozen herbs and nutrients. It combines a delicate balance of brain circulation agents and neurotransmitter precursors with powerful natural brain chemicals that support healthy:

Memory and Mood
Mental clarity
Concentration 
Alertness and Focus

Why use all the individual herbs and nutrients separately -- at great expense -- when you can take this excellent combination? The herbs in this brain enhancer include: Ashwagandha, Bacopa, Fo-Ti, Ginkgo biloba herb, Ginseng herb, Mucuna pruriens, and Reishi.  The nutrients and vitamins in this product include Acetyl-l-carnitine, Carnitine, Carnosine, Choline, DMAE, Inositol, Methylcobalamin, Trimethylglycine, Tyrosine, and Vinpocetine.

 

The unfortunate history, safety and risks, caution and danger in past
During the 1980s consumers were using tryptophan for sleep and as an antidepressant. It was available without a prescription until 1989 when the FDA prohibited its over-the-counter sale because a manufacturer in Japan shipped a contaminated batch to the U.S. This caused a serious illness called eosinophilia myalgia syndrome in about 1,000 individuals. Around 1995, tryptophan gradually became available by prescription through compounding pharmacies, and then since about the year 2000 it slowly and cautiously was placed on the over the counter market through a few vitamin companies.

Tryptophan side effects, caution, safety, toxicity
A common tryptophan side effect from high dose use is drowsiness so it may be a good idea to take this amino acid supplement in the evening and not while driving or operating heavy machinery. Dry mouth is a less common tryptophan side effect. Other less common l-tryptophan side effects include nausea, dizziness, and loss of appetite.
   A beneficial l-tryptophan side effect is drowsiness since that is the desired effect of many users who take this supplement for sleep. Confusion or disorientation is rare.

I read on a website that patients with asthma or systemic lupus erythematosus should not take tryptophan supplements, why is this?
    I have not seen any studies regarding the interaction of this amino acid supplement and airway disease such as asthma or an autoimmune condition such as lupus. However, there is a possibility that elevating serotonin levels may trigger airway disease. I will await the results of studies focusing on this issue before coming to a firmer conclusion. A search on Medline for "tryptophan asthma" and "autoimmune or lupus" reveals no human clinical trials.

I have taken tryptophan some time ago, and it caused me to have nightmares. Is this common?
    Yes, melatonin, 5-HTP and the amino acid supplement are known to make dreams more vivid.

Interaction with SSRI medications used for depression
Can tryptophan be dangerous with low or moderate dose of SSRI drugs such as Prozac or Zoloft or Paxil. I would take it only under my doctors supervision. I just wanted your opinion.
    When taken in low dosages of 200 to 500 mg, most people are not likely to have any major untoward effects when combined with low dosages of SSRI antidepressants. However, each case is unique and some people may be very sensitive to such combinations.

J Nutr. 2013. Supplementing healthy women with up to 5.0 g/d of L-tryptophan has no adverse effects. Because of the frequent use of L-tryptophan (L-Trp) in dietary supplements, determination of the no-observed-adverse-effect-level is desirable for public health purposes. We therefore assessed the no-observed-adverse-effect-level for L-Trp and attempted to identify a surrogate biomarker for excess L-Trp in healthy humans. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover intervention study was performed in 17 apparently healthy Japanese women aged 18-26 y with a BMI of ≈ 20 kg/m(2). The participants were randomly assigned to receive placebo (0 g/d) or 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0 g/d of L-Trp for 21 d each with a 5-wk washout period between trials. Food intake, body weight, general biomarkers in blood and urine, and amino acid composition in blood and urine were not affected by any dose of L-Trp. Administration of up to 5.0 g/d L-Trp had no effect on a profile of mood states category measurement. The urinary excretion of nicotinamide and its catabolites increased in proportion to the ingested amounts of L-Trp, indicating that participants could normally metabolize this amino acid. The urinary excretion of L-tryptophan metabolites, including kynurenine (Kyn), anthranilic acid, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, and quinolinic acid (QA), all of which are intermediates of the L-TRP→Kyn→QA pathway, was in proportion to L-Trp loading. The response of 3-HK was the most characteristic of these L-Trp metabolites. This finding suggests that the urinary excretion of 3-HK is a good surrogate biomarker for excess L-Trp ingestion.

Tryptophan and behavior
Social behaviour and mood in everyday life: the effects of tryptophan in quarrelsome individuals.
J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2006.
We conducted a double-blind crossover study, in which participants took tryptophan at 3 grams a day and placebo for 15 days each and recorded how they behaved, felt and perceived others during everyday social interactions. Treatment significantly decreased quarrelsome behaviours and increased agreeable behaviours. Men also behaved less dominantly, whereas both men and women perceived others as more dominant.

Tryptophan, turkey, and sleep, food content
Does eating turkey make a person sleepy due to the tryptophan in turkey meat? Would eating foods high in tryptophan induce sleep?
    Turkey has an amino acid called tryptophan that is involved in sleep and mood balance. However, turkey has no more tryptophan than chicken or beef. The cause of sleepiness at Thanksgiving is more likely due to consuming lots of food and drink rather than the tryptophan content in turkey. When this amino acid is ingested as part of a protein food, there are a number of additional amino acids in the protein that compete with crossing the blood brain barrier. Hence, taking a supplement on an empty stomach is much more direct and effective than trying to consume this amino acid through food or turkey. Any food with protein will have tryptophan, and turkey, meat, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs, all have this substance.

Combination with St. John's wort
Is St John's wort herb okay to take with tryptophan pill? I read these interact.
    Much depends on the dosage used and the person taking them. It is best to learn how each one works by itself before combining. Some people take the St. John's wort in the morning and the tryptophan pill in the evening. Use low dosages at first to know how your body reacts.

Tryptophan Research studies
Behav Brain Res. 2015. Serotonin, tryptophan metabolism and the brain-gut-microbiome axis. The brain-gut axis is a bidirectional communication system between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin functions as a key neurotransmitter at both terminals of this network. Accumulating evidence points to a critical role for the gut microbiome in regulating normal functioning of this axis. In particular, it is becoming clear that the microbial influence on tryptophan metabolism and the serotonergic system may be an important node in such regulation.

Effect of orally administered L-tryptophan on serotonin, melatonin, and the innate immune response in the rat.
Mol Cell Biochem. 2004.
Tryptophan taken orally can convert into serotonin and melatonin
Tryptophan was given to a group of rats at 8 am in the morning, and to another group of rats at 8 PM at night. Four hours after administration, researchers measured the blood and brain fluid levels of serotonin and melatonin. During daytime administration, tryptophan raised the levels of serotonin. Interestingly, when tryptophan was given at night, serotonin levels did not increase, but melatonin levels increased significantly. Therefore, the serotonin that was generated by tryptophan administration was being converted into melatonin.
     My comments: First, this study confirms again that levels of 5-HTP, serotonin, and melatonin can be influenced by supplements. Second, it shows that the timing of a supplement can make a difference on how it is metabolized.

Pyridoxine, regardless of serotonin levels, increases production of 5-hydroxytryptophan in rat brain.
Arch Med Res. 2004.
The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of pyridoxine and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on lipid peroxidation and on levels of 5-hydroxy-tryptophan and serotonin. Thirty rats (30 days of age) were used in the survey, measuring levels of lipid peroxidation (TBARS), hemoglobin, 5-hydroxy tryptophan, and serotonin (5-HT) after intraperitoneal injections of pyridoxine HCl during 20 days and a single dose of BHT. Levels of TBARS and 5-HTP increased considerably in all vitamin- and/or BHT-treated groups, and serotonin increased partially only in B(6) with or without BHT-treated groups compared with control group. Results suggest that pyridoxine plays a role in tryptophan metabolism, increasing production of 5-hydroxy tryptophan.

Tryptophan administration increase contractility and change the ultrastructure of mice duodenum.
Amino Acids. 2004.
Serotonin has been shown to induce contractions in rat duodenum and ileum. We planned to investigate the in vivo effects of Tryptophan administration on duodenal contractility. Two equal groups of adult male Swiss-albino mice were used in the experiments. Controls and tryptophan treated. Duodenum tissues contractility responses to different concentration of KCl and acetylcholine (ACh) were recorded on polygraph. Body weights decreased and duodenal contractile response of ACh increased significantly by tryptophan treatment. The duodenal ultrastructural changes in tryptophan group illustrated partially loss of apical surface and fusion in microvilli. Immunohistochemical detection showed that serotonin increased by tryptophan treatment. There is a relation between duodenal contractility increased by tryptophan treatment and changes in the duodenal tissue serotonin level and ultrastructure.

The effect of a nutritional source of tryptophan on dieting-induced changes in brain 5-HT function.
Psychol Med. 2003
Dieting in healthy women results in a decrease in the availability of tryptophan. This is associated with increases in the prolactin response to serotonin drug challenge suggesting a 'supersensitivity' of serotonin neuroendocrine responses. The aim of the study was to assess whether increased tryptophan intake during dieting would prevent the changes in tryptophan availability and serotonin neuroendocrine function. Fifty female subjects underwent a 1000 kcal daily diet for 3 weeks. In the final week of the diet subjects were randomly allocated to receive either nutritionally-sourced tryptophan (1.8 g daily) or placebo in a double-blind, parallel group, design. Tryptophan supplementation failed to modify the dieting-induced reduction in fasting tryptophan availability to the brain. However, in contrast to placebo-treated subjects, subjects receiving additional tryptophan did not show enhanced prolactin responses to intravenous tryptophan challenge. The decrease in tryptophan availability produced by dieting may be due to increased tryptophan metabolism rather than decreased tryptophan intake. While tryptophan treatment did not increase fasting tryptophan availability it may have modified the effect of dieting on brain serotonin function. Further studies will be needed to see if this effect of tryptophan has consequences for the effectiveness of dieting as means of weight control.

Effects of a novel method of acute tryptophan depletion on plasma tryptophan and cognitive performance in healthy volunteers.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004
Acute tryptophan depletion is an established method for lowering 5-HT levels and an important tool to study the effects of reduced 5-HT on mood and cognition in human subjects. The University of Maastricht developed a new and inexpensive method for acute tryptophan depletion: a natural collagen protein (CP) mixture with low tryptophan content. The reductions in plasma trypotophan after taking this CP mixture were compared with the reductions achieved taking the traditional AA mixture, and effects on memory and reversal learning were studied. Fifteen healthy young volunteers participated in a double-blind, counterbalanced within-subject study. Reversal learning, verbal memory and pattern recognition were assessed at baseline and 3-4 h after taking the CP mixture. The new acute tryptophan depletion method significantly reduced plasma tryptophan by 74% and the ratio between tryptophan and the other large AAs by 82%. The placebo mixture did not change these measures. Delayed recognition reaction time on the verbal learning task was increased following acute tryptophan depletion. No other cognitive effects were found. The CP mixture was shown to be an efficient tool for lowering plasma tryptophan in humans. The validity of this method with regard to behavioral changes remains to be established in healthy, vulnerable and clinical populations.

In a study of 28 healthy young adults, researchers found that accompanying an evening meal with a milkshake containing a protein powder called alpha-lactalbumin -- which delivers a high concentration of tryptophan -- seemed to improve morning alertness among participants who had mild sleep problems. "Good" sleepers, on the other hand, showed no such benefit. Alpha-lactalbumin, or A-LAC, is a protein derived from the whey component of milk. It contains a high concentration of the essential amino acid tryptophan. The protein powder, marketed as BioPure, was supplied by Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Davisco Foods International. Fourteen men and women with mild sleep problems, and 14 others without sleep complaints took part in two experiments on separate evenings -- one in which they consumed a tryptophan -fortified milkshake with dinner and later for a snack, and one in which they had "placebo" milkshakes that did not contain the A-LAC supplement. The next morning, participants took a computerized test that measured their mental reaction times, while electrodes placed on their scalps recorded their brain activity. Markus and his colleagues found that participants' blood levels of tryptophan were more than twice as high on the night they dined on the supplemented milkshakes compared with the placebo milkshakes. More importantly, men and women who normally had sleep problems performed better on the mental-alertness test on the morning after having the tryptophan containing milkshakes. On the other hand, tryptophan made no difference to the performance of the 14 participants with no sleep problems. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005.

Emails
My doctor tried me on 5-HTP but it made me overwhelmingly sleepy. He then tried tryptophan, to which I am responding with more energy, mental clarity, and a decrease of carbohydrate cravings. Since I thought 5-HTP was "downstream" from tryptophan on the way to becoming serotonin, what would cause this reaction?
   There are several factors that could be involved, dosage, timing, with or without food, etc. Also, tryptophan does not completely metabolize into 5-HTP, some of it is channeled in different metabolic pathways. You may try to see if a lower dose of 5-HTP reduces sleepiness.

A few weeks ago I had emailed you regarding bad side effects of excessive menstrual bleeding, poor control of depression when I added 5-htp and tryptophan to my Effexor treatment. I spoke to the School of Pharmacy at my local university and they advised that my heavy bleeding would have been caused by taking 5HTP, Tryptophan AND Effexor. They said this combination was too much and that I shouldn't be taking all 3. They said if I wanted to take either 5HTP or Tryptophan with Effexor, Tryptophan seems to have the best results for boosting depressive symptoms.  Since I have been doing this my period this month is fine and my depression is wonderful. Seems Tryptophan with Effexor is better than 5HTP with Effexor for me. I'm only on low doses of both to avoid excess serotonin though - 500 mg Tryptophan and 75 mg Effexor / day. Just wanted to let you know that your product is in fact very good but I was not using it in the right manner or amount. It's often a matter of trial and error but thought this info may help somebody else. I don't wish my name to be made public though if you choose to use this info. Thanks for your time and a best tryptophan product.

Thank you for your informative web site. I saw your response on your web site about stopping the tryptophan frequently, and need more info: What happens if you don't stop periodically? How long should it be stopped for? I have never been told this before and wonder if that is why the tryptophan has stopped working for me?
    As with many supplements, particularly amino acids, somehow the body and brain get used to the effects, so that is one reason to take breaks. Another reason is that we don't know too well what the long term effects are of taking a particular amino acid in high amounts. They may be beneficial, or harmful. As to the frequency of breaks or length of a break from tryptophan, this depends on each person and their individual physiology, but as a rough guideline a week off per month seems reasonable.

I have experienced the worst 8 months of my life thanks to my first extreme bout of depression and anxiety at 38. I have been unable to tolerate a number of SSRIs so I tried Kira the German St John's Wort prescription. I am significantly better, however, I never quite went back to normal. Because on five pills a day, under my doctors supervision, I have experienced some side effects - electrical shocks in my hands and feet when cool and thick, tingling sensations in my brain. It is all worth it though! Could I perhaps decrease my dose and increase my dietary intake of tryptophan? Could you please give a reliable web site that lists tryptophan content of foods. I have searched and searched and found them all to be different. Perhaps there is a good book that has nutritional content of tryptophan listed.
   Tryptophan is found in foods that contain protein, however, since these foods also have other amino acids, they all compete to get in the brain and the tryptophan is not able to overwhelm the others to get in. Trying to increase brain tryptophan levels specifically through foods is not the best way to go. The best option to increase brain tryptophan levels is to take tryptophan pills or, since the real goal is to increase serotonin levels, taking 5-HTP is another option.