What Is Tryptophan?

After the Thanksgiving feast has come and gone for another year, without fail, your relatives will probably comment on how sleepy they feel and blame it on the turkey. While a heavy case of the 'holiday-itis' is normal following the big meal, its cause is not necessarily cut and dry. What is tryptophan, anyway? Far from a mere scapegoat on which to blame the enjoyable excesses of festive feasting, this interesting chemical plays an important role in the human body that is worth knowing about.

Keep reading to learn what tryptophan is and how it affects the human body now.

What Is It?

Talk of tryptophan is as ubiquitous as the Thanksgiving turkey, but what is it exactly? Simply put, tryptophan is an essential amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of the various proteins the body needs to repair muscle fibers and create hormones that regulate an individual's system. They are called essential because the body cannot make these building blocks itself, relying entirely on dietary sources for its supply. Turkey isn't the only source of tryptophan, either. It is found in almost all sources of animal protein, including eggs, other meats, and dairy products.

Now that you have an idea of what tryptophan is, let's have a look at its function in the human body.