Tryptophan is an amino acid that produces serotonin and niacin. Niacin or vitamin B3 is included in the vitamin B complex. It is important in maintaining the level of blood cholesterol, improving the metabolism, and keeping the cardiovascular system healthy. Serotonin on the other hand helps stabilize the mood and promote better sleep. Turkey is one of the most popular serotonin rich food, which many believe make people sleepy.
There are foods that would give you the benefits of niacin and serotonin or tryptophan in general that wouldn’t give you that drowsy feeling. Tryptophan deficiency can cause anxiety and depression. To prevent this from happening, you must eat foods that are high in tryptophan. The recommended daily intake or RDI for this is 4 mg per kilogram or 1.8 mg per pound of body weight. For instance, the %RDI for someone who is 154 pounds or 70 kilograms is 280 mg of tryptophan. Here are some of the foods that are rich in tryptophan, as well as their tryptophan content and %RDI based on the given weight example.
1. Whole Eggs
Eggs are rich in vitamin B2, copper, iron, and zinc. They are good sources of tryptophan. Every 2 eggs or 100 grams of eggs contain 168 mg of tryptophan, which is 60% RDI. One hard-boiled egg has 28% RDI of tryptophan, while one scrambled, fried, omellete, or poached egg has 30% RDI.
