Are Foods High in Tryptophan Dangerous?

We hear a lot in the news and on the internet about the benefits of tryptophan. In fact, it is often recommended that those suffering from insomnia, anxiety, or depression consume foods high in tryptophan and even take tryptophan supplements as part of their daily regimen. The reason for these suggestions is that tryptophan converts into serotonin in the body, and serotonin is well known for its antidepressant effects. But how safe is consuming foods high in tryptophan? Should we be concerned that it is dangerous? Should we take into consideration a food's tryptophan levels before preparing a meal? First, let's look at the many sources.

Tryptophan can be found in a myriad of foods. The one with which we are all familiar is, of course, turkey. You cannot even think of Thanksgiving dinner without thinking of the wonderful roast turkey, and the wonderful nap you take after eating it! Serotonin induces sleep, and since tryptophan converts to serotonin in the body, you can get sleepy after consuming high levels of it. Surely that's not dangerous! However, recent research would suggest that there are other factors at work when it comes to the reasons for your post-Thanksgiving dinner nap.

The reason we are re-thinking this is due to the fact that other foods such as chicken, beef, brown rice, and nuts also contain tryptophan in amounts near or equal to that of turkey. We do not get sleepy after consuming these foods, so it is not likely that we are becoming sleepy simply because of the tryptophan found in turkey. In light of that, it would seem that we are not in constant danger of slumber when consuming foods high in tryptophan.

However, there may be another danger lurking in your turkey. Many people are alarmed by the fact that foods that contain significant amounts of tryptophan have been found to be highly carcinogenic when cooked to high temperatures, which is obviously dangerous. Although, this may seem less alarming when you consider the fact that many foods cooked to a high heat in general (high enough to become slightly charred, like a steak, for instance) have been known to be carcinogenic for quite some time. Is it the tryptophan that is dangerous, or the charring? I am not sure if we will ever be sure.

My advice? Live dangerously and eat your turkey without fear, and if it makes you sleepy, just count that as a perk and take the opportunity to nap.