Tryptophan and hair loss

Hey CS, quick question about Tryptophan!

I eat sardines mostly everyday and I know they are high in tryptophan. I recently read that people who take L-Tryptophan supplements can have weird hair loss and other problems.

The Tryptophan content from sardines seems to be about 250mg per 100g so I could be getting up to 500mg+ of Tryptophan a day. The supplements that people are taking are usualy 500mg.

I have no negative effects so far but I'm a bit worried and am wondering if the supplements are different from the natural food source.

Thanks!

Don't want to be annoying but if anyone could answer this for me it would be greatly appreciated!

Icanbeatthis wrote:Hey CS, quick question about Tryptophan!

I eat sardines mostly everyday and I know they are high in tryptophan. I recently read that people who take L-Tryptophan supplements can have weird hair loss and other problems.

The Tryptophan content from sardines seems to be about 250mg per 100g so I could be getting up to 500mg+ of Tryptophan a day. The supplements that people are taking are usualy 500mg.

I have no negative effects so far but I'm a bit worried and am wondering if the supplements are different from the natural food source.

Thanks!

Icanbeatthis - Unless you're consuming Tryptophan in free form, wouldn't worry about it at all. Consuming enough tryptophan in free form may stimulate prolactin release.

Thanks, is it because of the fact that it is competing with other amino acids also contained in the food? What makes the free form different?

icanbeatthis- how has your hair been since you cut out the food intolerances you recently figured out?

No regrowth but the itching is pretty much all gone, sometimes I get it VERY slightly but nowhere near the same as before.

I started eating avocados everyday so that might have helped as well. All in all doing good!