What is L-tryptophan?
L-tryptophan is an amino acid that is made from plant or animal sources. L-tryptophan has been used in alternative medicine as an aid to treat sleep problems (insomnia), anxiety, depression, premenstrual syndrome, attention deficit disorder, and for smoking cessation and other conditions. Not all uses for l-tryptophan have been approved by the FDA. L-tryptophan should not be substituted for medications prescribed for you by your doctor. L-tryptophan is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination. It is dangerous to try and purchase l-tryptophan on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. The sale and distribution of l-tryptophan outside of the U.S. does not comply with the regulations of the F
