THE 19 FOODS RICHEST IN TRYPTOPHAN (NATURAL) - NUTRITION - 2025

Some of the foods richest in tryptophan are dark chocolate, banana, pineapple, chili, pepper, fish, eggs, tofu, soybeans, sesame seeds, pumpkin, walnuts and others that I will explain to you below.

Do you want to improve your life, feel better and improve your appearance? You can do all of this by changing your habits and improving your diet. If you change them little by little you will see great improvements.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is essential for human nutrition and makes up one of the 20 amino acids that are included in the genetic code. The most important function that tryptophan performs is to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is synthesized in the brain and performs a large number of essential activities for both physical and psychological functioning.

The regulation of mood, anxiety, the sleep cycle, sexual functions, blood clotting or body temperature, are some of the functions that serotonin performs. Tryptophan plays a fundamental role in the development of this neurotransmitter, since without the presence of this amino acid, the body cannot synthesize serotonin.

In the same way that a good functioning of serotonin is required to be able to carry out the above activities and many others, an optimal functioning of tryptophan is also required.

Tryptophan is only obtained through food, so we introduce this amino acid into our body through the food we eat. This fact highlights the high importance of diet in determining the functioning of both the body and the mind.

List of foods rich in tryptophan

1- Chocolate

Chocolate is the food that is obtained by mixing sugar with two products derived from the manipulation of cocoa beans: cocoa paste and cocoa butter. From this basic combination, different types of chocolate can be made, depending on the proportion of those foods that are introduced into the mixture.

Chocolate has a wide variety of substances, some of which have an effect on organic chemistry. Sugar, phenylethylaine, caffeine and, above all, tryptophan, are the ones that are most present in this food.

In fact, it is estimated that chocolate has high levels of tryptophan and its consumption increases the synthesis of serotonin. This could partly explain the urge many people experience to eat this type of food when they feel depressed or anxious.

2- Banana

Banana is a very beneficial fruit for health due to the substances and properties it incorporates. It is one of the most nutritious fruits since it has a highly caloric composition.

It contains vitamin C, vitamin B, some vitamin E and fiber in abundance. Likewise, it is also very rich in carbohydrates, constituting one of the best ways to nourish the human body through plant energy.

Finally, although in less quantity than chocolate, the banana also incorporates important levels of tryptophan, so its consumption helps the development of this amino acid in the body.

3- Pineapple

The pineapple, also known by the name of pineapple, is a fruit of a plant of the bromeliad family. This food has multiple beneficial properties for the human body.

The most prominent are the digestive properties since pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that plays an important role in helping to digest the proteins in food. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory and circulatory properties have also been found.

In addition, pineapple is one of the main foods of tryptophan, so this food has beneficial properties for both the body and the brain regions.

4- Chile

Chili is a slightly aggressive food, so it should not be consumed in abundance. Eating this food should be avoided when suffering from diseases such as gastritis or reflux, since the properties of chili can increase symptoms.

However, this does not mean that this food does not have beneficial properties. And it is that chili contain vitamins A and C, and has antimicrobial and antiseptic effects.

Likewise, although the data is slightly controversial, the chili also has tryptophan in its composition.

5- Pepper

Not only does chili have levels of tryptophan, but different types of pepper also contain this amino acid in their composition.

This food stands out for its high content of vitamin C and vitamin B6, which is also essential for both brain function and the development of the central nervous system.

6- Lean meats

Lean meats are those types of meats that have less than 10% fat per 100 grams. We can find both lean chicken meat and lean turkey meat, lean rabbit meat and, in some cases, lean beef, pork and lamb.

Lean meats, especially chicken and turkey, contain high levels of tryptophan, which is why these foods are very beneficial for brain development and function.

7- Milk

Milk is an opaque whitish nutritious secretion produced by the secretory cells of the mammary glands of female mammals. It has an average density of 1,032 and presents mineral solutions, as well as carbohydrates are found dissolved in water.

On the other hand, it contains a suspension of protein substances and an emulsion of fat in water.

Milk is characterized by having nutritional properties based on fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as a great variety of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin D3 and vitamin E.

This food is one of the richest in tryptophan since it has high amounts of this amino acid, so its consumption is highly beneficial.

8- Cheese

Cheese is a solid food that is made from the curdled milk of cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, camel or other mammals.

Considering the nutritional qualities of milk, in which high levels of tryptophan stand out, cheese is also one of the richest foods in this amino acid.

9- Fish

Fish is the name given to any fish that is used as food. The properties of fish depend on the nutritional characteristics of each fish that is used as food. However, many of them share a number of substances in their composition.

Tryptophan is one of them, since this amino acid is present in a wide variety of fish. Especially in blue fish such as sardines, mackerel or tuna, we can find large amounts of tryptophan.

10- Eggs

The eggs of the birds constitute a habitual food in the feeding of the people. They are foods rich in protein and lipids, and are one of the main sources of tryptophan.

11- Tofu

Tofu is an oriental food prepared with soybeans, water, and solidifying or coagulant. It is prepared by coagulation of soy milk and its subsequent pressing to separate the liquid part from the solid.

This food has a high protein value and contains high amounts of calcium. Likewise, although to a lesser extent than other foods, it is also an important source of tryptophan.

12- Soy

Tofu is a derivative of soybeans, so in the same way that the food that we have commented previously constitutes a source of tryptophan, this is also it. Multiple nutritional properties have been linked to soy, and its consumption is increasingly widespread in a large number of countries.

As with tofu, its tryptophan value seems to be somewhat lower than that found in other foods such as chocolate, fish or eggs.

However, it has been shown that this important amino acid is also present in soybeans, so tryptophan joins the rest of the beneficial properties of this food.

In this article you can learn about other benefits of soy.

13- sesame seeds

Sesame seeds come from a plant native to Africa and India, although they are currently grown in other regions of the world. You can consume both the seed directly and the oil that is derived from it.

This food has large doses of protein, polyunsaturated fats, carbohydrates and calcium. In addition, despite not containing all the essential amino acids, it has a large amount of them, including tryptophan.

14- Pumpkin

Pumpkins are one of the healthiest products that we can find in gastronomy. They are antioxidant foods that allow the neutralization of free radicals and prevent cell degeneration.

Likewise, pumpkin is very rich in vitamin carotenes, it is considered a very useful food to promote the proper functioning of the prostate, eye health, and circulatory and heart function.

Finally, pumpkin has essential amino acids, among which the presence of tryptophan stands out.

15- Walnuts

Like pumpkin, walnuts are a highly beneficial food that should be incorporated into all diets. It has a large number of minerals and vitamins that are especially useful to keep the body healthy and active.

The presence of tryptophan is very abundant in this food, so eating nuts frequently helps the optimal nutrition of the brain regions. Likewise, they have vitamins B and A, and other amino acids such as lectin and omega-3 fatty acids.

16- Peanut oil

Peanut oil is a vegetable oil prepared by cooking peanuts or by extracting them in a hydraulic press. It contains a very light color and is a very useful element for cooking as it withstands high temperatures.

It is composed of oleic acid, lnoleic acid, pamithic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, heredic acid, lignóceric acid, godolic acid, alpha-linlecium acid and erucium acid.

This food has monosaturated fats, essential fatty acids, csaturated fatty acids and omega 3.

Despite its high level of fat, it is a food that is beneficial to the human body as it is also rich in essential fatty acids, such as omega-6 and tryptophan.

17- Peanuts

Nuts are foods that tend to provide multiple benefits for the health and development of the body. These foods are very rich in multiple vitamins and essential substances for the body.

Peanuts are the nuts with the most vitamin B3 and with high amounts of folic acid. In fact, they are considered by many specialists as the best supplement during pregnancy, since they allow to cover a large number of nutritional needs.

Likewise, peanuts are one of the main sources of tryptophan, among other essential amino acids.

Keep in mind that these foods are very caloric, so they should not be abused. However, consuming them in small amounts on a regular basis can help establish beneficial levels of tryptophan and other basic substances.

18- Cereals

It is popularly extended that cereals are one of the most important foods and that they should be incorporated into most diets. However, these foods can also have negative effects if consumed in excess.

This fact does not mean that it is a food very rich in a great variety of essential substances and nutrients. Cereals are rich in carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

Likewise, they have a wide variety of essential amino acids, including tryptophan, which is why they are considered highly beneficial foods for human nutrition.

19- Sesame seeds

Sesame is a seed rich in benefits and heart-healthy properties, thanks to its content of essential fatty acids. The fatty acids that this food contains such as omega-3, omega-6 or tryptophan are especially suitable to guarantee physical and mental development.

This food allows to reduce cholesterol levels, helps purify the body thanks to its high fiber content and is especially effective in balancing the functioning of the intestine and eliminating toxins.

Likewise, its consumption strengthens the central nervous system, improves the functioning of the metabolism, fights fungi, protects the bacterial flora, favors the proper functioning of the muscles and delays aging.

References

1. Cervera P, C lopes J, R igolfas R. Food and diet therapy. l nteramericana, Me Graw-H ill, 1 998.
2. Heine WE. The significance of tryptophan in infant nutrition. Advances Experiemtal Medical Biological. 1999. 467: 705-10.
3. Hrboticky, N., Lawrence, A., Harvey A. Mestrual cycle effects on the metabolism of tryptophan loads. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1989. 50: 46-52.
4. Kathleen Mahan, L. and Escott-Stump, S. Krause's Nutrition and Diet Therapy. 1998.
5. Tyler DF, Russell P. The N utrition and Health Encyclopedia. Van reinhold