amino acids

Because certain neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids, amino acids from the diet or supplements are often touted to be able to influence mood, memory, and emotions. For instance, tryptophan and tyrosine are used by brain cells to make serotonin and the catecholamines, namely norepinephrine and dopamine, respectively. Furthermore, choline, which can be made from the amino acid serine, is a building block for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter mostly associated with a calming and sleepy feeling. In order for serotonin to be produced, tryptophan must exit the blood and enter our brain cells. The movement of tryptophan out of the blood requires a special transport system. However, tryptophan must compete with several other amino acids, namely valine, leucine,tyrosine, and phenylalanine, to do so.

One of the most commonly associated foods with calmness and sleepiness is milk, particularly warm milk. Some of this notion is derived from watching what happens to babies after they drink warm milk (either from the breast or milked-based formula). While some of calming effect is related to the suckling action itself, some the remaining effect might be related to protein fragments created during the digestion of milk. So, the old belief that warm milk can produce tiredness, which lacks scientific confirmation to date, might have some merit and future research should add greater clarity to this issue.

Source : Excerpts from the book  THE NUTRITIONIST, Food nutrition and optimal health, 2nd edition, Wildman

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