Best L-Tryptophan products contain Ajinomoto TryptoPure™. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid readily converted by the body to the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Able to cross the blood-brain barrier, L-tryptophan is altered by enzymes to first form the intermediate amino acid 5-HTP and then serotonin. It is also the metabolic precursor to melatonin and to the B vitamin niacin. Supplementing the diet with pure L-tryptophan like TryptoPure™, found in Doctor’s Best L-Tryptophan products, can improve sleep and enhance mood, and may also be beneficial in reducing carbohydrate cravings. *

Doctor’s Best L-Tryptophan Enhanced additionally includes the active form of vitamin B6 and the B-vitamin niacin (as niacinamide) as cofactors for the enhanced utilization of L-tryptophan. Vitamin B6 is an essential cofactor in the conversion of tryptophan, while niacinamide plays an important role in allowing our body to properly utilize this essential amino acid. Clinical observation suggests that supplementing with Vitamin B6 and niacinamide in conjunction with L-tryptophan enhances the ability of tryptophan to support healthy sleep.

What is Ajinomoto TryptoPure™?

TryptoPure™ is pure, pharmaceutical-grade L-tryptophan produced by the world's leading maker of amino acids—Ajinomoto. The global leader in the research, production, and sales of amino acids, Ajinomoto was one of the first to make pharmaceutical-grade amino acids; they literally invented the process.

Ajinomoto TryptoPure™ is considered the purest, most trusted L-tryptophan available.  It is manufactured via fermentation strictly from vegetable sources, not animal, and it is between 99% and 100% pure. The level of impurities in tryptophan from other makers can be much higher.

In fact, from 1989 to 2006 the FDA was so concerned about the quality of tryptophan coming into the U.S., that it instituted an import ban with one exception: Ajinomoto's TryptoPure™. In 1989, the importation of L-tryptophan was banned in the United States after cases of an autoimmune illness called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome were traced to an improperly prepared batch of tryptophan. The FDA limited L-tryptophan availability to prescription drugs, infant formulas, and enteral feeding products. Because the FDA recognized the unsurpassed quality Ajinomoto’s TryptoPure™, it was excepted from the ban, but its use was limited to those few products. Today, it is available over-the-counter in Doctor’s Best L-Tryptophan products.

Ingredients: Niacin (as Niacinamide) 20 mg; Vitamin B6 (from 17.6 mg pyridoxal 5-phosphate) 10 mg; Ajinomoto L-Tryptophan 500 mg

Other Ingredients: Vegetable capsule, cellulose, magnesium stearate (vegetable source), silicon dioxide