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Fructose and Diabetes: Drinking Sweetened Beverages Increases Risk

Glucose, or sugar, is the body’s primary source of fuel. Insulin is responsible for moving this sugar into your cells so it can be used as energy. Not only do people with type 2 diabetes have a limited ability to process glucose, they also often exhibit a resistance to insulin, exacerbating the problem and contributing to uncontrolled higher-than-normal blood sugar levels. Alternatively, their bodies may not produce enough insulin to properly maintain the necessary glucose levels in the cells.

Type 2 diabetes can affect anyone, though it most often manifests in adults and children suffering from obesity. While there’s no cure for the disease, it can be managed with diet and exercise. In more extreme cases, insulin therapy or medication may be needed to help maintain a healthy blood sugar balance. Keeping your body at a healthy weight can also help you control how your body processes glucose. New research has discovered that drinking beverages sweetened with fructose can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Common Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes can take a long time to manifest, so it is important to know the symptoms. Even when these symptoms do begin to appear, they can be so minimal that they may not be noticed. If you experience any of these symptoms regularly, you should consult your doctor:

Excessive thirst and urination: The buildup of unused sugar in your blood supply will force your system to pull fluids from the body’s tissues. As a result, you’ll feel thirsty and will drink more frequently. The extra intake of fluids will also create an increase in the need to urinate.
Excessive hunger: If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, you will feel hungrier, because the cells in your organs and muscles aren’t getting the energy they need. As a result, you’ll need more nourishment.
Weight loss: With type 2 diabetes, since your cells can’t metabolize the glucose in your body, it will have to look for alternative sources of energy. This means burning the fat that has already been stored in your body, which often leads to unexplained weight loss.
Fatigue: Type 2 diabetes robs your cells of the glucose they need to function properly. Deprived of sugar, your body will have to work overtime to function. This can leave you feeling tired and irritable.
Vision problems: When a high blood sugar content forces fluid to be pulled from tissue in the body, this includes the tissue of the eye lenses. As a result, you may experience blurred vision.
Lower resistance to injuries and illness: Type 2 diabetes affects your immune system’s ability to function. This causes you to heal more slowly from injuries and you may contract illnesses more easily.
Darkened skin: A telltale sign of type 2 diabetes is a darkening of the skin around the neck and armpits.

What is Fructose?

It may be assumed that a high sugar intake is the cause of diabetes, simply because a high blood sugar level is present in people with type 2 diabetes. The truth is that type 2 diabetes is caused by a number of factors — not solely taking in too much sugar. Until recently, there hasn’t been any particular link suggesting that simply ingesting too much sugar might be a causal factor in the development of the illness.

With this in mind, a recent scientific review looked at a collection of studies to determine what role sugar actually plays in causing type 2 diabetes to manifest. Many of the studies examined the effects of the added sugar (fructose) found in soft drinks, and it was concluded that even two servings of a soft drink per week could considerably raise the risks of diabetes. In fact, the research established that soft drinks containing fructose were more dangerous in this regard than any other type of food containing fructose.

Why do soft drinks and other beverages contain fructose in the first place? It was once thought that fructose could be a healthier alternative to sugar because it’s found naturally in other foods; fruits, honey, and a selection of vegetables all carry the compound naturally. For this reason, manufacturers of soft drinks, baked desserts, and cereals started adding the compound to their products.

Is There a Link Between Fructose and Diabetes?

Fructose and Diabetes: Drinking Sweetened Beverages Increases Risk 2 — Horizontal In Text Image

This recent research found that the relationship between fructose and diabetes was further influenced by the calorie count of the food. When a food contained fructose and didn’t add calories, blood sugar levels were not negatively impacted. Furthermore, the researchers, who were led by Dr. John Sievenpiper, found that fructose might actually benefit blood sugar levels in certain conditions. One example outlined in the study is the consumption of fruits and fruit juices that contain fructose, but which have a low calorie count.

These findings may have something to do with the fact that fruits also deliver a high concentration of fiber to the body. Increased fiber helps the body regulate the release of glucose, so it’s delivered more slowly into the bloodstream. This suggests that fructose may be permissible for type 2 diabetics when derived from a nutritional source.

Dr. Sievenpiper said the findings provide hope that dietary recommendations may change for diabetics in the near future. Although more studies are needed, the researcher suggested that people with type 2 diabetes may be able to eat foods that fall within a specific fructose-versus-calorie ratio.

As of this time, people with type 2 diabetes are forced to follow a much more restrictive diet. They’re advised to avoid all sugars as much as possible. Men are advised to limit sugar intake to nine teaspoons per day, while women are limited to six teaspoons daily. These recommendations may be adjusted, once additional research takes a closer look at how fructose from different sources affects blood sugars levels. Supplements containing certain natural ingredients may also help the body to maintain healthy blood sugar levels already within normal ranges.

New Research Into Omega-3 and Colon Cancer Shows Possible Benefits

Dec 10 by Ewcopywriting

Colorectal cancer amounts for about 700,000 deaths worldwide. Could taking a daily dose of a certain supplements offer protection while also promoting stronger brain and heart health? A new study from the UK called the 2018 seAFOod Trial that discovered a link between aspirin, omega-3 and colon cancer supports this theory.

Colon Cancer, Polyps, and Pre-cancerous Conditions

The National Cancer Institute anticipates over 140,000 new cases of colon-related cancer in the U.S. by the end of 2018. Colon cancer affects men and women equally, with the average age of diagnosis being 67. The current mortality rate is 14 percent. Colon cancer typically begins with adenomatous polyps (adenomas), but their presence alone isn’t enough for a cancer diagnosis. People can have these pre-cancerous polyps and never have cancer. However, their presence in the colon does greatly increase a person’s risk for developing colorectal-types of cancer. Other risk factors include polyp size, the number of polyps and dysplasia after a biopsy. Age and lifestyle are the two largest risk factors for colon cancer. Family history of colorectal cancer is the third leading factor, followed by other bowel related diseases.

Prevention and Early Detection

The prevention and early detection of cancer have become growing areas of study. These various preventive measures are popular among high-risk populations, but colon cancer doesn’t appear to disparage by race or sex, though some studies suggest a higher prevalence in men and African Americans.

Doctors recommend lifestyle changes at the earliest signs of pre-cancerous conditions, patient-revealed family history or diagnosis. The recommendations made wholly depend on the patient’s current lifestyle, but some suggestions could be to increase physical activity, overhauling the diet, quitting smoking and taking certain supplements.

Understanding the Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Colon Cancer Prevention and Treatments

Taking omega-3 fatty acids might not be enough to prevent cancer alone, according to this review of available research at the time (which doesn’t take the new 2018 UK study into account). However, their overall health benefits to the heart, brain and digestive system when utilized along with healthy lifestyle changes and diet can provide essential building blocks for disease prevention.

Most omega-3 studies revolve around fish oil supplements or marine sources. One problem here is dissecting the omega-3 fatty acid chains and studying individual ones. Regardless, the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in omega-3 has shown promising results in studies for treating early colorectal cancer stages. It may also provide benefits for later stages as well as prevention. A treatment plan that includes EPA can also work alongside chemotherapy without adverse side effects.

What science and medicine know about omega-3 chains as a whole is that they help modulate inflammation in the body — and inflammation and colon cancer do seem to share a link. Some research has suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may have the ability to affect cancer cells and tumor size, but more studies are needed.

Omega-3 and Colon Cancer Prevention and Disease Mortality Decline

In the recent pre-cancerous polyp study that used aspirin and omega-3 supplements, four groups of participants were studied. Among the four groups, one group took aspirin and omega-3 supplements. Another took only aspirin while a third used only omega-3 supplements. The fourth group was a control. This particular study found that the combination of omega-3 and aspirin appeared to reduce the size of pre-cancerous polyps.

Two U.S.-based studies also analyzed data from high-risk men and women taking preventative treatments with or without a colon cancer diagnosis. During the extensive studies, over 1,600 people developed cancer, and over 500 of those passed away due to their disease. The participants who obtained a diagnosis and consumed omega-3 from fish sources saw a decrease in mortality rate. Scientists noted that among those who changed their dietary habits to include more omega-3 fatty acids after their diagnosis also had a reduction in death rate.

Concerns Over Aspirin and Omega-3 EPA Use

Doctors do raise concerns over taking a high dose of aspirin (300 mg) on an ongoing basis, which can cause internal bleeding. The study doesn’t include data for those with increased bleeding disorders, allergies to aspirin or stomach ulcers.

Aside from a temporary upset stomach and a fishy aftertaste, no known side effects or concerns arise with using dietary or therapeutic doses of omega-3 supplements. Some non-symptom concerns are the quality and increased caloric intake from supplements. High intakes beyond the scope of colon cancer studies do carry an increased risk of bleeding and possibly stroke. The new research shows promise when it comes to both treatment options and mortality rates in those with colon cancer. More studies could help further define the benefits when it comes to prevention and reoccurence rates as well.

Current guidelines suggest daily intake of omega-3 rich foods and taking supplements under a doctor’s guidance. For people who are at high risk of colon cancer, they should speak with their doctor about using the aspirin and/or aspirin and omega-3 therapy as a preventative measure. They should also be sure to continue with normal checkups and screening to catch any changes early.

7 Ways to Successfully Navigate Holiday Stress

Dec 03 by Ewcopywriting

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy, happiness and goodwill. However, the often unrealistic demands that accompany it can make it tough to keep the holiday spirit alive, fostering stress — and even depression — instead. Holiday stress can become overwhelming; when you feel it creeping in, it’s a good idea to stop, regroup and reset. Follow these effective tips to minimize (and even prevent) the stress that comes with the season.

Preparation Eases Frustration

One reason people feel frustrated and tense over the holidays is that they respond to things as they come up without really developing a plan of action. Taking a more proactive approach can alleviate the holiday pressure by helping you adhere to a set schedule. Mark down your obligations and tasks on a calendar, so you can see what needs to be done on each day. This will help you organize your time better. As you schedule your tasks, such as shopping or the office holiday party, remember that traffic will be heavier and department stores will be busier.

Take Time for Self Care

The holiday season is a hectic time, but that’s all the more reason to make sure to spend time on yourself. Don’t forget that prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and open us up to illness. If you ordinarily engage in relaxation techniques or hobbies, don’t let those activities go just because the holidays are upon us. If you don’t normally meditate, perform yoga or exercise, this may be a good time to start. Even taking up a hobby or activity that interests you can relax your mind and body. You’ll be surprised by how well you’re able to handle holiday pressure once you begin taking time for yourself.

Give Your Body a Natural Boost

Often, people forget to take care of their health during the holiday season. They eat on the go more frequently and that means they’re not getting all of the vitamins and nutrients their bodies need to stay mentally and physically healthy. Taking a natural supplement like Mitochron that provides vitamins, enzymes and amino acids that support the body and cells during times of stress can help limit the risk of holiday burnout. In addition to boosting energy, the amino acids L-carnitine and L-arginine also help the body eliminate toxins from the body. This is especially helpful in reducing the physical toll of holiday stress, because the unhealthier diets and lifestyles we adopt during the season cause our bodies to collect and store more toxins that negatively impact our health.

Dealing with Family

Spending time with family is one of the most common causes of stress during the holidays. People often feel pressured to see as many of their relatives as possible, which can cause them to spend more time traveling than actually visiting loved ones. To avoid this, don’t try to see everyone every year. Choose one destination each year, so you don’t overburden yourself with too much traveling. You can always spend time with other relatives in the spring for Easter or the fall for Labor Day.

Work Out a Budget

For many people, the stress of the holidays doesn’t end after the first of the year, because that’s when those post-holiday credit card bills start rolling in. You can avoid that by developing a holiday budget and sticking to it. Decide in advance how much you’ll contribute to holiday parties and don’t go over that for the total number of parties you’re involved in planning. Office parties, family get-togethers, and parties with friends can become a huge financial burden, if you let yourself get carried away. Similarly, limit how much you’ll be spending on gifts and realize that you don’t have to buy everyone a special gift. Use cash or your debit card, but keep those credit cards set aside for real emergencies.

Get Enough Sleep to Limit Holiday Stress

Getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep is essential for a variety of reasons. In addition to helping the body physically recuperate, it also gives the mind a chance to regenerate. This is why insufficient sleep leads to symptoms like irritability, mood swings, anxiety and depression. A lack of sleep can have a worse effect on the mind and body throughout the holiday season because people usually expend more energy than usual. Getting enough sleep will give your mind the time it needs to ease stress and recharge energy levels.

Accept What Can’t Be Changed

When it comes down to it, people often take on more than they can handle without realizing it. One way to avoid doing this is to accept that some things are beyond your control. For instance, if a relative is coming to your home for dinner and doesn’t like what you’re serving, don’t take it upon yourself to make a separate meal for that person. Instead, recommend the relative bring one of her favorite dishes to add to the dinner. Similarly, don’t be afraid to ask others to contribute to meal preparations, shopping, and other tasks. Delegating your responsibilities will help everyone have a less stressful holiday.

Depression is more common through the holiday season partly because people experience heightened stress levels. During this time, it becomes that much more important to take proper care of your mental well-being. This means taking the time to engage in enjoyable activities and finding ways to limit the pressures placed upon your shoulders. This may include asking others to lend a hand, organizing your plans more efficiently, and practicing relaxation techniques. The holidays only last a short time, but unrelieved stress can affect you for much longer if you let it.

Black Pepper Extract Benefits: Boost Nutrient Absorption and More

Nov 28 by Ewcopywriting

The black pepper plant produces a unique fruit that is harvested and used to create black pepper, a substance used all over the world daily. In fact, many people add black pepper to their foods so frequently that they don’t even think about it. This has made it one of the most valued spices in the world for generations. After harvesting, the fruit of the plant is dried, resulting in what we know as the peppercorn — a tiny seed-like ball with potent anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. The fruit of the black pepper plant is of such interest to scientists because its primary element is piperine. The piperine in black pepper is what gives it its powerful scent and flavor, but it does much more than simply improve the taste of food. The piperine in black pepper can help the body in a number of ways, from helping to better absorb nutrients to alleviating dental discomfort.

Science Takes a Deeper Look at Black Pepper

One of the newest discoveries is that black pepper extract benefits include helping the body process nutrients more efficiently. It does this by slowing down processes in the liver and intestines, allowing certain compounds to be held in the intestines longer. This gives the body more time to absorb nutrients, which allows the digestive system an opportunity to make better use of the foods we eat. Specifically, a process called “glucuronidation” is inhibited when piperine is added to the system. Under normal circumstances, glucuronidation helps the liver process medications and dietary supplements more rapidly. This process causes the beneficial properties of these substances to be flushed out with our urine prematurely. By arresting this process, the black pepper extract gives the body a longer period during which it can absorb these helpful properties of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are ingested.

Black pepper extract benefits are particularly beneficial where curcumin is concerned. Curcumin is another natural substance, found in spices like turmeric, that provides a wealth of health benefits. However, our bodies can’t absorb curcumin quickly enough and many of the beneficial properties are flushed out of the system as waste. When black pepper extract is added to the mix, it slows down the digestive system long enough to allow the body to absorb more of the healthy properties found in curcumin. Taking black pepper extract with curcumin can improve the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000 percent or more.

More Black Pepper Extract Benefits

Supports Healthy Cells

One way that black pepper can benefit us is by helping to support healthy cell growth. It does this by releasing antioxidants into our bloodstream, which can help protect against free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive particles that can cause cell damage when left to roam within our bodies. This may be why people who consume more black pepper may experience fewer skin anomalies, such as wrinkles and liver spots.

Improves Digestion

Consuming black pepper also increases the amount of hydrochloric acid released into the stomach. A higher acid content helps the stomach digest foods more efficiently, which may be adding black pepper to food regularly can help reduce instances of colic, diarrhea and constipation. The spicy nature of black pepper also promotes sweating and more frequent urination, which helps flush toxins and excess fluids from the body. The flushing of toxins helps reduce the risks of developing more severe gastrointestinal problems.

Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight

In addition to helping the body flush excess water and toxins from the body, black pepper plants assist in maintaining a healthy weight in another way. Black pepper possesses an outer layer that works to help support the breakdown of fat cells in the body when it’s ingested. Fat cells that are broken down are more easily digested, making it more efficient for the body to process those cells. This means they will be used for energy and the waste will be flushed rather than having the whole cells stored to cause weight gain.

May Aid in Cases of Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a type of skin condition that inhibits pigmentation and gives some people a paler or whiter skin tone. A study conducted at Oregon Health & Science University found that pepperine helps the body produce melanocytes, which help to produce melanin. In turn, melanin makes it easier for the skin to darken and tan. In fact, a topical solution derived from piperine and used in combination with UV light therapy can help reduce the risk of developing skin cancer.

Improves Respiration

If you’re a fan of spicy foods, you already know that strong dishes help clear the sinuses and improve breathing. this is because the pepper acts as an expectorant, which breaks up mucus and phlegm in the sinus cavities. As you’re prompted to sneeze or cough, you expel those contaminants, which helps clear out the respiratory tract. Additionally, by removing these substances from the body, you may also be reducing the risk of illness or infection. If you’re easily congested or experience breathing difficulties, ingesting more black pepper may help.

While there are many more benefits of ingesting black pepper extract, the benefits listed here may be the most advantageous. By slowing down the digestive process, black pepper helps us gain the benefits of other foods we eat and the natural supplements we rely upon to stay healthy. By adding black pepper to more foods, we’re likely making those foods even more useful to our bodies.

The Little-Known Connection Between Melatonin and Fertility

Nov 26 by Ewcopywriting

Many people associate melatonin with sleep — with good reason. Helping to regulate and maintain the circadian rhythm appears to be the most important and best-known role of this pineal gland hormone. However, melatonin also plays a variety of other important roles in the human body. According to recent studies on melatonin and fertility, it may play a very important role in helping couples to conceive.

Infertility: A Growing Modern Problem

For reasons that doctors and scientists do not fully understand, an increasing number of people are struggling with infertility. Only one in six couples trying to conceive will be able to do so in a reasonable amount of time, generally defined as around a year.

Infertility has classically been seen as a female problem, but men are contributing increasingly to low pregnancy rates. Causes that can be attributed to the male are now behind around 30 percent of infertility cases. For reasons that are not completely understood, sperm counts around the world have dropped dramatically and are continuing to fall. An increasing number of couples are seeking IVF and other fertility treatments, making reproductive technology one of the fastest growing fields of medicine. Despite this medical assistance, birth rates in the developed world are below replacement rates and continuing to fall.

What is causing this decline in fertility? There are several hypotheses, including estrogens in the water supply, increased pollution of water and air, radiation from smart devices and a general inclination to wait until later in life to conceive. Regardless of the cause, several studies suggest that melatonin may be part of the answer.

Could Melatonin Affect Egg Quality?

The rise in in-vitro fertilization has allowed scientists to study in depth what factors make an egg healthier and more likely to successfully become an embryo. The life cycle of an egg is complex and extremely important to fertilization, making it a popular avenue of study in the fertility world. Eggs, or oocytes, spend most of a woman’s life dormant in her ovary. When stimulated, a single egg begins to mature and resumes cell division. It matures in a follicle until it is released. From here, it travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it is hopefully fertilized. If a couple is undergoing IVF, the egg is instead harvested.

Melatonin fluids in follicular fluid have been found to predict the health of the future egg. Melatonin also appears to protect eggs from oxidative stress during the collection and fertilization process, which in turn improves the chances of successful fertilization and implantation.

Simply giving melatonin to women trying to conceive has been found to improve egg quality as well as increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. Although these are all small studies, they definitely suggest that melatonin is crucial to conceiving and carrying a pregnancy, especially for women struggling with infertility.

Melatonin and Fertility in Males

Melatonin is important to the fertility of women, but it also appears to play a role in the fertility of men. High melatonin levels have been linked to sperm quality in both living men and in storage for insemination. This appears to be partly due to melatonin’s role as an antioxidant, preventing damage to DNA in semen.

However, melatonin may play another role as well, one that is increasingly important in the modern world: protecting sperm from damage due to pollutants. For men who live in areas where water and air quality are affecting fertility rates, this could be an immense advantage.

Although melatonin alone cannot cure male infertility (that we know of, at least), it appears to have an important role in male fertility. Men who are on the borderline between infertility and conception may especially benefit from taking a nightly supplement or from taking care to keep their natural production of melatonin high.

Links Between Circadian Rhythm and Fertility

Many of these studies have been performed in-vitro, on eggs that are fertilized in dishes for use in IVF and other reproductive technologies. However, the findings also likely apply to conceptions that occur the natural way. Because melatonin is a natural antioxidant and free radical scavenger, it can prevent cells from getting damaged from respiration and other activities. This is likely part of the reason that both eggs and sperm fare better when exposed to melatonin.

However, there may be other causes of the link between a healthy circadian rhythm and fertility. Melatonin appears to contribute to healthy hormonal cycles in women, which are essential for conception and pregnancy. In addition, people who have irregular melatonin may also have other health risk factors such as obesity or type 2 diabetes, as both of these have been linked to low melatonin levels.

There definitely appears to be a link between melatonin and fertility rates; one that may become increasingly important as infertility rates increase around the world. Although the causality remains in question, people nonetheless may find they are more fertile when they lead a healthy lifestyle, including getting plenty of sleep and keeping their circadian rhythm well-regulated.

Tryptophan and Sleep: Does Eating Thanksgiving Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?

Nov 22 by Ewcopywriting

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks, of family and, most of all, of tradition. Although every American family has a unique way of celebrating this fall festival, most traditions have two things in common: turkey and rest. This has led to a widespread belief that turkey, or more precisely, tryptophan, an amino acid that turkey contains in large proportions, makes you sleepy. Is turkey really what makes you feel so tired on Thanksgiving afternoon? The research on tryptophan and sleep has borne mixed results.

Tryptophan and Turkey: Fact or Myth?

Much of the belief that turkey causes sleep is based on the purported effects of the amino acid tryptophan. Like many essential amino acids, tryptophan is converted to different molecules that are crucial to human health. It is an important building block in several proteins, but it also is important because it is converted to a molecule called 5-HTP. 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, both of which play an essential role in sleep and mood.

Serotonin is best known as the happiness hormone. It is the molecule that is the target of many popular antidepressants. In addition, it plays an important role in digestion. One of the “side effects” of increased serotonin is more energy. Melatonin, on the other hand, is a hormone associated with sleep. Its effects on the human body are many, as it acts as a potent antioxidant and also triggers DNA repair. However, most people who take melatonin will simply notice that it makes them sleepy.

Tryptophan’s role as a precursor to melatonin is the reason that it is so often associated with sleep. For many people, the tryptophan that they eat is converted to both serotonin and melatonin, giving them that happy and sleepy feeling that so many associate with their post-turkey nap. However, the relationship between turkey and sleep may not be so simple.

Links Between Tryptophan and Sleep

Tryptophan has been linked to sleep in several studies. People who take a tryptophan supplement before bed generally wake up better-rested and more alert. They perform better on tests that require concentration and also display less aggression. This change in behavior can even be seen in lab animals. Because tryptophan has to be converted to melatonin in order to induce sleepiness, this effect tends to be more gentle than that seen by taking a sleeping pill or even from taking melatonin.

The problem with linking turkey and sleep is that turkey is not actually the best place to get tryptophan. In fact, chicken has more of this amino acid. Many foods have ample amounts of tryptophan yet are not associated with sleep. This is due to the fact that tryptophan takes a significant amount of time to be converted to melatonin.

First, tryptophan must be transported across the blood-brain barrier, which can take significant time because it basically has to wait in line with other amino acids. Once there, it is converted to serotonin in several different areas of the brain, and then to melatonin in the pineal gland. Eating turkey is not a fast way to fall asleep. On the contrary, your post-turkey dip in energy is likely due to eating a large amount of carbohydrates.

Could a Tryptophan Supplement Help You Sleep?

To keep it simple, tryptophan may not provide a quick way to fall asleep, but it indeed can contribute to your sleeping well. Tryptophan supplements have been shown to encourage higher-quality sleep. However, they may not be the answer to insomnia for some people. In elderly people, for example, this amino acid may have the opposite effect. Older people have a less-functional pineal gland due to age-related changes in blood flow to this gland. As a result, excess tryptophan is converted to serotonin rather than to melatonin, leaving elderly people even more energetic.

People who suffer from insomnia similarly tend to have problems with producing melatonin. As a result, many insomniacs may get the opposite effect as well, getting a boost of energy from the serotonin that is made in lieu of the melatonin they seek.

Getting to Sleep the Natural Way

If you are hoping to sleep better, it may be best to “skip the middle man” and simply take a high-quality melatonin supplement rather than a tryptophan supplement. The effects of melatonin, after all, are what most people seek when they take tryptophan. In addition, behavioral changes such as better sleep hygiene have been found in multiple studies to have the most dramatic effects. Ultimately, there is no guaranteed way to get the sleep you need without the hard work of keeping your circadian rhythm on track. Melatonin can help, but a heaping helping of turkey likely will not.