| Tryptophan, the natural sedative |
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For years people used tryptophan to get a good night of sleep, calm anxiety or depression, until a Japanese manufacturer shipped a contaminated batch of tryptophan to the States in the eighties. The batch caused malignancy such as the auto-immune illness EMS. Although it was clear the spoiled tryptophan was the cause of the illness, tryptophan was unfairly taken off the market by the FDA.
However, tryptophan, the uncontaminated version of, can safely be taken if some precautions are taken. The amino acid synthesizes hydrogen peroxide, a harmful substance that could cause mutagenicity of cells, if not broken down further. The safest prevention is to ingest enzymes to further split tryptophan into nontoxic components. Peroxidase or catalase are required to neutralize peroxide. Avocado, containing both of these nutrients, is a perfect match for tryptophan.
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