e were safe for the moment. The danger occurs when the amino acid is manufactured into a supplement. Investigations into the connection with tryptophan supplements traced the problem to a contaminated batch of the supplement made by a Japanese company. Showa Denko KK had changed its fermentation process to incorporate genetically engineered bacteria and lessened the amount of charcoal used to purify its product. More than 95 percent of the cases of EMS were traced to supplements supplied by this company. However, the FDA did not relax its ban, reasoning that it is still not clear whether manufacturers can produce a supplement that isn't toxic. Tryptophan is still available by prescription in Canada. Controversy arose in the early 1990's when the FDA still held its ban; many tryptophan proponents say the amino acid is an effective and safe treatment for many symptoms that high-profile prescription drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft are marketed to treat. They reason that the FDA is supporting the prescription drug companies by refusing to allow the cheaper, more natural tryptophan to compete with expensive psychiatric drugs.If tryptophan can be found in so many foods, however, then why is it necessary to manufacture it into a supplement? Couldn't I just increase my banana intake? Apparently not. Tryptophan is the rarest amino acid and is found in relatively small amounts in nature. When ingested naturally, it won't act on the brain unless the stomach is empty. Other proteins in the system act as competition to get into they system. Tryptophan is also easily destroyed by the liver. My family, then, would have had to have eaten several more turkeys than they did in order to be excused for their lengthy mid-day nap. If the tryptophan found in turkey was not responsible, then why did I have a houseful of sleeping relatives? Current research shows that rather than amino acid villainy, what was occurring in my house right now was the result of o...
