Food News

Tryptophan, the essential nutrient for returning from holidays

Bread with olives Salmon horseradish

Adapting to daily life after the holidays requires an overexertion that often leads to a higher level of anxiety and stress, which is why there is a growing interest, on the part of consumers, in those foods that raise the mood.

 

Foods rich in tryptophan act as natural antidepressants, producing an increase in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that acts at the brain level, increasing the feeling of happiness, well-being and improving the quality of sleep.

 

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that must necessarily be provided through the food we eat because our body is unable to synthesize it by itself. Through complex metabolic cycles it is transformed into serotonin; and vitamin B6, magnesium, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids also participate in this conversion.

 

Foods that are especially rich in tryptophan include lean meat (chicken and turkey), dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese), eggs, fish, legumes, nuts (walnuts and almonds), rice, certain fruits (grapes, mango, pineapple, banana, avocado) and vegetables (beets, carrots, endives, eggplant, arugula, broccoli, cauliflower).

 

Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, on food information provided to the consumer, establishes that mandatory nutritional information can be voluntarily supplemented with the values of other nutrients such as: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyalcohols, starch, dietary fiber, vitamins or minerals.

 

Also, there is a wide range of nutrients and other substances that can be added to food. The list of authorized vitamins and minerals is updated by Commission Regulation (EC) 1170/2009, amending Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council regarding the lists of vitamins and minerals and their forms that can be added to food, including food supplements.

 

AGROLAB GROUP has ISO 17025 accreditation for the quantification of micro and macro nutrients in all types of food products. You can contact our customer service for further information.

 

 

Autor: Dra. Isabel Gómez