How to Use tryptophan in a Sentence

tryptophan

noun
  • Any meat that causes this much drowsiness (thank you, tryptophan) belongs in the food hall of fame.
    Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 27 Nov. 2019
  • One of those is tryptophan, a building block of protein.
    Matt Fuchs, TIME, 18 July 2024
  • Melatonin and tryptophan work hand-in-hand to promote sleep health.
    Daphne Yao, Health, 17 Feb. 2023
  • Here are some essential titles from this year's crop to hunt down as the tryptophan still runs through your blood.
    Ron Hart, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2019
  • The tryptophan seemed to hit the Bucks after the halftime break, though, as the Bucks struggled to keep their advantage intact.
    Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Nov. 2019
  • Veggie Turkey Rollups Nosh on these turkey rollups for lunch or make as a light dinner, the tryptophan will do the rest.
    NBC News, 10 June 2017
  • Research has shown that taking at least 1 g of tryptophan per day can help reduce the time spent awake during the night.
    Discover Magazine, 30 June 2023
  • And tryptophan is an amino acid that supports the production of melatonin.
    Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 25 July 2024
  • The first tryptophan then attracts an electron from the second tryptophan and so on.
    Henrik Mouritsen, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2022
  • Calcium found in dairy products will help the brain use the tryptophan found in dairy to help make sleep-inducing melatonin.
    Emily Price, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2017
  • Without niacin, the body cannot produce tryptophan, an essential amino acid.
    Ben Crair, Smithsonian, 21 Feb. 2018
  • Adding milk to your coffee could induce sleepiness since milk is a source of tryptophan, which could promote good sleep quality.
    Lacey Muinos, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2023
  • All of these signs point to a deficiency in vitamin B3 and tryptophan (a B3 precursor), the researchers write.
    Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 2 Feb. 2017
  • All of these signs point to a deficiency in vitamin B3 and tryptophan (a B3 precursor), the researchers write.
    Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 2 Feb. 2017
  • And neither of those is nearly as effective a delivery system for crisp skin, gravy and tryptophan.
    Elizabeth G. Dunn and Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2018
  • Examining the skin more closely, the team found a set of molecules that were derived from tryptophan, an amino acid important for sleep and mood in humans.
    Joanna Klein, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2019
  • Brown rice Legumes Peanuts Your body can convert small amounts of tryptophan to niacin, so eating more tryptophan-rich foods may help treat niacin deficiency.
    Brittany Lubeck, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Snacks containing high amounts of tryptophan include egg whites, soybeans, low-fat cheese, chicken and seeds, such as pumpkin or sesame, Hensrud said.
    Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 11 May 2017
  • Adding a drizzle of honey provides a small portion of carbs and can actually increase tryptophan's impact on the brain.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Health, 30 Sep. 2024
  • But while tart cherries contain melatonin and tryptophan—an amino acid that helps the body make even more melatonin, evidence is limited.
    Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 31 May 2023
  • The addition of a few tablespoons of chia seeds provides not only fiber and plant protein but tryptophan, a precursor to melatonin.
    Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, 3 July 2019
  • A glut of teams apparently began gorging on tryptophan just after Labor Day and now have records of 4-6 or 5-5 that keep them in a sorry excuse for contention.
    David White, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2016
  • Getty Images It’s the day after Thanksgiving, the tryptophan has worn off, and there are towers of Tupperware filled with turkey, stuffing and potatoes in your fridge.
    Samantha Presnal, Quartzy, 29 Nov. 2019
  • Pumpkin seeds may be a natural mood balancer thanks to tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin.
    Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024
  • The new study found that tryptophan was indeed the initial building block, but that the order of events proposed by the earlier paper was otherwise incorrect.
    Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 18 Aug. 2017
  • The football gods seemingly handed the Jets a de facto second bye against this tomato can, but the tryptophan evidently was still in Gang Green’s system.
    Dave Clark, Cincinnati.com, 2 Dec. 2019
  • Having carbs like white rice, pasta or white potatoes at dinner as a side is another way to increase levels of tryptophan, and thus serotonin and melatonin.
    Denise Foley, Good Housekeeping, 27 Dec. 2012
  • Pumpkin seed protein is a good source of magnesium, zinc, and other minerals, as well as an amino acid called tryptophan, which helps support a good mood and relaxation.
    Paul Kita, Men's Health, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Some evidence suggests that the drowsiness occurs because of a compound called tryptophan.
    Cat Lafuente, Health, 29 Mar. 2024
  • However, tryptophan is found in lots of foods, and some of them — milk and tuna fish, for example — contain more tryptophan than the average serving of turkey.
    Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tryptophan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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