Psychedelic therapy Netherlands

If you exercise a lot and therefore eat a lot of protein at every meal, you should become less depressed. Still, things don't always go well. Some athletes take in so much protein that they can become depressed. How is that possible?

Our theory

We have not yet come across the following conclusion online and is an idea that came up by combining a number of facts.

Tryptophan is an amino acid, which is a building block of protein and serotonin, which we need to a lesser extent than other amino acids. Our body gives priority to the absorption of other amino acids that are more needed, such as leucine. If you increase the protein intake in such a way that leucine is always present and has priority, the tryptophan intake will be limited too much. Too little tryptophan means too little serotonin and therefore depression.

Solution

The solution is simple. Lower your protein intake a bit or take only tryptophan or 5-HTP before going to sleep. The body can then properly absorb tryptophan and/or 5-HTP in the absence of other amino acids.