( 10 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 19 2009
I used this product twenty years ago, before what was ultimately a quality control issue at one specific plant caused the ban of the sale of this supplement for years. It is extremely useful as a sleep aid that will leave you alert in the morning, not hung over as sleeping pills can. For a diabetic like myself, it is also good for cortisol reduction, which reduces stress and can therefore improve glycemic response. I can measure this with my glucose meter and by how I feel. For me, the effect is immediate. If I take it on Tuesday night, I fall asleep on that particular night, not after taking it for several nights in a row. The only weird side effect I can report is that if I take it on a night when something is on my mind and therefore I would normally be easily roused from sleep, sometimes I will have rather vivid dreams about being "held down" in my bed - not a nightmare, just a dream. However, as long as I sleep I really don't care about that, but some people might. Since it has been possible to purchase this product again in the U.S., I have used Source Naturals brand, since this company produces some of the highest quality supplements, along with old established brands such as Solgar. Highly recommended.
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( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jun 7 2009
Milk and banana at bedtime is my mother's remedy for good sleep. It always worked; I have known that since childhood. What I discovered myself is that every time I had a dinner of rice and garbanzo beans or eggs, I slept deeply and soundly. Digging deeper for the reason traced it to tryptophan and carbohydrates as the common ingredients in all these. Tryptophan works best for sleep in conjunction with a high carbohydrate dinner because carbohydrates increase insulin, which in turn increases the uptake of tryptophan in brain to increase serotonin synthesis, and that is helps melatonin synthesis, which puts you to sleep. Calcium magnifies the effect of tryptophan on sleep by augmenting the conversion of serotonin to melatonin. Milk and dairy products have all these ingredients and work best for sleep. The downside to this approach is high calories and potential weight gain. A glass of milk (0.08%) and a banana (0.01%) have about 2000 mg of tryptophan, equivalent of four 500 mg tablets. In my experience taking three to four 500 mg tablets works best for sleep. What I found is that supplement increases the allergy symptoms because tryptophan is also involved in histamine synthesis, which mediates allergies. Sometimes I have also had hangover with tryptophan and melatonin supplements but not tryptophan rich food. However, I do not notice allergy symptoms with tryptophan rich food. If you take supplements for few days in a row, the effect wears off, not so with tryptophan rich food. The big downside to supplements, of course, is the potential impurities that can get in with the supplements. In 1989 a syndrome called Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome was linked to 2 impurities, EBT & MTCA, in Tryptophan from a Japanese manufacturer. At least 37 people died from that illness. As we all know, Congress & Senate are for sale, and like the Wall Street, Supplement industry has bought a share of the legislature and avoided all regulation. For me personally, listening to audiobooks really puts me to sleep and is the best sleeping aid, without any disadvantages. Tryptophan, taken in the form of dairy products (milk) and banana at bed time help. Occasionally I have used tryptophan in pill form, 2-4, 500 mg pills taken with about 1000 mg of calcium work really well.
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Posted: Jun 7 2009
Milk and banana at bedtime is my mother's remedy for good sleep. It always worked; I have known that since childhood. What I discovered myself is that every time I had a dinner of rice and garbanzo beans or eggs, I slept deeply and soundly. Digging deeper for the reason traced it to tryptophan and carbohydrates as the common ingredients in all these. Tryptophan works best for sleep in conjunction with a high carbohydrate dinner because carbohydrates increase insulin, which in turn increases the uptake of tryptophan in brain to increase serotonin synthesis, and that is helps melatonin synthesis, which puts you to sleep. Calcium magnifies the effect of tryptophan on sleep by augmenting the conversion of serotonin to melatonin. Milk and dairy products have all these ingredients and work best for sleep. The downside to this approach is high calories and potential weight gain. A glass of milk (0.08%) and a banana (0.01%) have about 2000 mg of tryptophan, equivalent of four 500 mg tablets. In my experience taking three to four 500 mg tablets works best for sleep. What I found is that supplement increases the allergy symptoms because tryptophan is also involved in histamine synthesis, which mediates allergies. Sometimes I have also had hangover with tryptophan and melatonin supplements but not tryptophan rich food. However, I do not notice allergy symptoms with tryptophan rich food. If you take supplements for few days in a row, the effect wears off; not so with tryptophan rich food. The big downside to supplements, of course, is the potential impurities that can get in with the supplements. In 1989 a syndrome called Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome was linked to 2 impurities, EBT & MTCA, in Tryptophan from a Japanese manufacturer. At least 37 people died from that illness. As we all know, Congress & Senate are for sale, and like the Wall Street, Supplement industry has bought a share of the legislature and avoided all regulation. For me personally, exercise in the evening and listening to audiobooks really put me to sleep and are the best sleeping aids, without any disadvantages. Tryptophan, taken in the form of dairy products (milk) and banana at bed time help. Occasionally I have used tryptophan in pill form, 2-4, 500 mg pills taken with about 1000 mg of calcium work really well.
