People mainly take L-Tryptophan for sleep, mood, anxiety. Based on 154 first-hand reports and 18 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #188 of 2,750 overall.
Of reports that state an outcome, 57% are positive.
Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.
3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.
Conclusion: Trp supplementation, especially at ≥1 g can help improve sleep quality.
PubMed 33942088 ↗Conclusion: Reviewing these 11 RCTs, we concluded that taking 0.14-3 g of TRP per day in addition to the usual meal can be expected to improve the mood of healthy individuals. In order to estimate the optimum amount of TRP intake more accurately, further studies need to be conducted with more appropriate settings of intake period, intake frequency, and intake method.
PubMed 32272859 ↗Conclusion: This update has provided additional confirmation on the effectiveness of antidepressants for neuropathic pain and has provided new information on another antidepressant - venlafaxine. There is still limited evidence for the role of SSRIs. Whether antidepressants prevent the development of neuropathic pain (pre-emptive use) is still unclear. Both TCAs and venlafaxine have NNTs of approximately three. This means that for approximately every three patients with neuropathic pain who are treated with either of these antidepressants, one will get at least moderate pain relief. There is evidence to s
PubMed 17943857 ↗Conclusion: The brain 5-HT levels elevated after Trp administration in different intensities, dependent of the brain region evaluated and the time of administration. Further studies are needed to assess the dose-response of Trp administration to brain 5-HT levels.
PubMed 30098308 ↗As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.
How often each side effect came up across all reports.
Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.
“why not use l-tryophan? It's the amino acid that gets converted into serotonin then melatonin.”
“I take NAC, krill oil, Astaxanthin, 5 htp, l-trpoyphan, and mageiusm.”
“makes me wonder if an L-tryptophan supplement would be helpful”
“500mg of L-Tryptophan the night before”
“Tryptophan itself does metabolise into 5-HTP, then onto serotonin, but it can also be metabolised into some nasty shit like kynurenine and quinolinic acids”
User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 3, 2026. How we rate