Jet lag is caused by air travel across several time zones. We know this a problem for a great many people – since more than 1.6 billion passengers fly internationally every year1.

But the research shows that even flying coast to coast in the U.S. can cause jet lag, fatigue, and poor mental function2. Travel involving just three hours time difference, in a recent study, caused jet lag symptoms in one-third of the study’s participants. Their jet lag was serious enough to impair their performance.

When you travel across time zones, your body clock (circadian rhythm) is still set at the time zone of your departure. As a result, you may not be able to sleep when you arrive at your destination, especially if you’re traveling from West to East3. You may be physically tired from travel, but your body systems have not adjusted to the new local day-night cycle. So getting to sleep and achieving restorative rest is difficult.

This places your body clock (circadian rhythm) in a different time zone than where you are. The biggest problem with jet lag is not being able to sleep when you arrive at your destination because your inner clock is still set to the time zone you departed from. You may be physically tired from travel, but your body systems have not adjusted to the local day-night cycle.

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You can recover from jet lag much more quickly by raising your serotonin levels (a key neurotransmitter in the brain that, among other things, allows sleep to happen). Because your body is not on local time, your brain is not producing serotonin at the right time to allow you to go to sleep. Encouraging higher levels of serotonin with a tryptophan supplement tends to induce natural sleep because tryptophan increases your serotonin levels. Tryptophan can be used in combination with melatonin (a natural hormone in supplement form) to reset your body clock to local time.

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When you arrive at your destination, take your tryptophan in the evening even if you're not sleepy. On that first night, you may consider taking the higher end of the dose range to jump-start the re-synchronization process:

It is important to go to bed at the local time rather than staying up. One of the problems with jet lag is that you may not feel like going to sleep earlier. You will find that if you take the tryptophan 30 minutes before dinner, and at the local bedtime, whether you are sleepy or not, you will feel naturally relaxed and sleepy about half an hour after the second dose.

Once you begin to feel sleepy at the appropriate local time, you can cut back or stop the tryptophan and melatonin.

Buy a large or small size Tryptophan with a Tri-Phos-B and get a Melatonin 1.2mg Time Release no charge. [Buy]

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By supporting serotonin (our natural sleep signal) with tryptophan and melatonin, we can speed up the natural process of adapting to a new time zone. A process that might take 5 or 6 days can be done in as little as 2 days. This means less wear and tear on your body because you will get adequate sleep sooner.

Tryptophan and melatonin, normal components of the bodys chemistry, work well in combination. They both have been well researched with regard to jet lag.

For scientific details and research citations about the tryptophan/serotonin connection to anxiety click here [ Jet Lag Research ]

Cautions If You Are on Certain Types of Medication

If you are taking certain types of medication, you should consult your physician before taking tryptophan. These medications include anti-depressants (particularly SSRIs), anti-anxiety drugs, tricyclic drugs, MAO Inhibitors, some sleep medications, certain Parkinson's medications, or amphetamines. Tryptophan may interact unfavorably with medications, particularly those used for mood conditions such as depression or anxiety.

Serotonin Syndrome

Some medications, especially anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs, can raise serotonin levels in the body. The addition of tryptophan while taking these medications could possibly raise serotonin to a dangerous level. This is called Serotonin Syndrome. The symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome can resemble the symptoms of low tryptophan. If you are taking medication in combination with tryptophan and you develop any type of adverse symptoms, contact your physician immediately. It is important not to increase the dosage of either the medication or the tryptophan, as that could raise serotonin levels even higher.

If you are taking any of the medications mentioned above and would like to use tryptophan, inform your physician and get guidance on reducing your medication dosage. Do not do reduce or stop your medication without medical supervision.

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. Tri-Phos-B - Contains the B vitamins required to convert tryptophan to serotonin.

. All-Basic - A multi amino acid formula that helps with stress, energy and mental function.

. AntiOx - A scientifically balanced blend of anti-oxidants nutrients that protects against the effects of stress and helps the body use amino acids.

. OcuDyne II - An exceptional multi-vitamin and mineral formula rich in anti-oxidants.

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A Balogh. "Melatonin may influence vigilance and sleep - this is particularly true for jet lag symptoms." Zeitschrift fur arztliche Fortbildung und Qualitatssicherung. January 2001; Vol 95, No 1: pages 11-16.

V Kumar. "Melatonin: a master hormone and a candidate for universal panacea." Indian Journal of Experimental Biology . May 1996; Vol 34, No 5: pages 391-402.

ME Levine and LK Duffy. "Seasonal variation of the amino acid, L-tryptophan, in interior Alaska . International Journal of Circumpolar Health . 1998; Vol. 57, Suppl. 1: pages 386-388.

DM Rose and others. "Time zone shifts and jet lag after long-distance flights." Zeitschrift fur arztliche Fortbildung und Qualitatssicherung . October 1999; Vol 93. No 7: pages 485-490.

Y Touitou and others. "Melatonin and biological rhythms: various aspects in human physiopathology. Annales Pharmaceutiques Francaises. 1996; Vol 54, No 6: pages 241-250.

RC Zimmernamm and others. "Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on nocturnal melatonin secretion in humans." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. May 1993; Vol 76, No 5: pages 1160-1164.

RC Zimmernamm and others. "Urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate as a measure of melatonin secretion during acute tryptophan depletion." Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1993; Vol 18, No 8: pages 567-578.

International Air Transport Association. State of the Industry. June 2004. Available at: http://www.iata.org/pressroom/speeches/2004-06-07-01.htm. Accessed: 12/16/04.

G.D. Birkmayer, G.G. Kay, E. Vurre. “Stabilized NADH (ENADA) improves jet lag-induced cognitive performance deficit” [Article in German] Wien Med Wochenschr. 2002; Vol. 152, Nos. 17-18: pages 450-454.

M. Beaumont, D. Batejat, C. Pierard, and others. “Caffeine or melatonin effects on sleep and sleepiness after rapid eastward transmeridian travel.” Journal of Applied Physiology. Jan 2004; Vol. 96, No. 1: pages 50-58. Epub Sept. 5, 2003.

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Our moods and sleep are regulated by powerful brain chemistry, particularly serotonin, one of our most important neurotransmitters. Low serotonin levels have been identified as a cause of depression in hundreds of research studies. Serotonin is made in the brain from tryptophan, an essential amino acid. Tryptophan is the raw material the brain requires to make serotonin.

Tryptophan is a component of most proteins. Unfortunately, stress can deplete tryptophan. A number of other factors can also lead to tryptophan deficiencies, which in turn result in low levels of serotonin.

Extensive research has shown that tryptophan supplements raise serotonin levels. By using a nutritional supplement, we are simply providing the raw material the body needs to produce serotonin. Raising serotonin is a vital step in addressing depression, anxiety, PMS mood swings, and insomnia. The ability of tryptophan to support the body's production of this absolutely critical neurotransmitter is what makes tryptophan such an important, sought-after nutritional product.

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