Posts Tagged "tryptophan"

Irish Botanica Seésta

Posted on Apr 11, 2023 in Featured

Irish Botanica Seésta

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep every night, it can become pretty frustrating. It can also impact other aspects of your life and health, including your mood, energy, hormonal health and skin. Stress and lack of sleep can form a vicious cycle. The less sleep you have, the less likely you will be able to cope physically and emotionally with daily demands and the more stressed this will make you feel. As we stress, cortisol levels increase, prolonged stress can lead to increased insomnia and frequently waking up during the sleep cycle. Stress, hormone imbalance and...

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Deficiency diseases: is pellagra making a comeback?

What is pellagra? Pellagra is a deficiency disease caused by lack of vitamin B3 (niacin) and tryptophan in the diet. Tryptophan is an amino acid that converts to niacin in the body. Pellagra is diagnosed by a classic triad of symptoms – the three Ds: diarrhoea, light-sensitive dermatitis and dementia. Psychotic delusions can also occur. Untreated, pellagra leads to the final D: death. What causes it? And who suffers? Pellagra is reported in countries where people are chronically malnourished, or over-dependent on foods poor in niacin and tryptophan, such as corn. Pellagra is less common in...

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