Graphical abstract Excessive dieting‐induced nutritional deficiency of tryptophan : Effects on behavior and efficacy of antipsychotic and antidepressant medication .
& NA ; A growing body of evidence suggests that our diet is an important contributing factor in the development , management and prevention of a number of psychiatric illnesses .
Tryptophan , an essential amino acid , is the sole precursor of neurotransmitter 5‐hydroxytryptamine ( 5‐HT ; serotonin ) .
Administration of tryptophan can boost serotonin neurotransmission to produce therapeutically important effects in serotonin deficiency disorders .
Anorexia nervosa ( AN ) an eating disorder associated with high levels of psychiatric comorbidity including psychosis , hyperactivity , depression and anxiety has highest lethality of all psychiatric illnesses .
Evidence suggests that excessive dieting and food restriction can decrease brain tryptophan and serotonin in AN patients to precipitate depression , psychosis and hyperactivity .
There are currently no FDA approved pharmacological treatments available for AN patients ; antidepressants and antipsychotics , largely used to treat associated psychiatric comorbidities are also not very effective .
The aim of this non‐ systematic review article is to evaluate and document a potential importance of tryptophan supplementation in improving therapeutics in AN patients .
Use of nutritional supplements to increase the efficacy of fluoxetine in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( SSRI ) medication does not appear to be effective in ill , malnourished anorexia nervosa ( AN ) patients . However , it may be effective in preventing relapse after weight restoration . The purpose of this study was to determine whether nutritional supplements could potentiate the effects of fluoxetine in underweight AN subjects . METHOD Twenty-six subjects with AN participated in a trial of fluoxetine . In a double-blind , placebo-controlled manner , subjects received either nutritional supplements or a nutritional placebo . The nutritional supplement included tryptophan ( the precursor of serotonin ) , vitamins , minerals , and essential fatty acids believed to influence serotonin pathway function . RESULTS There was no significant difference in weight gain between subjects treated with fluoxetine plus nutritional supplements versus fluoxetine plus a nutritional placebo . Moreover , there were no significant differences between groups on mean changes in anxiety or obsessive and compulsive symptoms . DISCUSSION The results of this study suggest that supplement strategies are not a substitute for adequate nutrition and are ineffective in increasing the efficacy of fluoxetine in underweight AN subjects
Graphical abstract Excessive dieting‐induced nutritional deficiency of tryptophan : Effects on behavior and efficacy of antipsychotic and antidepressant medication .
& NA ; A growing body of evidence suggests that our diet is an important contributing factor in the development , management and prevention of a number of psychiatric illnesses .
Tryptophan , an essential amino acid , is the sole precursor of neurotransmitter 5‐hydroxytryptamine ( 5‐HT ; serotonin ) .
Administration of tryptophan can boost serotonin neurotransmission to produce therapeutically important effects in serotonin deficiency disorders .
Anorexia nervosa ( AN ) an eating disorder associated with high levels of psychiatric comorbidity including psychosis , hyperactivity , depression and anxiety has highest lethality of all psychiatric illnesses .
Evidence suggests that excessive dieting and food restriction can decrease brain tryptophan and serotonin in AN patients to precipitate depression , psychosis and hyperactivity .
There are currently no FDA approved pharmacological treatments available for AN patients ; antidepressants and antipsychotics , largely used to treat associated psychiatric comorbidities are also not very effective .
The aim of this non‐ systematic review article is to evaluate and document a potential importance of tryptophan supplementation in improving therapeutics in AN patients .