Monday June 2, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study suggests that taking a tryptophan rich egg white hydrolysate may help make depressive women feel better.

Deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin is considered important for optimal cognitive and emotional function.  Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin and supplementation with tryptophan or tryptophan rich protein may help depression or relieve depressive symptoms.

For the study, 60 healthy women aged 45 to 65 years received drinks with either 2 or 4 grams of tryptophan rich protein hydrolysate or 3.11 grams of casein hydrolysate as control.  Tryptophan rich protein hydrolysate was provided by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd, Switzerland.

Researchers found the following:

Supplementation with the tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate produced boosted the plasma tryptophan in a dose-dependent manner.

Tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate in the dose of 2 gram per day only prevented the decline in wellbeing and the increase in fatigue which were observed in the control group. 

This supplementation dose of tryptophan rich protein hydrolysate led to a positive emotion and reduced negative bias.

While tryptophan rich protein hydrolysate (egg white) did not show any significant effects on cognition, the tryptophan rich hydrolysate did not cause any adverse effects.

The study concluded "Consumption of a low dose of TRP-rich protein hydrolysate may have beneficial effects on emotional function that could promote feelings of wellbeing, possibly conferring resistance to deterioration in mood in healthy subjects or depressive episodes."  (David Liu, Ph.D.)

Gibson EL, Vargas K, Hogan E, Holmes A, Rogers PJ, Wittwer J, Kloek J, Goralczyk R, Mohajeri MH, Effects of acute treatment with a tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate on plasma amino acids, mood and emotional functioning in older women, Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014 May 25.