Tryptophan and Appetite

Almost three decades ago, we were laughed out of a college course in behavioral sciences when we introduced the notion that there were specific and powerful neurobiological influences on eating and drinking behavior. We have come a long way since then.

In particular, we were influenced by the work of Judith and Richard Wurtman and John Fernstrom. Working together in the 1980s and ‘90s, they postulated that the neurotransmitter serotonin and its amino acid precursor tryptophan played a key role in…