57d50aa9_Health_Information_Library__Why
[Used for] 1 Star Bulimia (L-Tryptophan) Refer to label instructions [Why] 
Vitamin B6, when taken with L-tryptophan, has been shown to improve eating behavior, feelings about eating, and mood among women with bulimia. People with eating disorders who restrict their food intake are at risk for multiple nutrient deficiencies, including protein, calcium , iron , riboflavin , niacin ,164 folic acid ,165 vitamin A , vitamin C ,166 and vitamin B6,167 and essential fatty acids.168 A general multivitamin-mineral formula can reduce the detrimental health effects of these deficiencies. Serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake and appetite, is synthesized in the brain from the amino acid L-tryptophan. Preliminary data suggest that some people with bulimia have low serotonin levels.169 Researchers have reported that bulimic women with experimentally induced tryptophan deficiency tend to eat more and become more irritable compared to healthy women fed the same diet,170 , 171 though not all studies have demonstrated these effects.172 Weight-loss diets result in lower L-tryptophan and serotonin levels in women,173 which could theoretically trigger bingeing and purging in susceptible people. However, the benefits of L-tryptophan supplementation are unclear. One small, double-blind trial reported significant improvement in eating behavior, feelings about eating, and mood among women with bulimia who were given 1 gram of L-tryptophan and 45 mg of vitamin B6 three times per day.174 Other double-blind studies using only L-tryptophan have failed to confirm these findings.175 , 176 L-tryptophan is available by prescription only; most drug stores do not carry it, but "compounding" pharmacies do. Most cities have at least one compounding pharmacy, which prepares customized prescription medications to meet individual patient's needs.
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