RESOURCES
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A Diet Lacking in Tryptophan Alters Gut Microbiota, Increases Inflammation
With age, a diet lacking in the essential amino acid tryptophan — which has a key role in our mood, energy level, and immune response — makes the gut microbiome less protective and increases inflammation body-wide, investigators report.
In a normally reciprocal relationship that appears to go awry with age, sufficient tryptophan, which we consume in foods like milk, turkey, chicken, and oats, helps keep our microbiota healthy.