Defining natural well-being
Health has been defined by WHO as: ”a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” There seems to be a link between positive mood, feeling good, and health and longevity.
Serotonin is popularly thought to be a main contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness.
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) is a neurotransmitter primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, where it exerts multiple effects and is precursor to melatonin (hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle). Serotonin levels in the brain have been linked with mood, alertness, sleep onset and quality, anxiolytic effects, depression, affective reaction control and appetite.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that has to be obtained from the diet as it cannot be synthesised in the body. Tryptophan is the precursor of serotonin and production of serotonin is limited by the availability of tryptophan in the blood plasma.
Tryptophan is a scarce amino acid in most dietary protein, however, alpha-lactalbumin contains a natural high content of tryptophan and is also high in all essential amino acids, and furthermore has a superior nutritional quality.
Clinical studies have shown that ingestion of alpha-lactalbumin effectively raises the plasma Trp-level and thus the availability for serotonin synthesis in the brain and has been linked to improvements in sleep, mood and cognitive performance.
