CHICAGO -- A new study suggests that low levels of the amino acid tryptophan -- rather than just a wish to stay thin -- may play a role in development of the eating disorder bulimia nervosa.
The study, published Monday in the February issue of the American Medical Association's Archives of General Psychiatry, reports that 10 recovered bulimics were given amino-acid mixtures lacking tryptophan, a substance in many foods that the body uses to make serotonin, which helps regulate mood and appetite.
The researchers found that, compared with a control group of 12 women who never had bulimia, the recovered bulimics given the tryptophan-free mixture reported more lowering of mood, increased body-image worries, and more fear of losing control of eating.
"Our findings support suggestions that chronic depletion of plasma tryptophan may be one of the mechanisms whereby persistent dieting can lead to the development of eating disorders in vulnerable individuals," researchers Katharine Smith, Christopher Fairburn, and Philip Cowen wrote in the abstract.
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