Research
Hormonal
Gut microbiota metabolize tryptophan into indole-3-propionate (IPA) and indole-3-aldehyde, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, potentially protecting against neuronal damage and ischemia.
Your gut bacteria break down tryptophan into compounds that protect your brain from damage and inflammation. Eating a diet rich in tryptophan (found in turkey, eggs, seeds) supports this process, but the exact benefits depend on your unique gut bacteria.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
IPA... Scavenges hydroxyl radicals... Reduces DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in neurons... Inhibits beta-amyloid fibril formation... Protects against ischemia-induced neuronal damage
Why this rating
The paper summarizes animal and in vitro studies showing protective effects, but clinical translation is less established.
Source
Microbial metabolism of dietary components to bioactive metabolites: opportunities for new therapeutic interventions
Linda Zhang et al. · Genome Medicine · 2016
DOI 10.1186/s13073-016-0296-x
narrative_reviewCited 496×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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