What does tryptophan do?

Tryptophan, discovered by Frederick Hopkins in 1901, is an aromatic amino acid. Hopkins isolated tryptophan from the digestion of casein by the pancreas, from 600 g of crude casein yielding 4.8 g of tryptophan.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means that the body cannot synthesize it on its own but must obtain it from outside (food, medicine).
Today, tryptophan has been recognized as an essential component in the structure of many life-sustaining biological molecules, such as enzymes, structural proteins, serotonin, melatonin, and neurotransmitters. Serotonin is responsible for a variety of physiological activities such as mood disturbances, pain perception, sleep, temperature and blood pressure, and is a mediator of emotion and sleep control.
The body can obtain tryptophan from plant and animal foods as well as pharmaceuticals. Foods rich in tryptophan are chicken, bananas, cheese, chocolate, eggs, milk, fish, barley, sesame seeds, soybeans and preparations, nuts,...

Tryptophan supplements from pharmaceuticals is L-tryptophan, commonly used by people to improve sleep, improve emotional and mental health for people with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, disorders bipolar affective disorder, or used to relieve affective disorder in women with severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS). However, there are few studies supporting the effects of pharmaceutical tryptophan supplements and the results of existing studies are controversial.

L-tryptophan has been associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). EMS presents with sudden, severe symptoms such as muscle pain, nerve damage, skin changes, and other debilitating symptoms. In 1989, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stopped marketing authorization for tryptophan supplements after ten thousand users contracted EMS and in some cases died. Some later research suggested that EMS occurred because the supplement was manufactured from a factory in Japan that did not guarantee quality. Currently, FDA has allowed circulation again.
Do not use L-tryptophan while being treated with SSRIs or MAOIs; Use with caution in pregnant women.

When supplementing with L-tryptophan, the following undesirable effects may occur:
Blurred vision. Dizzy. Tired. Headache. Hives. Nausea. Heart attack. Sweat. Muscle tremors.

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Article reference source: webmd.com