What is 5-HTP? 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan)is derived
from an amino acid, L-tryptophan, which is found in small amounts
in foods such as turkey, chicken, meat and dairy products such as
cheese. Preformed 5-HTP is only found in two places in nature
in the human body and in the seeds of a West African medicinal
plant, Griffonia simplicifolia. The 5-HTP found in supplements is
extracted from the latter source.
Once absorbed into the circulation, some 5-HTP travels to the
brain, where it is converted into the happy’ chemical
messenger, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT), which helps to
regulate mood, behaviour, appetite, sleep and impulse control. Low
levels of serotonin are associated with depression, insomnia,
anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, binge-eating disorders,
fibromyalgia and migraine. Supplements supplying 5-HTP may help to
overcome these conditions by increasing serotonin synthesis.
Low mood
The most commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs, SSRIs
(selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) work by raising levels
of serotonin in the brain, but rather than increasing its
synthesis, they block its re-uptake so that levels within the
communication gaps between brain cells increase. If you are making
very little serotonin, however, SSRIs may not produce a significant
response, or may do so only slowly.
As 5-HTP helps to boost production of serotonin in the brain, it
tends to have a faster onset of action than prescription-only SSRI
anti-depressant drugs. Because of its mode of action, it often
produces good results in people who have not previously responded
to standard SSRI antidepressant drugs. Several placebo-controlled
analyses have shown that 5-HTP supplements have a positive effect
on low mood and are better than placebo at alleviating depression
and helping you feel more calm and content. N.B. 5-HTP should not
be taken at the same time as prescription anti-depressant
drugs.
Headache
5-HTP has been used to help prevent chronic daily headache.
Boosting serotonin production promotes vaso-constriction in the
brain to relieve migraine headaches linked with vasodilation. 5-HTP
is thought to increase pain thresholds by raising levels of
endorphins the brain’s morphine-like painkillers.
Sleep
5-HTP is used to help treat insomnia. It improves the
architecture of sleep, so you
wake up feeling more refreshed. It extends the period of time
spent in REM (rapid eye movement, or dreaming) sleep and is
involved in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. It is
especially helpful for people with a condition known as
fibromyalgia, in which widespread pains, fatigue and sleep
disturbance have been linked with low levels of serotonin. 5-HTP
has also been used successfully to treat sleep terrors’ in
young children.
Appetite
Raised levels of serotonin help to trigger feelings of satiety,
so you feel more full, less hungry and have a decreased interest in
food. This may make it helpful for people with a binge-eating
disorder.
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