5-Hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is a substance that is created naturally in your body from the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in foods such as bananas, dates, figs, spinach, peanuts, cashews, tuna and turkey. It is also produced commercially from the seeds of the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia and sold as a dietary supplement for a variety of health-promoting purposes. As with any supplement, you should talk to your health care practitioner before taking 5-HTP.
Mechanism of Action
When you consume tryptophan-containing foods, your body converts the tryptophan into 5-HTP. The 5-HTP readily passes the blood-brain barrier, where it increases central nervous system synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Because of its effect on serotonin, 5-HTP supplements can affect mood, sleep, appetite, temperature, sexual behavior and pain sensations.
Uses
Alternative medicine practitioners use 5-HTP supplements to help aid and relieve symptoms of anxiety, aggression, fibromyalgia, insomnia, chronic headaches and premenstrual syndrome. People also use 5-HTP to help treat binge-eating disorders, attention deficit disorder, Parkinson's disease and chronic headaches, states "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database." More research needs to be done to confirm the efficacy of 5-HTP supplements for these purposes, however.
Depression
Serotonin is often called the "happy neurotransmitter," and a deficiency of it can lead to depression. Numerous studies have examined 5-HTP as an alternative treatment for depression, and some suggest that it may be equally as effective as some conventional antidepressant drugs such as fluvoxamine. A study cited in the 1978 edition of "Folia Psychiatrica et Neurologica Japonica" journal examined the effects of 5-HTP on 59 depressed individuals. The subjects were given a daily dose of 150 to 300 mg of 5-HTP for three weeks. Within one week of treatment, 68 percent of patients noticed a reduction of depressive symptoms, and 13 of the 59 patients reported marked improvements.
Considerations and How Long it Takes
Oral 5-HTP may cause unwanted side effects such as heartburn, stomach pain, belching and flatulence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia. It may also interact with medications such as antidepressants and certain pain-relieving drugs. Some people notice the effects of 5-HTP such as a reduced appetite and an improvement in insomnia, from the first day of taking it. However, Michael T. Murray, N.D., warns in his book "5-HTP: The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity & Insomnia" that it may take up to two weeks before you experience its full effects.
References
- "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database"; Therapeutic Research Faculty; 2011
- "Folia Psychiatrica et Neurologica Japonica"; Clinical Evaluation of 5-Hydroxy-L-Tryptophan as an Antidepressant Drug; Nakajima T et al; 1978
- 5-HTP: The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity & Insomnia; Michael T. Murray, N.D.; 1999
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A Balch, CNC, and James F. Balch, MD; 2003.
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