The supplement 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, or 5-HTP, is a substance that your body produces naturally and uses to create the brain chemical serotonin. Increased levels of serotonin can potentially help ease the effects of a hormone-related condition called hot flashes. While 5-HTP supplements may help in hot flash treatment, they are not classified as estrogen or any other type of hormone. Consult your doctor before taking a 5-HTP supplement.
5-HTP Basics
The direct chemical precursor of serotonin, 5-HTP is also known as 5-hydroxy-tryptamine, or 5-HT. Your body makes 5-HTP from an amino acid called tryptophan, which you need to get from dietary sources such as milk, eggs, fish, turkey, peanuts, chicken, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, soybeans and soy products such as tofu. Supplemental 5-HTP comes from the seeds of a plant species called Griffonia simplicifolia, which is native to Africa. You can purchase 5-HTP in multivitamin products, herbal products and standalone supplements.
Hot Flashes and Hormones
Hot flashes typically occur in women undergoing menopause, the natural cessation of female fertility which is marked by sharp decreases in the production of estrogen and another hormone called progesterone. Potential symptoms of hot flashes include a feeling of warmth in the face and upper body, rapid heartbeat, upper body perspiration and skin flushing or redness, as well as a chilly sensation in the aftermath of a flash. Individual flashes typically only last for a few minutes. Depending on your circumstances, you may have multiple hot flashes every day during menopause or just occasional flashes throughout the week.
Non-hormonal Treatment
Supplements and medications that increase serotonin levels are considered non-hormonal approaches to hot flash treatment, according to a study published in 2009 in the journal “Maturitas.” 5-HTP supplements can significantly boost your body’s serotonin supply and fall under this non-hormonal heading. Use of 5-HTP can potentially decrease the frequency of hot flashes, in addition to relieving related symptoms of depression, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. In the study reported in “Maturitas,” however, 5-HTP use did not lead to any significant reduction in hot flash symptoms.
Considerations
Supplemental estrogen is the single most effective treatment for hot flashes, MayoClinic.com states. Use of estrogen, however, can potentially lead to the onset of future health problems. In some cases, women who can’t safely use estrogen receive supplemental progesterone instead. In other cases, doctors prescribe different drugs, including antidepressant medications called selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which achieve their effects by increasing the amount of serotonin in the gaps between nerve cells in your brain. Additional potential treatment include other antidepressants and an anti-seizure medication called gabapentin. People who take SSRIs or other antidepressants cannot also safely take 5-HTP. Consult your doctor for more information on 5-HTP, estrogen and other hot flash treatments.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
- "Toxicology Letters"; Safety of 5-Hydroxy-L-Tryptophan; Y.T. Das, et al.; April 15, 2004
- "Maturitas"; Treatment of Menopausal Hot Flashes with 5-Hydroxytryptophan; Robert R. Freedman; December 23, 2009
- MedlinePlus: Tryptophan
- MayoClinic.com; Hot Flashes (Pages 1, 2 and 8); June 11, 2011
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