HEALING POWER OF 5-HTP

5-HTP Cures

5-HTP is derived from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia, a West African medicinal plant.

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin. There is a massive amount of evidence that suggests that low serotonin levels are a common consequence of modern living. The lifestyle and dietary practices of many people living in this stress-filled era results in lowered levels of serotonin within the brain. As a result, many people are overweight, crave sugar and other carbohydrates, experience bouts of depression, get frequent headaches, and have vague muscle aches and pain. All of these maladies are correctable by raising brain serotonin levels.

Conditions associated with low serotonin levels helped by 5-HTP:

Depression
Obesity
Carbohydrate craving
Bulimia
Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Sleep apnea
Migraine headaches
Tension headaches
chronic daily headaches
premenstrual syndrome
Fibromyalgia

Although 5-HTP may be relatively new to the United States health food industry, it has been available through pharmacies for several years and has been intensely researched for the past three decades. It has been available in several European countries as a medicine since the 1970s.

5-HTP vs. SSRIs
Dr. W. Poldinger of the Psychiatrische Universitatsklinik in Basel, Switzerland (A functional-dimensional approach to depression: serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in a comparison of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and fluvoxamine. Psychopathology. 1991,24:53-81) in a double blind, multi-center controlled study using patients diagnosed with depression found that after week 6, both the patients taking 100 mg. 5 -HTP 3 times per day and those taking 150 mg. fluvoxamine (an SSRI) 3 times per day, had equal numbers showing about 50% improvement with 5-HTP proving to be better tolerated than the SSRI and having about a 11% lower failure rate than the SSRI group.

5-HTP is the direct precursor to serotonin
According to University of Mississippi researcher Ronald F. Bore, Ph.D., in his article: Serotonin: The Neurotransmitter for the 90's. Drug Topics. 1994, October 10:108., serotonin is "The Neurotransmitter of the 90's" Of the chemical neurotransmitter substances, "serotonin is perhaps the most implicated in the etiology or treatment of various disorders, particularly those of the central nervous system, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, stroke, obesity, pain, hypertension, vascular disorders, migraine, and nausea."

5HTP is often used in the place of SSRI drugs and L-Tryptophan in the treatment of more severe depression and for epilepsy.

As a result, 5HTP has many similar uses compared to L-Tryptophan, such as the assistance of sleep and alleviation of age related mental depression, as well as alcohol withdrawal, but its affects are concentrated in the brain (L-Tryptophan has other roles throughout the body).

Very high doses of 5HTP must be avoided, unless also taking carbidopa to avoid serotonin crossing into the bloodstream. Normal doses are 50mg to 100mg (200mg-maximum) daily.

Avoid use with other serotonin enhancing agents, such as L-Tryptophan or other serotonin enhancing drugs, such as SSRI drugs like Prozac, etc., without your physician's guidance."

Research All Published Books About 5-HTP

DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Ailment Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.