5HTP the Nutritional Building Block of Serotonin

5-HTP Benefits:

• Helps elevate mood
• Calm the nerves
• Improves sleep
• Reduces frequency and severity of migraines
• Decreases pain & stiffness of Fibromyalgia
• Aids in weight loss

Description
5-HTP is an amino acid extracted from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia, a West African medicinal plant. 5-HTP is used by the human body to make Serotonin, a key neurohormone necessary for normal functioning of the nervous system and brain. Serotonin is known as the calming neurohormone. It plays critical roles in sleep, mood, pain control, inflammation and intestinal function. The human body can manufacture small amounts of 5-HTP from the amino acid L-Tryptophan found mainly in whole-wheat products. However, most Americans do not eat sufficient amounts of whole-wheat products to supply the amount of L-Tryptophan needed for making optimal amounts of 5-HTP and Serotonin.

Dose
The typical dose of 5-HTP is 100 mg taken 3 times daily with meals. Doses as high as 600 to 900 mg daily have been used for weight loss without significant side effects.

Research
For insomnia, a single 100 mg capsule of 5-HTP taken before bedtime is sufficient to improve the duration and depth of sleep.(1) For depression, 100 mg taken 3 times per day is often effective.(2,3,4) For migraine headaches, amounts ranging from 400–600 mg per day have been shown to be effective at reducing the frequency and severity of attacks in most clinical trials.(5,6,7,8,9) In controlled clinical trials for the treatment of Fibromyalgia, 100 mg of 5-HTP taken 3 times per day has been shown to reduce many Fibromyalgia symptoms including pain, morning stiffness, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.(10) For appetite reduction and weight loss, taking 600–900 mg of 5-HTP per day produced an average of 11 lbs of weight loss in 12 weeks.(11,12)
In one clinical trial using 750 mg of 5-HTP per day, participants lost nearly 4.8 lbs per month.13 5-HTP has been shown to be effective in decreasing the craving for carbohydrates and reducing the consumption of fat and total calories while promoting weight loss.(13)

Adverse Effects
During the clinical trials described above, some people taking large amounts of 5-HTP experienced gastrointestinal upset (e.g. nausea) or, less often, headache, sleepiness, muscle pain, or anxiety. These side effects were temporary and resolved when the dose was reduced.
Serotonin is the key moderator of the catecholamine neurohormones Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Adrenaline. Raising the level of Serotonin by supplementing its precursor, 5-HTP, can cause a decrease in the quantity of these neurohormones. Therefore, it is recommended that you test your neurohormone levels before supplementing 5-HTP.
Unless, the catecholamine neurohormones are all elevated, it is advisable to take 5-HTP along with L-Tyrosine and L-Methionine to avoid causing an imbalance of these neurohormones. Taking 5-hydroxytryptophan with carbidopa, a medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease, has been associated with side effects, including scleroderma-like illness (the skin becomes hard, thick, and inflamed). Using this combination should be avoided except under the supervision of your healthcare provider.
In addition, 5-HTP should be used with caution, if at all, in people taking selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), two types of antidepressant medications. This combination poses a risk of pushing the level of Serotonin too high, which could lead to Serotonin Syndrome (characterized by mental status changes, rigidity, hot flashes, rapidly fluctuating vital signs, and possibly coma).
The potential for causing Serotonin Syndrome is low, however if it is to occur, it is most likely to occur by combining 5-HTP with the drugs sumatriptan, tramadol, trazodone, venlafaxine, and zolpidem.

References

1. Soulairac A, Lambinet H. Etudes cliniques de líaction du precurseur de la serotonine le L-5-hydroxy-tryptophane, sur les troubles du sommeil. Schweiz Bundschau Med (PRAXIS) 1998;77(34a):19–23 [in French].
2. Byerley WF, Judd LL, Reimherr FW, Grosser BI. 5-hydroxytryptophan: A review of its antidepressant efficacy and adverse effects . J Clin Psychopharmacol 1987;7:127–37 [review].
3. Zmilacher K, Battegay R, Gastpar M. L-5-hydroxytryptophan alone and in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor in the treatment of depression. Neuropsychobiology 1988;20:28–35.
4. Poldinger W, Calanchini B, Schwarz W. A functional-dimensional approach to depression: serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in a comparison of 5-hydroxytryptophan and fluvoxamine. Psychopathology 1991;24(2):53–81.
5. De Benedittis G, Massei R. 5-HT precursors in migraine prophylaxis: a double-blind cross-over study with L-5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo. Clin J Pain 1986;3:123–9.
6. Titus F, Davalos A, Alom J, Codina A. 5-hydroxytryptophan versus methysergide in the prophylaxis of migraine. Eur Neurol 1986;25:327–9.
7. Maissen CP, Ludin HP. Comparison of the effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan and propranolol in the interval treatment of migraine. Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift /Journal Suisse de Medecine 1991;121:1585–90 [in German].
8. Mathew NT. 5-hydroxytryptophan in the prophylaxis of migraine. Headache 1978;18:111–3.
9. De Giorgis G, Miletto R, Iannuccelli M, et al. Headache in association with sleep disorders in children: a psychodiagnostic evaluation and controlled clinical study ñ L-5-HTP versus placebo. Drugs Exptl Clin Res 1987;13(7):425–33.
10. Caruso I, Sarzi Puttini P, Cazzola M, Azzolini V. Double-blind study of 5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in the treatment of primary fibromyalgia syndrome. J Int Med Res 1990;18:201–9.
11. Ceci F, Cangiano C, Cairella M, et al. The effects of oral 5-hydroxytryptophan administration on feeding behavior in obese adult female subjects.J Neural Transm 1989;76(2):109–17.
12. Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, et al. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;56:863–7.
13. Cangiano C, Laviano A, Del Ben M, et al. Effects of oral 5-hydroxy-tryptophan on energy intake and macronutrient selection in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1998;22:648–54.