5HTP (5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan) Products
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5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the middle step in the production of the important brain chemical serotonin from the amino acid tryptophan. Considerable scientific evidence indicates that tow serotonin levels are linked to a number of common conditions, including depression, obesity, fibromyalgia, and headaches. 5-HTP boosts serotonin levels and may offer benefits in conditions linked to low serotonin levels. Commercially available 5-HTP is isolated from a seed from an African plant (Griffonia simplicifotia).
5-HTP is available in capsules and tablets, including enteric-coated capsules or tablets (pills prepared in a manner so that they will dissolve in the intestine rather than the stomach). Using enteric-coated capsules or tablets significantly reduces the likelihood of nausea.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - Depression
There is excellent documentation that 5-HTP is an effective antidepressant agent. 5-HTP often produces very good results in patients who are unresponsive to standard antidepressant drugs. Several double-blind studies show that 5-HTP is equal to or better than standard antidepressant drugs. The study with the most significance was one that compared 5-HTP to fluvoxamine (Luvox), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRi) like fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). In the study, subjects received either 5-HTP (100 mg) or fluvoxamine (50 mg) three times daily for six weeks. The percentage decrease in overall depression scores was slightly better in the 5-HTP group (60.7 percent versus 56.1 percent). More patients responded to 5-HTP than fluvoxamine, and 5-HTP was quicker-acting than the fluvoxamine.The real advantage of 5-HTP in this study was the low rate of side effects. The most frequent side effect with 5-HTP was mild nausea, but this occurred in less than one out of ten subjects. In contrast, antidepressant drugs usually produce moderate to severe side effects in 20 to 65 percent of subjects.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a recently recognized disorder. It causes chronic musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Fibromyalgia is a relatively common condition, estimated to affect about 4 percent of the general population. 5-HTP can largely improve the painful picture of fibromyalgia, as demonstrated in several double-blind studies.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - HeadachesBecause chronic headache sufferers have low levels of serotonin in their tissues, some researchers refer to migraine and chronic headaches as "low serotonin syndrome." There have been several clinical studies demonstrating excellent results with 5-HTP in the treatment of headaches, both migraine and tension. In particular, 5-HTP is very effective in the prevention of migraine headache.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - Insomnia
Several clinical studies have shown 5-HTP to produce good results in promoting and maintaining sleep in normal subjects as well as those experiencing insomnia. One of the key benefits with 5-HTP in the treatment of insomnia is its ability to increase sleep quality.
For depression, weight loss, headaches, and fibromyalgia the dosage should be started at 50 mg three times per day. If the response is inadequate after two weeks, increase the dosage to 100 mg three times per day. Because 5-HTP does not rely on the same transport vehicle as L-tryptophan, it can be taken with food. However, if taking 5-HTP for weight loss, it is best to take it twenty minutes before meals.
For insomnia, the recommended dosage is 100 to 300 mg thirty to forty-five minutes before retiring. Start with the lower dose for at least three days before increasing the dosage.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - Weight loss
As far back as 1975, researchers demonstrated that administering 5-HTP to rats that were bred to overeat and be obese resulted in significant reduction in food intake. It turns out that these genetically obese rats have decreased activity of the enzyme that converts tryptophan to 5-HTP and subsequently to serotonin. As a result, these rats never get the message to stop eating until they have consumed far greater amounts of food than normal rats.
There is much circumstantial evidence that many humans are genetically predisposed to obesity. This predisposition may involve the same mechanism as that observed in rats genetically predisposed to obesity. In other words, many people may be predisposed to being overweight because they have a decreased ability to convert tryptophan to 5-HTP and, as a result, decreased serotonin levels. By providing preformed 5-HTP, this genetic defect is bypassed and more serotonin is manufactured. 5-HTP literally turns off hunger.The early animal studies that used 5-HTP as a weight loss aid have been followed by a series of four human clinical studies of overweight women conducted at the University of Rome. These studies have shown that 5-HTP is able to reduce caloric intake and promote weight loss even if the women made no conscious effort to lose weight. 5-HTP appears to promote weight loss by promoting satiety (the feeling of satisfaction), leading to fewer calories being consumed at meals. In one study, the group that received the 5-HTP had lost an average of 4.39 pounds at six weeks and an average of 11.63 pounds at twelve weeks. In comparison, the placebo group had lost an average of only 0.62 pounds at six weeks and 1.87 pounds at twelve weeks.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) Side Effects
5-HTP is generally very well tolerated at recommended dosages. At higher dosages (e.g., 300 mg or more as one dose) nausea is an extremely common side effect. At the recommended dosage of 50 to 100 mg three times daily, any nausea is usually quite mild, as are other possible side effects such as drowsiness, dry mouth, and stomach irritation. 5-HTP can worsen Parkinson's disease symptoms unless the person is also on the drug Sinemet.
The major concern with 5-HTP is a possible link to L-tryptophan and eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS). For more than thirty years, tryptophan was used safely and effectively by over thirty million people in the United States and around the world to treat insomnia and depression. But in October 1989 some people who were taking tryptophan started reporting strange symptoms to physicians: severe muscle and joint pain, high fever, weakness, swelling of the arms and legs, and shortness of breath. The syndrome was dubbed EMS (eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome), because the blood of those affected contained a very high level of eosinophils white blood cells involved in allergic/inflammatory reactions.
Detailed analysis of all the evidence by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) led to the conclusion that the cause of the EMS epidemic could be traced to one Japanese manufacturer. The tryptophan produced from October 1988 to June 1989 by this manufacturer became contaminated due to changes in the filtration process and in the bacteria being used to produce the tryptophan.While L-tryptophan is produced via bacterial fermentation and filtration, 5-HTP is commercially available through an extraction process from the seed of Griffonia simplicifotia, an African plant. 5-HTP extracted from this natural source avoids the contamination problem associated with past L-tryptophan manufacturing problems. There was a single case report linking 5-HTP to a condition similar to EMS in 1980. However, this case involved the use of very high dosages of 5-HTP (1,400 mg) over a twenty-month period.In 1998 researchers at the Mayo Clinic claimed that they identified trace levels of peak X, a sub-stance linked to EMS-like illness, in commercially available 5-HTP. As a result, manufacturers of 5-HTP now screen for the presence of this compound to ensure that all of the 5-HTP on the marketplace is free from peak X. There have been no reports of a single person developing EMS from 5-HTP despite its popularity. Nonetheless, to be on the safe side, some experts recommend that long-term continual use of 5-HTP be monitored by regular (every six months) determination of eosinophil levels.
Because 5-HTP is the direct precursor to serotonin, it should not be used by individuals taking antidepressant drugs unless under the direct supervision of a physician. Although 5-HTP has been used safely in combination with prescription antidepressant drugs in clinical studies, taking this combination without medical supervision could result in too much serotonin in the body. The result is a condition known as serotonin syndrome, which is characterized by confusion, fever, shivering, sweating, diarrhea, and muscle spasms.5-HTP may antagonize the effects of drugs used in migraine headaches such as methysergide and cyproheptadine, which block serotonin's effects.
Vitamin B6 is required for the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin.
Over dosage can produce severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Do the following in case of accidental overdose: If the victim is unconscious or having convulsions, call for an ambulance immediately. If you take the victim to an emergency room, be sure to bring the bottle or container with you. If the victim is conscious, call your local poison control center or a health care professional. The poison control center may suggest inducing vomiting with ipecac syrup {available without a prescription at any pharmacy). Do not induce vomiting unless specifically in-structed to do so.
Pregnant/breast-feeding women - 5-HTP is not recommended during pregnancy and lactation.
Children - 5-HTP is suitable for children at a dosage of 5 mg per kg (2.2 pounds) of body weight.
Seniors - No special precautions are known.
5HTP (5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan) Manufacturers
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