5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin, the neurotransmitter sometimes touted as responsible for well-being.
5-HTP is an easy way to increase brain serotonin levels by bypassing rate-limiting steps, and users can receive the reward or harm of increased brain serotonin.
5-HTP is a compound that is converted into serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the main neurotransmitters involved in well-being and anti-depression.
5-HTP has been used successfully to restore serotonin levels in people who may have reduced serotonin levels, such as depression and those with high levels of inflammation in the body (often seen in metabolic syndrome).
At least one study used single leaf Ghana seed extract (10.24mg, yielding 2.56mg 5-HTP; mixed with Centella asiatica and dandelion, 11.7mg and 4.55mg Paulina cupana and 9.75mg artichoke extract) five times a day ( 40 mg 5-HTP total), 20 overweight or obese women (non-depressed and free of eating disorders) for 4 weeks noted increased satiety and decreased overeating;
It is said that when weight loss advice and diet were given, the experiment The weight loss effect of the group was improved. The spray has been noted elsewhere to increase satiety over 2 months in a similar female population.
In 19 obese women given placebo or 8 mg/kg (body mass index in women between 30-40) daily for 5 weeks without any concomitant dietary advice, 5-HTP treatment was associated with decreased appetite and food intake (resulting in body weight mitigation) without significantly affecting emotional state.
The study noted that food intake decreased from an average of 2903kcal to 1819kcal (62% of baseline).
Deficiency of the amino acid tryptophan (a precursor of 5-HTP ) has been reported to be associated with depression, as demonstrated by serum tryptophan in patients with depression.
Decreased levels of tryptophan in the body can come from a variety of means, but are most likely caused by a diet lacking the amino acid as a substrate, or by upregulation of the enzyme.
Degrading tryptophan or directing it to a pathway other than serotonin synthesis results in relative deficiency.
These enzymes can be upregulated in chronic inflammatory states, and injection of some proinflammatory cytokines has been associated with depression and increased guanosine:tryptophan ratios, suggesting increased IDO activity.
Tryptophan hydroxylase activity can also be further downregulated in the presence of magnesium or vitamin B6 deficiency, stress, or excess tryptophan levels.
Serotonin appears to be involved in panic attacks. While studies using tryptophan-depleting techniques in humans have not necessarily caused panic attacks, it appears that it may sensitize the body by increasing panic symptoms in neurological disorders and increasing anxiety, suggesting that serotonin at least rapidly prevents panic attacks.
A study of 24 untreated panic disorder patients and normal participants given 200mg of 5-HTP prior to a 35% CO2 test (used to induce panic-like reactions) noted that the test was able to improve the caused panic attacks, and 200 mg of 5-HTP was protective in both cases but more protective in people with panic attacks.
This has been reproduced with cholecystokinin-4-induced panic attacks with 200mg of 5-HTP in otherwise healthy individuals.
People with panic disorder may be more susceptible to serotonergic imbalances, with tryptophan depletion (considered a reliable model for lowering serotonin) leading to greater acceptability of panic attacks.
On the basis of the possible anti-panic effects of 5-HTP, a study using 2 mg/kg 5-HTP in children (3.2-10.6 years) at bedtime for 20 days noted that 5-HTP was associated with a beneficial response (over 95.5 % of children, compared to 28.6% in the placebo group, had a 50% reduction in the frequency of night terrors). Curiously, the 5-HTP group still reported less sleep terror (83.9% improvement reported) 6 months after the initial supplementation period.
Supplementation with a combination of 5-HTP and a dopamine decarboxylase inhibitor is also thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications, as excess serum (but not neurological) serotonin is associated with valvular heart disease in rats.
It is reasonable to assume a reduction in systemic serotonin due to the accumulation of 5-HTP in neural tissue after the combination. However, this has not been confirmed.
Pairing supplemental 5-HTP with a dopamine decarboxylase inhibitor appears to promote the accumulation of 5-HTP and subsequent serotonin in the brain, which has been noted in human case studies. This theoretically reduces the risk of heart valves.
The nutritional combination of GABA and 5-HTP (along with other components such as valerian and cocoa polyphenols) has been noted to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep (i.e., reduced sleep latency), as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while, This was accompanied by improvements in sleep duration and quality.
A study investigating romantic stress looked at non-depressed youth who had recently broken up, and in an open-label study, 60 mg of garna seed extract (12.8 mg 5-HTP) twice daily for 6 weeks showed a reduction in excess when measured romantic pressure. There were no control and placebo groups in this study.
20 abstainers taking 5-HTP (5mg) and glutamine (150mg) along with D-phenylalanine (300mg) and some minerals such as calcium and magnesium, noted that after 40 days of nutritional therapy (in hospital environment), all symptoms of alcohol withdrawal were assessed by the SCL-90-R e. Anxiety concerns showed a greater reduction in symptoms in the supplement group relative to the placebo.
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