WHAT IS 5-HTP?

5-HTP is a natural amino acid in the human body and a chemical precursor of serotonin.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps produce chemicals that make us feel good. The human body produces serotonin through the following pathways: tryptophan→5-HTP→serotonin.

Differentiation between 5-HTP and Tryptophan:

5-HTP is a natural product extracted from the seeds of the Griffonia plant, unlike tryptophan which is produced synthetically or through bacterial fermentation. Plus, 50 mg of 5-HTP is roughly equivalent to 500 mg of tryptophan.

Botanical Source – Griffonia simplicifolia

A woody climbing shrub native to West Africa and Central Africa. especially Sierra Leone, Ghana, and the Congo.

It grows to about 3 m, and bears greenish flowers followed by black pods.

The benefits of 5-HTP:
1. Promote sleep, improve sleep quality, and extend sleep time;

2. Treatment of arousal disorders, such as sleep terrors and somnambulism;

3. Treatment and prevention of obesity (reduce cravings for unhealthy foods and increase satiety);

4. Treat depression;

5. Relieve anxiety;

6. Treatment of fibromyalgia, myoclonus, migraine and cerebellar ataxia.

Administration and Suggestions :

For Sleep: 100-600 mg within 1 hour before bedtime either with water or a small carbohydrate snack (but no protein) or one half of dose 1/2 hour before dinner and the rest at bedtime.

For Daytime Calming: 1-2 of the 100 mg every few hours through the day until calming benefits felt.

What is the best way to take 5-HTP?

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.

For weight loss, taking it 20 minutes before meals.

For insomnia, 100 to 300 mg thirty to forty-five minutes before sleeping. Start with the lower dose for at least three days before increasing dosage.