Serene Science 5-HTP

5-HTP for Balanced Mood

5-HTP (L-5-Hydroxytryptophan) is an intermediate in the natural conversion of the essential amino acid tryptophan, to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter. Clinical studies have shown that 5-HTP increases the amount and availability of serotonin produced by the body. It may support healthy moods, eating habits, and sleep cycles.†

How 5-HTP Works

5-HTP may help support the body’s balanced production of two important sleep regulating hormones—serotonin, and melatonin. Eventually, the serotonin in your body is converted into melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate healthy 24-hour sleep cycles known as circadian rhythms.

Aging, hormone imbalance, and various forms of physical or emotional stress can decrease melatonin levels and disrupt sleep cycles. Fortunately, that balance can be recouped. When 5-HTP increases serotonin production, melatonin production is also increased, which helps the body regain a healthy circadian rhythm.† However, you need adequate serotonin levels to maintain this balance.

Increased brain serotonin levels may produce positive effects on:

• Emotional well-being†
• Appetite regulation†
• Melatonin production†
• Maintaining a healthy sleep cycle†

5-HTP The Science of Sleep

Sleep is especially important in today's world. It's the time when the body repairs, rebuilds, and replenishes the tissues and compounds that have been damaged or depleted by the daily demands of life. But when there is too much stress, imbalances occur that can keep you from getting enough sleep.

5-HTP may help promote healthy sleep cycles. It's created when the tryptophan in the body is converted into serotonin. 5-HTP can cross the blood-brain barrier and is associated with increasing active serotonin levels as well as serotonin production.†

5-HTP may also be beneficial for:

• improvements in mood or feelings of anxiousness
• support for occasional sleeplessness
• appetite regulation as part of a healthy weight management plan

Precautions

Individuals taking the antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and citalopram) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) (such as phenelzine, isocarboxazid, selegiline, and tranylcypromine) should not use 5-HTP, as it enhances the action of these drugs and may increase the risk for developing a dangerous condition known as "serotonin syndrome." Serotonin syndrome is characterized by mental status changes, rigidity, hot flashes, rapidly fluctuating blood pressure and heart rate, and possibly coma.

Similarly, other drugs for depression that interfere with the uptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, namely trazodone and venlafaxine, may also lead to serotonin syndrome when used along with 5-HTP. If you are currently taking any of the above prescription medications, you should not use 5-HTP without first talking to your healthcare provider.

5-HTP may cause mild gastrointestinal disturbances including nausea, heartburn, flatulence, feelings of fullness, and rumbling sensations in some people. Pregnant or nursing women and individuals with high blood pressure or diabetes should consult a healthcare practitioner before taking 5-HTP.

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References

1. Birdsall, T. (1998). 5-Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically effective serotonin precursor. Alternative Medicine Review: a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic 3(4): 271-280.
2. Magnussen, T., et al. (1981). Plasma accumulation and metabolism of orally administered single dose L-5-Hydroxytryptophan in man. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (BCPT) 49:184-189.
3. Magnussen, T., et al. (1980). Bioavailability and related pharmacokinetics in man of orally administered L-5-hydroxytryptophan in steady state. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (BCPT) 46: 257-262.