5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - Health Benefits, Side Effects, Dosage, and Warning

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an Amino Acid that your body naturally produces.

5-HTP is also one of the main active ingredients in a shrubby, evergreen climber called Griffonia simplicifolia, that grows on mountain slopes in West Africa. The seeds, bark and leaves have all been used to treat a range of ailments in traditional African medicine.

This amino acid is produced in the body from another amino acid called tryptophan. It is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and the hormone melatonin. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that sends signals between your nerve cells. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, weight gain and other health problems. Melatonin also helps your body to keep to daily rhythms and seasonal cycles.

5-HTP is often used to support the regulation of appetite, concentration, brain activity and sleep cycles. A 5-HTP supplement is sometimes used by people with sleep problems or pain throughout their body. Eating soy products, red meat, poultry, fish, oat bran, cheese and dark chocolate will trigger conversion of the amino acid tryptophan to 5-HTP or you may prefer to take your 5-HTP as a supplement.

Try adding our 5-HTP powder to a nutritious smoothie. You don’t need a lot. A 100mg serving of 5-HTP powder is approximately one rounded 1/16 teaspoon. To be accurate you are best using scales that can measure milligrams. 

Important:
Please contact your health professional if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking any medications, before using HTP as a supplement. Some prescription medications may interact with 5-HTP, including those for depression, anxiety and Parkinson's disease, and 5-HTP supplements should not be taken with these drugs.

 

 

***Content of this blog/website is for information purpose only. It is not intended to substitute for legal or medical advice, or medical treatment or diagnosis. Consult your health care provider if you are experiencing any symptoms and before using any herbal product or beginning a new health regimen. When wildcrafting or foraging for plants, do so ethically; be accompanied by an expert; and always have absolute certainty of plant identification before using or consuming any herbs. by using any or all of this information, you do so at your own risk. No warranties are expressed or implied. Any application of the material provided is at the reader’s discretion and is his or her sole responsibility.


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