2. What advantages
does 5-HTP have over L-tryptophan? Evidence that this natural source of 5-HTP does not cause EMS is provided by researchers who have been using 5-HTP for over 25 years. They state that "EMS has never appeared in the patients of ours who received only uncontaminated L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxtryptophan (5-HTP)"(1). Furthermore, researchers at the NIH studying the effects 5-HTP for various metabolic conditions have also not observed a single case of EMS nor has a case of elevated eosinophils been attributed to 5-HTP in these studies. 3. What effect does 5-HTP have on
weight loss? 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 conversion of 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 (7). The early animal studies that used 5-HTP as a weight loss aid have been followed by a series of three human clinical studies of overweight women, conducted at the University of Rome (8-10). The first study showed that 5-HTP was able to reduce caloric intake and promote weight loss despite the fact that the women made no conscious effort to lose weight (8). The average amount of weight loss during the five-week period of 5-HTP supplementation was a little more than 3 pounds. The second study sought to determine whether 5-HTP helped overweight individuals adhere to dietary recommendations (9). The twelve-week study was divided into two six-week periods. For the first six weeks, there were no dietary recommendations; for the second six weeks the women were placed on a 1,200-calorie diet. As shown in Table 1, the women who took the placebo lost 2.28 pounds, while the women who took the 5-HTP lost 10.34 pounds. As in the previous study, 5-HTP appeared to promote weight loss by promoting satiety-the feeling of satisfaction-leading to fewer calories being consumed at meals. Every woman who took the 5-HTP reported early satiety. In the third study involving 5-HTP, for the first six weeks there were no dietary restrictions, and for the second six weeks the women were placed on a 1,200-calorie-per-day diet (10). The results from this study were even more impressive than the previous studies for several reasons. 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 12 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. The lack of weight loss during the second six-week period in the placebo group obviously reflects the fact that the women had difficulty adhering to the diet. Early satiety was reported by 100 percent of the subjects during the first six-week period. During the second six-week period, even with severe caloric restriction, ninety percent of the women taking 5-HTP reported early satiety. Many of the women who received the 5-HTP (300 mg three times per day) reported mild nausea during the first six weeks of therapy. However, the symptom was never severe enough for any of the women to drop out of the study. No other side effects were reported. Wasn't the drug Redux, which raises serotonin levels, taken off the market because it caused damage to the heart valves? Is there a risk with 5-HTP doing the same? In September 1997, the popular weight loss drug Redux and its chemical cousin fenfluramine, part of the "fen-phen" combination, were taken off the market based on a study showing that these drugs may have caused permanent damage to heart valves in as many as one-third of the people who took them. There is no evidence that 5-HTP produces these effects. Unlike Redux, 5-HTP does not raise blood serotonin levels to a significant degree nor does it block reuptake of serotonin. The point here is that 5-HTP does not disrupt the normal process of serotonin release, reabsorbtion, and elimination from the body. 5-HTP is not a synthetic drug; it is an amino acid produced naturally by your body's metabolism. 4. How does 5-HTP compare with
melatonin in the treatment of insomnia? 5. What is fibromyalgia and how
does 5-HTP help? Major criteria Generalized aches or stiffness of at least three anatomic
sites for at least three months. Minor criteria
The history of the development of 5-HTP as an effective treatment for fibromyalgia began with studies on the drug fenclonine (21). This drug blocks the enzyme which converts tryptophan to 5-HTP and as a result blocks serotonin production. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was thought that increased serotonin formation may promote migraine headaches (the opposite of what was later proved, i.e., increasing serotonin levels reduce migraine headache occurrence). The researchers discovered that providing headache sufferers with fenclonine resulted in very severe muscle pain. This effect was exactly opposite of what was expected, but led to some important advances in the understanding of fibromyalgia--a way to induce its severe symptoms of (as well as symptoms nearly identical to EMS, the condition caused by contaminated L-tryptophan). The researchers also discovered that migraine sufferers reacted to the drug much more than non-headache sufferers. In fact, in most normal subjects fenclonine produced no fibromyalgia. These occurrences highlight just how sensitive migraine sufferers are to low serotonin levels. Migraine headaches and fibromyalgia share a common feature: both are low serotonin syndromes. After over 25 years of research, one of the lead researchers has stated that "In our experience, as well as in that of other pain specialists, 5-HTP can largely improve the painful picture of primary fibromyalgia" (22). Double-blind studies support this contention (23, 24). 6. Can 5-HTP be taken with St.
John's wort extract? 7. Has 5-HTP been studied in the
treatment of depression? 8. Are there any studies where
5-HTP was compared directly to antidepressant drugs? The real advantage of 5-HTP in this study was the low rate of side effect. Here is how the physicians described the differences among the two groups: "Whereas the two treatment groups did not differ significantly in the number of patients sustaining adverse events, the interaction between the degree of severity and the type of medication was highly significant: fluvoxamine predominantly produced moderate to severe, oxitriptan [5-HTP] primarily mild forms of adverse effects." The most common side effects with 5-HTP were nausea, heartburn, and gastrointestinal problems (flatulence, feelings of fullness, and rumbling sensations). These side effects were rated as being very mild to mild. In contrast, most of the side effects experienced in the fluvoxamine group were of moderate to severe intensity. 9. How does 5-HTP benefit headache
sufferers? 10. What is the best way to take
5-HTP? For insomnia, I recommend 100 to 300 mg thirty to forty-five minutes before retiring. Start with the lower dose for at least three days before increasing dosage. 11. Where can I get 5-HTP? 12. Where can I get
more information on 5-HTP? |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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![]() Recommended by Dr. Michael T. Murray 60 Enteric Coated capsules / 50mg $18.95 ![]() |
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