Low Mood? Meet 5-HTP

Are you feeling low? Not sleeping well? Good news, there is a supplement that can help you out.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) has documented positive effects on emotional well-being, sleep, and even pain.

5-HTP is an amino acid that our body uses to make serotonin. It occurs naturally in small amounts in the body, and it can also be taken in supplement form. Despite being naturally occurring, 5-HTP is not found in the foods we eat. 5-HTP supplements are made form the seeds of a plant called Griffonia simplicifolia, which is native to West and Central Africa.

Mood

5-HTP, a precursor to our major feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, can lift a low mood. A 2020 meta-analysis of 13 published clinical trials concluded that supplemental 5-HTP helps life seem brighter for trial participants experiencing sadness.

Sleep

The body uses serotonin to make melatonin, which is one reason mood and sleep are so intimately connected. 5-HTP has been shown to promote sleep. In people with poor sleep quality, 5-HTP helps lengthen the duration of REM sleep. REM is important because it engages the areas of the brain that help with learning and memory.

Pain

When we are low on happy hormones, things hurt more. In other words, serotonin influences pain tolerance. Chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, are often associated with serotonin imbalances. In studies lasting up to one year, supplementing with 5-HTP improved symptoms such as muscoskeletal pain, tenderness, and morning stiffness in fibromyalgia.

Shopping Tips

When choosing 5-HTP supplements, look for enteric-coated. This will deliver the nutrients steadily over a few hours, rather than all at once.

5-HTP is generally safe and well tolerated with few side effects. However, 5-HTP SHOULD NOT be taken with medications that can raise serotonin, such as antidepressants.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.