Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can be converted to serotonin in the body. It is often used for depression. It has less evidence for insomnia and anxiety.

5-HTP is a chemical byproduct of the protein building block L-tryptophan. It is produced commercially from the seeds of an African plant known as Griffonia simplicifolia. 5-HTP works in the brain and central nervous system by increasing the production of the chemical serotonin. Serotonin can affect sleep, appetite, temperature, sexual behavior, and pain sensation.

Since 5-HTP increases serotonin levels, it is used for conditions in which serotonin is believed to play an important role. These include depression, anxiety, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

Possibly Effective for

• Depression. Taking 5-HTP by mouth seems to improve symptoms of depression in some people. It might work as well as some prescription antidepressant drugs.

Possibly Ineffective for

• Down syndrome. Most research shows that taking 5-HTP by mouth does not improve muscle strength or development in children with Down syndrome.

There is interest in using 5-HTP for a number of other purposes, but there isn’t enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: It is possibly safe to take 5-HTP in doses of up to 400 mg daily for up to one year. The most common side effects include heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, sexual problems, and muscle problems. Large doses of 5-HTP, such as 6-10 grams daily, are possibly unsafe. These doses have been linked to severe stomach problems and muscle spasms.

Some people who have taken 5-HTP have developed a serious health condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). Some people think EMS might be caused by an accidental contaminant in some 5-HTP products. But there’s not enough scientific evidence to know if EMS is caused by 5-HTP, a contaminant, or some other factor. Until more is known, 5-HTP should be used cautiously.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: It is possibly safe to take 5-HTP in doses of up to 400 mg daily for up to one year. The most common side effects include heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, sexual problems, and muscle problems. Large doses of 5-HTP, such as 6-10 grams daily, are possibly unsafe. These doses have been linked to severe stomach problems and muscle spasms.

Some people who have taken 5-HTP have developed a serious health condition called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). Some people think EMS might be caused by an accidental contaminant in some 5-HTP products. But there’s not enough scientific evidence to know if EMS is caused by 5-HTP, a contaminant, or some other factor. Until more is known, 5-HTP should be used cautiously. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn’t enough reliable information to know if 5-HTP is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Children: It is possibly safe for children to take 5-HTP by mouth at appropriate doses. In children under 12 years of age, 5-HTP seems to be safe at a dose of up to 5 mg/kg daily for up to 3 years.

Surgery: 5-HTP can affect a brain chemical called serotonin. Some drugs administered during surgery can also affect serotonin. Taking 5-HTP before surgery might cause too much serotonin in the brain and can result in serious side effects including heart problems, shivering, and anxiety. Tell patients to stop taking 5-HTP at least 2 weeks before surgery.

Interactions ?

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

• 5-HTP can affect the brain. Carbidopa can also affect the brain. Taking 5-HTP along with carbidopa can increase the risk of serious side effects including rapid speech, anxiety, aggressiveness, and others.

• 5-HTP might cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Some medications, called sedatives, can also cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Taking 5-HTP with sedative medications might cause breathing problems and/or too much sleepiness.

• 5-HTP might increase a brain chemical called serotonin. Some medications also have this effect. Taking 5-HTP along with these medications might increase serotonin too much. This might cause serious side effects including heart problems, seizures, and vomiting.

Dosing

5-HTP has most often been used by adults in doses of 150-800 mg daily. Very large doses of 5-HTP, such as 6-10 grams daily, can cause serious side effects and should be avoided. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.

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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
© Therapeutic Research Faculty 2020.

5 Science-Based Benefits of 5-HTP (Plus Dosage and Side Effects)

5-HTP is a compound that is believed to help increase levels of serotonin in your body. This may be beneficial for several conditions, including depression, insomnia, migraines, and more.

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that your body naturally produces.

Your body uses it to produce serotonin, a chemical messenger that sends signals between your nerve cells (1).

Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, weight gain, and other health problems (2, 3, 4).

Therefore, increasing your body’s production of serotonin may have various benefits.

For this reason, serotonin-producing 5-HTP supplements have become increasingly popular.

Here are 5 potential health benefits of 5-HTP, based on science.

1. Could aid weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness

5-HTP may increase feelings of fullness, causing you to eat less and lose weight.

Weight loss can increase the production of hormones that make you feel hungry. These feelings of constant hunger can make losing weight unsustainable in the long term (5, 6).

5-HTP may counteract these hunger-inducing hormones, working to suppress appetite and help you lose weight (7).

In one older study, 20 people with diabetes were randomly assigned to receive either 5-HTP or a placebo for 2 weeks. The results showed that those who received 5-HTP consumed approximately 421 fewer calories per day, compared to the placebo group (8).

What’s more, 5-HTP primarily inhibited the intake of calories from carbohydrates, which was associated with better blood sugar control (8).

Many other studies have also found that 5-HTP increased feelings of fullness and aided weight loss in people with overweight or obesity (9, 10).

Moreover, one older animal study found that 5-HTP could reduce excessive food intake due to stress (11).

Summary

5-HTP is likely effective at increasing feelings of fullness, which may help you eat less and lose weight.

2. May help with depression by increasing serotonin levels

While the exact cause of depression is largely unknown, some researchers believe that a serotonin imbalance may influence your mood in a way that leads to depression (2).

However, keep in mind that other studies have turned up conflicting findings on the relationship between low serotonin levels and depression (12).

Still, 5-HTP supplements are thought to treat depression by increasing serotonin levels.

For instance, one study in 15 females found that combining 5-HTP with creatine improved symptoms of depression after 8 weeks (13).

Another small study in people with Parkinson’s disease concluded that 5-HTP could help improve symptoms of depression compared to a placebo (14).

However, much of the research suggests that the potential antidepressive effects of 5-HTP are stronger when combined with other substances or antidepressant medications, compared to when they are used alone (13, 15).

Furthermore, according to a recent meta-analysis, there is limited evidence to support the use of 5-HTP for the treatment of depression and more high quality, placebo-controlled studies are needed (16).

Summary

5-HTP supplements increase serotonin levels in your body, which could improve symptoms of depression, especially when used in combination with other antidepressant substances or medications. Nonetheless, more research is needed.

3. Could improve symptoms of fibromyalgia

Supplementing with 5-HTP may improve symptoms of fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by muscle and joint pain, as well as extreme tiredness and brain fog, also known as “fibro fog” (17).

There is currently no known cause of fibromyalgia, but low serotonin levels have been associated with the condition (17).

This has led researchers to believe that increasing serotonin levels may benefit people with fibromyalgia (18).

Indeed, early evidence suggests that 5-HTP may improve symptoms of fibromyalgia, including muscle pain, sleep problems, anxiety, and fatigue (19, 20, 21).

However, not enough research has been conducted to draw any clear conclusions about the effectiveness of 5-HTP at improving fibromyalgia symptoms.

Summary

5-HTP can boost serotonin levels in your body, which may help relieve some symptoms of fibromyalgia. Nonetheless, more research is needed.

4. Could help reduce migraine frequency

5-HTP is said to help with migraines, which are throbbing headaches that are often accompanied by nausea or disturbed vision.

While their exact cause is debated, some researchers believe that low serotonin levels may play a role (22).

One older study in 124 people compared the ability of 5-HTP and methysergide, a common migraine medication, to prevent migraines (23).

It found that supplementing with 5-HTP daily for 6 months prevented or significantly decreased the number of migraine attacks in 71% of participants (23).

However, there is limited recent research available on the effects of 5-HTP on migraines.

Summary

5-HTP may help you have fewer migraines by increasing your serotonin levels. However, research is limited and more high quality, recent studies are needed.

5. May promote sleep by increasing melatonin production

5-HTP produces serotonin, which can be converted into the hormone melatonin.

Melatonin plays an important role in regulating sleep. Its levels begin to rise in the evening to promote sleep and fall in the morning to help wake you up (24).

Therefore, supplementing with 5-HTP may promote sleep by increasing melatonin production in your body.

One 2010 study showed that a combination of 5-HTP and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) significantly reduced the time it took to fall asleep, increased sleep duration, and improved sleep quality (25).

GABA is a chemical messenger that promotes relaxation. Combining it with 5-HTP likely has a synergistic effect (25).

In fact, several animal studies suggest that 5-HTP improves sleep quality and that the effect is greater when combined with GABA (26, 27).

While these results are promising, the lack of human-based studies makes it difficult to recommend 5-HTP for improving sleep quality, especially when it is used in isolation.

Summary

5-HTP may promote sleep by increasing melatonin production, an important sleep-regulating hormone.

Possible side effects of 5-HTP

Some people may experience nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain when taking 5-HTP supplements. These side effects are dose-dependent, meaning they get worse when increasing your dose (23).

According to one older review, it’s recommended to start with a dose of 50 milligrams (mg) three times per day with meals. This can be increased up to 100 mg three times per day if needed (28).

For insomnia, starting with a dose of 50 mg and gradually increasing to 100–300 mg per day before bedtime may help minimize side effects (28).

Note that some other medications increase serotonin production. Combining these medications with 5-HTP may cause dangerous serotonin levels in your body. This is called serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition (29).

Medications that may increase your body’s serotonin levels include certain antidepressants, cough medicines, or prescription pain relievers.

Since 5-HTP may also promote sleep, taking it with prescription sedative medications, such as Klonopin, Ativan, or Ambien, may cause too much sleepiness.

Due to the potential for negative interactions with other medications, consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking 5-HTP supplements.

Summary

Some people may experience side effects when taking 5-HTP supplements. Talk to a doctor before supplementing with 5-HTP to ensure it’s safe for you.

Dosage and supplement instructions

As a supplement, 5-HTP comes from the seeds of an African shrub known as Griffonia simplicifolia (1).

These supplements are not the same as L-tryptophan supplements, which may also increase serotonin levels.

L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in protein-rich foods, such as dairy products, poultry, meat, chickpeas, and soybeans (30).

On the other hand, 5-HTP is present in certain foods, but only in very small amounts (1, 31).

There are no official recommendations on how much 5-HTP you should take. While more high quality, recent research is needed, these are the doses used in various studies (8, 13, 19, 23, 28):

• Weight management: 250–300 mg, 30 minutes prior to each meal, or 750 mg per day
• Mood enhancement: 100 mg, twice daily
• Fibromyalgia symptom relief: 100 mg, 3–4 times per day with meals for at least 2 weeks
• Migraines: 600 mg per day for at least 6 months
• Sleep aid: 100–300 mg before bedtime

Summary

How much 5-HTP you should take depends on your reason for using it. However, more research is needed to determine more specific dosage recommendations.

The bottom line

Your body converts 5-HTP into serotonin, a substance that regulates appetite, pain sensations, and sleep.

Supplementing with it may help boost your serotonin levels.

Higher serotonin levels may provide many benefits, such as promoting weight loss, improving the symptoms of depression and fibromyalgia, decreasing the frequency of migraine attacks, and helping you sleep better.

Minor side effects have been linked to 5-HTP, but they can be minimized by starting with smaller doses and increasing the dosage gradually.

Given that 5-HTP may negatively interact with several medications, talk to a doctor to ensure it’s safe for you to use.

Rules for carrying alcohol on an airplane

The rules for transporting alcohol on an airplane depend on the age of the owner of the alcohol, on the requirements of the carrier company, the customs regulations of the country of export and import of alcohol, the strength of the alcoholic beverage, the volume and packaging of alcoholic beverages and do not depend on the place of purchase of alcohol (supermarket, wine cellar or Duty shop). Fries) and nationality, nationality, skin color of the alcohol owner.

The rules for carrying alcohol on the plane allow you to take with you in your hand luggage only one souvenir bottle of alcohol with a volume of not more than 100 ml and all bottles bought in Duty Free in a branded bag and with a check in a conspicuous place. Attention! The package with purchases cannot be opened before arriving at the destination. If you are making a transfer in a Schengen country, then purchases from Duty Free must be packed in luggage.

The allowance for transporting alcohol to Russia per person for personal use is 5 liters with a strength of less than 70 degrees.

It can be beer, sparkling wine, liquor or stronger drinks. Of these 5 liters -3 liters per liter, regardless of where it is purchased. (Alcohol can be purchased at a general store, given as a gift, won in a lottery, or purchased at a duty-free shop.) For example, you were presented with 1 liter of Czech beer Staropranen, and you bought 4 liters of Henessi in Duty Free in Paris. Arriving in Moscow, you will have to pay a duty of 20 euros for 2 liters, and you import 3 liters for free.

If you want to bring into Russia more than 5 liters of alcohol with a strength of less than 70 degrees, then you need to declare it, keep a receipt for the purchase of alcohol and pay the duty for excess, excise, VAT. On domestic flights of the Russian Federation, drinks with a strength of up to 24 degrees are carried without restrictions, but only by adult passengers

The norm for transporting alcohol across the Ukrainian border is 5 liters of beer, 2 liters of wine and 1 liter of vodka. There are no regulations for the export of alcoholic beverages.

Each country has its own rules, which are constantly being adjusted, so they need to be clarified in the customs code right before departure.
For example, alcohol can be imported into Finland only if the stay in the country is more than 72 hours. If the owner of alcohol is over 20 years old, he is allowed to import 1 liter with a strength above 22 degrees, and if he imported over 18, but under 20 years old, then he has the right to import only 2 liters with a strength of less than 22 degrees. It is forbidden to bring alcohol or powder for making wine into Finland.

The following example, passengers over 17 years old can bring alcohol into Germany, and only passengers over 18 years old can export alcohol from Germany. If entering Germany from outside the EU, you can import 1 liter with a strength of more than 22 degrees or 2 liters with a strength of less than 22 degrees. If you enter Germany from an EU country, then the rules are completely different – you can import 90 liters of beer or wine, or 10 liters of strong alcohol, with a strength of more than 22 degrees, without duty. You can export from Germany without paying a fee only 3 liters of any alcohol. If you want to take out more, then only if you pay a fee of 10 euros for each liter.

Aeroflot does not allow the transport of alcoholic beverages stronger than 70 degrees on its flights. So the purchased green Absinthe will either be confiscated and disposed of, or you will have to urgently drink it so that the good does not disappear, but in this case they will not be allowed on the plane from exceeding the blood count and aliens walking around the airport. If you drink your Absinthe in the emirates of Fujairah and Sharjah, then you will be prosecuted for appearing in a state of intoxication in a public place. When traveling around the world, remember that in the UAE, even a package of alcohol bought in Duty Free cannot be carried along the street – features of the East.

In the United States, alcohol is sold only to those over 21, so often there are ads on the door of a liquor store – “if you are under 40, present documents confirming your age.”

In Singapore, you can import 1 liter of alcohol of any strength without paying a duty.

It is strictly forbidden to legally import alcohol to the Maldives, even bought in dute free. If a tourist brought alcohol of any kind with him, then they will pick it up at customs, carefully store it until departure and return it upon departure. During customs inspection, all bottles are checked for smell.

In Thailand, the import norm for alcohol is 1 liter of hard liquor.

After a holiday in Cuba, tourists are allowed to take out of the country only 2 bottles (750 ml each) of the famous Santiago rum or any other alcohol.

For the illegal import of alcohol, confiscation, fines and criminal liability are threatened.

Photos courtesy of Depositphotos.com

Maldives

UAE

Fujairah

Sharjah

Singapore

USA

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aircraft

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