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A powerful amino acid metabolite that your body converts into serotonin naturally, 5-HTP (or 5-hydroxytryptophan) helps you stabilize your mood, control your appetite, and even get a better night’s sleep. Serotonin – a chemical messenger for your brain – has also been shown to help promote feelings of well-being and happiness. Take 1 or more capsule daily or as recommended by your healthcare professional.
Mood disorders, including depression, are associated with serotonin imbalances in the brain. 5-HTP crosses the blood-brain barrier and is decarboxylated to serotonin with the help of vitamin B6 and has been shown to be effective in depressive disorders. Supplementing 5-HTP for those suffering with insomnia has been shown to increase R.E.M sleep from 5 to 53%.1 In addition to its impact on mood disorders and insomnia, 5-HTP has a significant impact on many other conditions including fibromyalgia, migraine headaches and obesity.*
Low serotonin is common in those with fibromyalgia. Double-blind research trials have reported that supplementing with 100mg of 5-HTP three times per day relieves some symptoms of fibromyalgia.2-3 Insomnia - 200 mg 2 hrs. before bedtime/400 mg at bedtime A single 100-mg nighttime dose of 5-HTP was sufficient to improve the duration and depth of sleep in one placebo-controlled trial.4 In a double-blind trial of people without insomnia, supplementation with 5-HTP (200 mg at 9:15 p.m. and 400 mg at 11:15 p.m.) increased rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, presumably indicating improved sleep quality.5
Forty people with migraine headaches received either 200mg of 5-HTP per day or methysergide (a migraine medication) for forty days. Both compounds reduced the frequency of migraines by 50%.6 Migraine attacks were reduced in frequency, severity, and duration in 90% of those taking 400 mg per day of 5-HTP in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.7
In a 12-week double-blind trial, overweight females took 600 to 900 mg of 5-HTP and lost significantly more weight than those women who received the placebo.8 In another double-blind trial obese people with type 2 diabetes took 750 mg of 5-HTP for two weeks with no dietary restrictions (some reduced their carbohydrate and fat intake voluntarily). The group taking the 5-HTP lost 23 times more weight compared to the placebo group (4.6 pounds vs 0.2 pounds respectively).9
Citations
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. |