How Can 5-HTP Supplements Help Depression & Anxiety?
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is a metabolite of tryptophan that naturally increases production of serotonin in your body. Unlike tryptophan, which competes with other amino acids to get to the brain, 5-HTP is absorbed directly into the brain. In other words, you get all the great benefits of tryptophan that are associated with increasing your serotonin levels but with far smaller and more effective doses. 5-HTP is found in trace amounts within some foods, such as, turkey and cheese. However, it is most commonly sold as an over-the-counter therapeutic supplement, which is typically derived from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia, a West African medicinal plant. However, because 5-HTP has a very short life-span in the body, a sustained release 5-HTP formula greatly increases absorption, and usually reduces the necessary dose per day. 5-HTP behaves much like the antidepressants often prescribed for generalized forms of depression and anxiety without the potentially harmful side-effec
