Is 5-HTP a safe, natural option for helping treat depression and anxiety by boosting serotonin?

A naturally occurring chemical in our body, called 5-HTP, has been shown to help treat depression with fewer side effects than conventional antidepressants.

Some studies show that supplementing higher than normal amounts of 5-HTP causes the brain’s serotonin-producing neurons (nerve cells) to increase production. This leads to more serotonin and improved mood.

While 5-HTP appears to be a promising treatment for depression, more research is needed to find its long-term side effects.

What is 5-HTP and how does it help treat depression?
What evidence is there that 5-HTP works for depression?
What are other uses of 5-HTP besides treating depression?
What are the side effects of 5-HTP?
Who should avoid or be cautious about taking 5-HTP?

What is 5-HTP and how does it help treat depression?

5-HTP, short for 5-hydroxytryptophan, is a chemical that helps raise serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter – a chemical that transmits signals between brain cells. Serotonin can affect many aspects of our lives, including mood, behavior, sleep, appetite, body temperature and sense of pain. Low serotonin levels can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia and other health problems.

Our bodies make 5-HTP naturally from the amino acid tryptophan. 5-HTP is then converted into serotonin. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. It’s important to note that taking 5-HTP is not the only natural way to boost serotonin — a great way is to do regular exercise.

5-HTP is not present in the foods we eat. The 5-HTP in supplements is from an African plant called Griffonia simplicifolia.

Good sources of tryptophan are meat (including turkey and chicken), fish, eggs, seeds, cheese, spirulina and seaweed.

Eating high-carbohydrate (or high-carb, for short) meals increase serotonin levels more than high-protein meals, according to Professor Richard Wurtman. Tryptophan competes badly with other amino acids, so little reaches the brain. When we eat high-carb foods, however, insulin is released into the bloodstream, which transports tryptophan into the brain. The solution is to eat foods high in tryptophan along with high-carb foods. Foods high in carbs include potatoes, bananas, grains, cereals, pasta and bread.

What evidence is there that 5-HTP works for depression?

A number of studies have tested 5-HTP for depression. Below are some key findings.

• In the 1970s Professor Isamu Sano and colleagues, from Osaka University Medical School in Japan, gave 107 patients 50 to 300mg of 5-HTP a day. Within two weeks over half had improvements in their symptoms. By the end of the fourth week of the study nearly three-quarters of the patients said they had either complete relief or were much improved, with no side effects. Other researchers repeated the study. They found nearly 70 percent of patients improved their mood.
• Dr Poldinger headed a double-blind study at the Basel University of Psychiatry. He gave 34 depressed volunteers either the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant fluvoxamine (Luvox) or 300mg of 5-HTP. Each person was assessed for how depressed they were. After six weeks both groups showed much improvement in their depression. Those taking 5-HTP, however, had more improvement in each of the four areas tested, which were depression, anxiety, insomnia and physical symptoms, plus the patient’s self-assessment.
• The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) says some small studies show that 5-HTP may be as good as certain antidepressant drugs in treating people with mild-to-moderate depression. One study compared the effects of 5-HTP to Luvox in 63 people. The study found those given 5-HTP did just as well as those who received the SSRI. Those who took 5-HTP had fewer side effects than those who took Luvox. These studies were too small to say for sure if 5-HTP works, however, so more and larger studies are needed.

What are other uses of 5-HTP besides treating depression?

Studies show 5-HTP can help the following health problems besides depression:

• insomnia
• anxiety
• headaches and migraines
• overweight and obesity
• fibromyalgia
• Friedreich’s ataxia
• LSD-induced psychosis

What are the side effects of 5-HTP?

Side effects from 5-HTP can include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• heartburn
• stomach upset
• constipation
• gas
• feelings of fullness
• feeling tired
• nightmares
• reduced sex drive

High doses of 5-HTP are toxic and might cause serotonin syndrome, according to The UMMC. Although rare, this is a dangerous health problem in which there is too much serotonin in the body. It can cause mental changes, hot flashes, rapidly fluctuating blood pressure and heart rate, and coma. Talk to your doctor before taking high doses.

The long-term side effects of 5-HTP are unknown.

Who should avoid or be cautious about taking 5-HTP?

Approach 5-HTP with caution.

The UMMC says people with high blood pressure or diabetes should talk to their doctor before taking it.

People with liver disease, pregnant women and nursing mothers should not take 5-HTP.

Below is a list of medications The UMMC and/or WebMD list as possibly interacting with 5-HTP. If you’re on any of them, talk to your healthcare provider before considering taking 5-HTP. They can possibly interact with 5-HTP to cause health problems – and some can be serious.

• Medication for depression (should not be taken with 5-HTP because it can combine to cause serotonin syndrome)
• Carbidopa (Lodosyn)
• Tramadol (Ultram)
• Triptans: Naratriptan (Amerge), Sumatriptan (Imitrex), Rizatriptan (Maxalt) and Zolmitriptan (Zomig)
• Dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, and others)
• Meperidine (Demerol)
• Pentazocine (Talwin)

written by Nyomi Graef

References:
5-HTP, 2009, WebMD,
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-794-5-HTP.aspx?activeIngredientId=794&activeIngredientName=5-HTP

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), 2008, University of Maryland Medical Center,
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/5-hydroxytryptophan-000283.htm

5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP) – Help or Hype? Can One Pill Cure Depression, Obesity and Insomnia?, 1998, ABC News,
http://www.netrition.com/abc_5htp_page.html

Holford, P, 2003, Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, London, UK: Piatkus

Murray, M, 1999, 5-HTP: The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity, and Insomnia, New York, USA: Bantam

Sahelian, R, 1998, 5-HTP: Nature’s Serotonin Solution, New York, USA: Avery