Griffonia Seed and 5-HTP (5-hydroxy tryptophan),the magic seed from African folk medicine not only play as effective replacement for tryptophan,but more.

Has 5-HTP been studied in the treatment of depression?.

Griffonia Seed Extract 5-Hydroxytryptophan 5HTP CAS 4350-09-8 photo picture image Yes. In fact, there is excellent documentation that 5-HTP is an effective antidepressant agent. 5-HTP often produces very good results in patients who are unresponsive to standard antidepressant drugs. One of the more impressive studies involved 99 patients described as suffering from "therapy resistant" depression. These patients had not responded to any previous therapy including all available antidepressant drugs as well as electro convulsive therapy. These therapy resistant patients received 5-HTP at dosages averaging 200 mg daily but ranging from 50 to 600 mg per day. Complete recovery was seen in 43 of the 99 patients and significant improvement was noted in 8 more. Such significant improvement in patients suffering from long-standing, unresponsive depression is quite impressive prompting the author of another study to state "5-HTP merits a place in the front of the ranks of the antidepressants instead of being used as a last resort. I have never in 20 years used an agent which: (1 was effective so quickly; (2 restored the patients so completely to the persons they had been and their partners had known; [and] (3 was so entirely without side effects".

Disruptions in emotional well-being, including depression and anxiety, have been linked to serotonin imbalances in the brain. People with fibromyalgia often have low serotonin levels in their blood. Supplements of 5-HTP may increase serotonin synthesis in these cases. The cause of migraine headaches is related to abnormal serotonin function in blood vessels and 5-HTP may help correct this abnormality. Insomnia has been associated with tryptophan deficiency in the tissues of the brain; therefore, 5-HTP may provide a remedy for this condition.

Several small studies have compared 5-HTP to standard antidepressants. Researchers found equal benefit between the supplement and the drug. 5-HTP seemed to work better at reducing depressed mood, anxiety, physical symptoms, and insomnia, but the differences were not statistically significant. 5-HTP caused fewer and less severe side effects. The only real complaint was occasional mild digestive distress

Reference:

1.Griffonia Seed and 5-HTP (5-hydroxy tryptophan),the magic seed from African folk medicine not only play as effective replacement for tryptophan,but more.