Pure 5-hydroxytryptophan, also called oxytrypan, is the main component used in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. It is a very popular food supplement used to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, loss of appetite, and winter blues symptoms and can be purchased over the counter at many pharmacies and health food stores across the United States. USA.
Pure 5-HTP is important for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder or SAD, also called the winter blues. Seasonal affective disorder is an illness that affects many people during the changing seasons, but is most pronounced during the winter months.
SAD has two types, one is the more common winter-onset depression whose symptoms begin towards late fall or early winter and disappear by early summer; and the less common type, summer-onset depression, whose symptoms begin to show themselves in late spring or early summer and disappear by early winter.
The most common symptoms of the winter blues are oversleeping and overeating. The person experiences difficulty getting out of bed in the morning and craves more carbohydrate-rich foods, which could result in weight gain.
People who suffer from SAD display symptoms very similar to common depression, including lethargy, anxiety, loss of appetite, antisocial behavior, irritability, increased sexual drive, and suicidal tendencies.
5-Hydroxytryptophan is important in combating the symptoms of SAD, especially among those who suffer from the disorder year after year. The onset of fall signals the season’s changing colors from summer to fall colors, but it seems like the opposite of what actually happens with some people’s moods and behaviors.
5-HTP is important in the production of serotonin in the brain and central nervous system because it has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier that serotonin cannot. If serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, then it cannot assert its role in beating the winter blues during these cold, dreary winter months.
In addition to being effective in combating the symptoms of the winter blues, 5-HTP has been shown to be effective in treating fibromyalgia, overeating, depression, recurring headaches, irregular sleep patterns, and insomnia. When taken in excess, 5-hydroxytryptophan can cause heart valve damage, nausea, and vomiting when mixed with medications for Alzheimer’s disease and serotonin syndrome.
It is found in large quantities on the Griffonia simplicifolia plant, a type of vine with beautiful green petals native to the African continent.