Privacy Pledge: We respect your privacy and confidentiality. Click here to read our Privacy Policy.Note: Certain factors such as type of question or high volume of questions may prevent us from answering every question submitted.Please fill out the form and click the submit button to ask our Product & Nutrition Experts a question. Please fill out the form and click the submit button to ask our Product & Nutrition Experts a question. Vitamin B12 For Health Note: Certain factors such as type of question or high volume of questions may prevent us from answering every question submitted. Privacy Pledge: We respect your privacy and confidentiality. Click here to read our Privacy Policy. Question: I lost the link to the report, where can I download my purchase again? Asked by Kim from Pensacoloa, FLYou can access and download your purchased reports anytime, by signing into your Stop Aging Now account at the top of the page, then click "Health Reports" on the My Account Dashboard.
Answered By Kathleen Thompson, Customer Service Associate Answered By Kathleen Thompson, Customer Service AssociateThe introduction of the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) whose mode of action is to support ‘healthy serotonin’ levels, helped increase public awareness regarding the role of serotonin as a ‘happy chemical’ for mood support. Serotonin has a number of actions in the body, it is also involved in sleep, eating, temperature regulation, movement and nervousness1 Natural health practitioners on the other hand have used St. Johns wort and a substance called 5-HTP for the same reason. So what is 5-HTP or 5-Hydroxytryptophan as it is otherwise known? It is a precursor or building block for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin one of our ‘happy chemicals.’ The brain is a chemical factory that works 24 hours a day to produce a range of neurotransmitters (mood messengers) and hormones involved in the regulation of many body processes including the sleep/ wake cycle.
To do this the brain and body utilizes vitamins, minerals and amino acids from protein that must all be obtained from dietary sources. Poor digestion, excess or ongoing stress and poor dietary choices such as excess caffeine, alcohol and processed foods combined with insufficient protein, rob the body of the building blocks and cofactors it requires for neurotransmitter production. This can lead to low mood and poor quality sleep. Dietary levels of the amino acid tryptophan are directly related to the body’s ability to produce serotonin, which is also a precursor to the sleep hormone melatonin. The age old recommendation of a hot milk or chocolate drink at night to support sleep comes from milk and cocoa containing tryptophan. However 5-HTP which is commercially obtained from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant is a more efficient precursor to serotonin than Tryptophan and is often used in dietary supplements to support healthy sleep and mood, especially when combined with B-group vitamins and magnesium as cofactors.2
Preliminary evidence suggests that taking 5-HTP orally may help curb carbohydrate cravings, reduce appetite and weight in obese patients.3 The appetite suppressant Reductil (sibutramine) was withdrawn from the New Zealand market in October 2010 due to the risks outweighing the benefits. Sibutramine belongs to the class of medicines known as serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). It acted on the serotonin pathway in the brain to help patients to feel full and this helped patients to reduce their food intake.4 Individuals with carbohydrate cravings may also present with poor sleep and low mood. The body needs tryptophan or 5-HTP to make serotonin which is then converted to the sleep hormone melatonin. Since mood and sleep are so closely linked poor quality sleep may be an early sign that the body is missing some of its core building blocks for sleep, mood support and appetite support. Fibromyalgia is a complex, disabling, and chronic (long-term) condition characterized by widespread long-term pain, fatigue, and stiffness in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, as well as multiple tender points (places on the body where slight pressure causes pain).
In addition to muscular pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia may also be associated with sleep problems, depression, and an inability to think clearly.5 5-HTP taken orally has been shown to improve some symptoms of fibromyalgia such as morning stiffness, pain severity and sleeplessness.6-8 Many individuals suffer from recurring migraine or tension headaches which can significantly impact on their quality of life. Nutrients such as magnesium and B-group vitamins have been shown to be supportive in some people. There is also evidence from several studies in both children and adults that 5-HTP may be effective in reducing headache severity and frequency, including tension headaches and migraines. Fewer pain-relieving medications may be needed when taken with 5-HTP. However, many of the available studies show that more proven pharmaceutical drugs may work better than 5-HTP for headaches. Further research is needed.9 While 5-HTP is produced in the body from the essential amino acid Tryptophan and is an intermediate in serotonin production it is not naturally found in food.
Dietary supplements have used 5-HTP derived from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant since the 1970’s. Tryptophan cannot be produced in the body and must be obtained from the diet. Ensuring that you regularly consume foods that contain Tryptophan can help increase the body’s supply of serotonin precursors. Foods known to be high in Tryptophan include; spirulina, oat or wheat bran, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, dairy products, soy beans and soy protein. Other sources include meats such as beef, chicken, turkey and pork and seafood such as crab and tuna, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, chocolate and cocoa powder and a range of nuts and seeds.10 Intestinal absorption of 5-HTP does not require the presence of a transport molecule, and is not affected by the presence of other amino acids; therefore it may be taken with meals without reducing its effectiveness. Unlike Tryptophan, 5-HTP cannot be shunted into vitamin B3 or protein production. Therapeutic use of 5-HTP bypasses the conversion of Tryptophan into 5-HTP, which is the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin.
5-HTP is well absorbed from an oral dose, with about 70 percent e up in the bloodstream. It easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and effectively increases central nervous system (CNS) synthesis of serotonin.11 There is no substitute for a healthy diet, eating a wide variety of fresh seasonal coloured fruits and vegetables along with lean meat and good quality protein is important. Likewise avoiding or minimizing processed or white foods such as cakes, biscuits, pasta and high calorie snack foods is a good idea. These foods tend to be high in calories but deficient in the many essential vitamins and mineral that the body needs for its many metabolic processes. In fact these foods can often rob the body of essential nutrients. The first approach to improve health should always be to improve your diet and optimize digestion, reduce stress where possible, get sufficient sleep (7-8 hours per night) and exercise regularly. We all lead busy stressful lives and do not always eat drink or sleep as we should.