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5-HTP (5-hydroxy L-tryptophan) for health and benefits
This Neurochemical is a precursor to serotonin, it raises the serotonin levels in the brain. "Serotonin is necessary for sleep and emotional stability, as well as pain regulation," summarizes Steven Fowkes, executive director of the Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute, Menlo park, CA.
In the July 1995 issue of Smart Drug News, author/lecturer Ray Sahelian, M.D. Wrote: " A low brain level of serotonin, or an imbalance between serotonin and other neurotansmitters, has been implicated in some cases of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, impulsivity and aggression, including violent actions or suicide."
Fowkes adds that serotonin also controls the carbohydrate "appestat." Cravings for carbohydrates signal that the body is trying to raise its serotonin levels. The substances known as 5-HTP feeds the carbohydrate satiety center of the brain and effective turns off the cravings.
Literature supplied by Lifelink, Grover Beach, CA, notes that "the pharmaceutical control of brain serotonin level is the mechanism of action of the most commonly prescribed drugs used in the treatment of depression. Prozac is an example of aselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which prevents the 'presynaptic' nerve from reabsorbing serotonin that it has previously secreted. By inhibiting this normal process, Prozac causes an increase in brain serotonin levels and non-narcotic anti-depression effect."
According the literature 5-HTP may be used for depression (both bipolar and unipolar), insomnia and obesity. Its benefits include mood balancing, particularly with bipolar behavior, reduction of appetite and aggression, increased beta-endorphin release, increased pain threshold, and the reduction of severity of migraine headache and Parkinson's disease symptoms, among others.