11-01-2017, 05:52 AM
So much has been written about 5-HTP over the decades. I know that there are numerous studies showing that it works as well as convention AD's for depression. The trick would be the have as much of it pass the blood brain barrier, and as little of it left behind in your blood, as possible. While it's the primary precursor to serotonin and will increase brain levels of serotonin exponentially, it can be deadly if it builds to too high a level in the blood. Upon ingestion, it will head to the brain, but along the way some is absorbed peripherally and enters the blood stream. I have seen double-blind studies (not sponsored by Big Pharma, like one might think) showing increased blood levels of 5-HTP causing increase blood levels of serotonin, leading to everything from coronary artery spasms (which can cause heart attacks in people with normal, healthy hearts) and sudden cardiac death (ventricular fibrillation). In Europe, many have experimented by taking other substances with it (such as vitamin b6, and the peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor "Carbidopa") to lessen the peripheral absorption rate. Not to be an alarmist, but please proceed with caution. I think that 5-HTP certainly works, but is not without risk.