5-HTP: Depression Evidence, Serotonin Risks, Tracking
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[Supplement · Compound guide]

5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan): half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is 5-HTP?

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is the compound the body makes from the amino acid tryptophan on the way to serotonin. Supplements are usually extracted from the seeds of the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia and are marketed for mood, sleep and appetite.

Also known as: 5-hydroxytryptophan, oxitriptan, Griffonia simplicifolia extract.

Amounts studied

5-HTP has no intake value or upper limit, and there is no NIH fact sheet for it. The depression trials in the Cochrane review used different amounts, so there is no single studied amount. These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling. There is no FDA-approved 5-HTP drug.

A Cochrane review (Shaw 2002) found 108 trials of 5-HTP or tryptophan for depression, but only two, with 64 people in total, were good enough to include. They suggested a benefit over placebo, but the reviewers said the evidence was not good enough to be conclusive and that more studies are needed before widespread use.

Safety concerns: because 5-HTP raises serotonin, a 2006 review (Turner) discusses serotonin syndrome as a risk, so do not combine it with antidepressants or other serotonin-raising drugs without your prescriber. Tryptophan supplements were withdrawn in 1989 after an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) traced to a contaminated product from one maker (Das 2004), and the Cochrane reviewers said a possible link between these substances and EMS had not been ruled out. A 1999 analysis (Klarskov) found a family of contaminants called "peak X" in all eight commercial 5-HTP samples tested; a 2004 review (Das) disputed how significant peak X is.

5-HTP half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for 5-HTP that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. A 2006 review (Turner) notes that how much reaches the brain depends on how much is converted to serotonin elsewhere in the body, which drugs such as carbidopa can block.

How to track 5-HTP in Dose Track

  1. Add 5-HTP as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

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Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of 5-HTP?+
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for 5-HTP that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. A 2006 review (Turner) notes that how much reaches the brain depends on how much is converted to serotonin elsewhere in the body, which drugs such as carbidopa can block.
Can I take 5-HTP with an SSRI?+
Not without your prescriber. 5-HTP raises serotonin, and a 2006 review (Turner) discusses serotonin syndrome as a safety issue with 5-HTP. Combining it with SSRIs, SNRIs or other serotonin-raising drugs adds to that risk.
Does 5-HTP help depression?+
The evidence is weak. A Cochrane review found only two small trials (64 people) good enough to include; they suggested a benefit, but the reviewers said the evidence was not conclusive.
Can I track 5-HTP in Dose Track?+
Yes. 5-HTP is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Turner EH, et al. Serotonin a la carte: supplementation with the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan. Pharmacol Ther. 2006;109(3):325-338.
  2. Shaw K, et al. Tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(1):CD003198.
  3. Klarskov K, et al. Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome case-associated contaminants in commercially available 5-hydroxytryptophan. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1999;467:461-468.
  4. Das YT, et al. Safety of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan. Toxicol Lett. 2004;150(1):111-122.
  5. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

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