What if…(5HTP)

What if I told you that I knew of a nutrient that might help cure depression? What if I told you that same cure was also helping millions of people conquer obesity? What if I told also that it was also helping people with insomnia to get good nights sleep? What if then I told you that it helps people with anxiety go about their day worry and stress free? I might also mention that it had been shown to improve your short and long-term memory. And that it might even give those that take it more pleasant dreams. Now what if I told you it was completely natural compound found in the seeds of a plant that grows in one of the poorest regions on earth? You'd at this point probably be wondering if the person writing this had all his marbles in order, indeed he might even be writing this on a government sponsored PC in a mental health clinic right now. I can assure you I am not mental, neither do I have learning difficulties and I haven't even taken any illegal drugs either.

Hopefully you may have already heard of this wonder nutrient but for those who haven't I'm not surprised. Lobbyists up and down the country in the US have done a very good job on behalf their pharmaceutical over-lords at stamping out knowledge of its existence. Why? Because it's hard to patent a compound that nature already makes better than we can. And when you've already spent billions of dollars developing a product, human pride and economics can and do exert massive force pertaining to the objective.

So what is it? Its called 5-Hydroxytryptophan or 5 HTP for short.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is a chemical that the body makes from tryptophan (an essential amino acid, which is obtained through food). The body then converts tryptophan into 5-htp and then into serotonin.

Although eating foods which contain tryptophan can raise 5-HTP levels slightly it is not enough to make any real impact if someone has low levels of serotonin. Supplement makers use 5-HTP derived from the seeds of the Griffonia Simplicifolia plant, a completely natural source. It is the intermediate step between tryptophan this very important brain chemical serotonin. So the body needs little more than to convert it straight into serotonin. This makes the body's job much easier and the overall conversion process is thought to be more efficient.

There is a lot of evidence that suggests that low serotonin levels are a common consequence of modern living. The list is endless as to why people experience lows at some point in their lives, couple that with any additional stresses that our fast moving life likes to throw at us and you have a good recipe for low serotonin levels. As a result, many people crave sugar, are overweight, get headaches frequently, experience bouts of depression, and have vague muscle aches and pain.