When to Take 5 HTP

Brief 5 HTP Intro: Every person is different and we all respond differently to different drugs and suppliments. There are times when it makes sense to take 5 HTP and times when it does not. Tryptophan must cross the blood brain barier to enter the brain. In doing so this tryptophan has to compete with other large neural amino acids.

Bad time to take 5 HTP: If you ate 5 htp while your stomach was full of protien the serotonin would have a hard time reaching your brain. Typically it is best to eat 5 htp on an empty stomach, or one with carbohydrates and a low amount of protien (amino acids) in it.

Cautions for taking mega doses of 5 HTP: Other parts of the body can use serotonin and if you took it in mega doses with lots of protien and vitamin B6 there is actually some thoughts that there is a slim chance of it causing cancer. In addition, having too much serotonin is just as bad as not having enough serotonin.

The best time to take 5 HTP: Your best bet for when to take 5 htp is when you have low amounts of protien and not at the exact time you take your B complex vitamins. If you used a large dose of B6 vitamins at the same time that you took 5 htp it could again cause all the serotonin to be used by other parts of the body (and not the brain).

Why do I get carbohydrate cravings? The reason some people get carbohydrate craving is that the body actually breaks down many of the large neural amino acids when we consume large quantities of carbohydrates. With a lower amount of large neural amino acids to compete with, more serotonin can enter the brain.

A cure for depression: Some people do not notice an effect when they take 5 htp. There are other natural alternative antidepressants such as St Johns Wort. No matter what you use it is just an aid to cure depression. The real cure will come when you find yourself doing something you really enjoy.