5-HTP for Depression - Does It Work? Is It Safe?

Looking for something a little more natural to ease your symptoms of depression? Well, 5-HTP is a plant derived serotonin booster that many people swear eases the symptoms of depression and a host of other serotonin linked conditions.

It’s not without its drawbacks though. There’s a real lack of clinical data to prove that the supplement does what it’s supposed to do and there may be a risk of serious side effects. 5-HTP use has been linked to eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), which is a serious blood and muscle disorder.

Proponents of 5-HTP claim that early production methods introduced a contaminant into the supplements which caused some cases of EMS but that newer methods of production have resolved this issue.

However, because no clinical data exists to prove that 5-HTP is now safe and that the EMS problem has been resolved, experts groups like The National Institute of Health classify 5-HTP as possibly unsafe and do not endorse its use¹.

Is it right for you? Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of this natural ‘antidepressant’.

What Is 5-HTP?

5-HTP is the chemical your body requires to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Your body makes 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) from the tryptophan that you consume when you eat foods like potatoes, milk, turkey and many others. 5-HTP, in turn, is transformed in the body into the neurotransmitter serotonin, a chemical messenger which plays an important role in regulating mood, energy, emotion, food consumption and the experience of pain.

Why Do People Use 5-HTP Supplements?

Consuming 5-HTP supplements results in increased levels of 5-HTP in the body and this can result in more serotonin in the brain. You cannot really increase your 5-HTP levels beyond a very minimal amount by eating foods high in tryptophan but you can increase these levels through the consumption of 5-HTP supplements, which are typically made from the ground-up seeds of a plant called griffonia simplicifolia.²

Since serotonin levels play a role in conditions like depression, anxiety, obesity and fibrolmyalgia, 5-HTP supplements, which increase serotonin levels, are sometimes touted as a more natural treatment option than pharmaceutical drugs.

Effectiveness of 5-HTP as a Treatment for Depression

A quick internet search will bring forth thousands of anecdotal success stories on the use of 5-HTP for the treatment of conditions like depression and anxiety, but clinical experiments have yet to produce overwhelming evidence in support of their use.

A 2001 Cochran Review of existing research on the use of 5-HTP for depression found only 2 studies which met their quality standards for inclusion. Both of these studies compared the effectiveness of 5-HTP as a treatment for depression as compared to a placebo.

Both studies found that 5-HTP worked better than placebo to reduce symptoms of depression – working about as well as standard SSRI antidepressants.

The researchers concluded, however, that because only 2 very small studies demonstrated the supplement’s utility that further research is needed before 5-HTP can really be considered an effective treatment for depression.

Additionally, because 5-HTP is still possibly associated with the potentially fatal eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome and because there is a safe and effective alternative treatment for depression in SSRI antidepressants there is little reason to recommend the use of 5-HTP until more is known about its safely and effectiveness.³

The bottom line from the experts seems to be that though it probably works, there is a safe alternative in SSRIs and since not enough is yet known about the safety of 5-HTP, you’re probably better off avoiding it for now.

Side Effects and Risks

10 people taking 5-HTP supplements have contracted EMS, which is a potentially fatal muscle and blood disorder. No one has yet proven if the EMS is being caused by the 5-HTP, by a contaminant in certain 5-HTP supplements or by something else entirely.⁴ Due to this uncertainty, many experts do not recommend the use of 5-HTP.

If you use 5-HTP and also take another medication which increases serotonin levels in the brain you are at risk to develop serotonin syndrome, which is a dangerous condition that occurs when the brain is overloaded with serotonin. Do not use 5-HTP concurrently with other medications which increase serotonin levels, such as:

• Many antidepressants
• Tramadol
• Carbidopa
• Dextromethorphan (an ingredient in cough syrups)
• Demerol
• Triptans
• Many others – this is not a complete list and you should talk to your doctor to confirm your eligibility to use 5-HTP before using the supplement

At low to moderate doses other reported side effects tend to be mild. Possible side effects can include:

• Nausea
• Feelings of fullness
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Others