First, let me lead off with a warning — as with all supplements, use only lab-verified, absolutely 100% lab-tested 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan). Before 2000 there were documented cases of “contaminated” tryptophan (5-HTP and tryptophan themselves are not generally bad for you, just supplements used for many things).
Tryptophan is an amino acid found in turkey; people sometimes claim it’s what makes you sleepy during Thanksgiving, but it’s not — that’s just eating a lot. Tryptophan is part of what makes turkey healthy to eat, though.
5-Hydroxytryptophan is tryptophan targeted to cross the blood-brain barrier, as a lot of tryptophan is lost when taken just as a regular amino acid (L-Tryptophan).
Now, what’s it good for? You’ll like the first thing– it promotes a feeling of fullness so you might lose some weight (if you want). It helps with sleep, as well. It raises serotonin levels so it can help with depression. It can also help with migraines and fibromyalgia, as well as anxiety (though it can sometimes cause it, see below).
Now, possible side effects? Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and anxiety. But — you know, that’s like listing the possible side effects of aspirin. In other words, 5-HTP and tryptophan are both generally well tolerated.
However, one important note — if you are on an antidepressant, absolutely speak to your doctor before using 5-HTP (or even just regular tryptophan), as most antidepressants already affect serotonin levels, albeit in a different manner than 5-HTP.
You can find 5-HTP easily on Amazon.