When laboratory animals are treated to 5-HTP, it uniformly produces a suppression of eating behavior. Researchers have found, for example, that administration of 5-HTP reduced food intake both in free-feeding rats and in hungry rats that had been deprived of food. In another study in laboratory rats, 5-HTP reduced food intake by nearly 70%.

The primary effect of 5-HTP and other serotonin-enhancing agents is to decrease the carbohydrate cravings.

The effectiveness of 5-HTP in reducing food intake along with its relative lack of serious side effects has led researchers to conclude that it may be safely used to treat obesity.

5-HTP is not a drug. It is a natural, bio-identical chemical.

5-HTP is converted to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Both 5-HTP and serotonin are substances your body makes for itself.

Dose: 300-400 mg per day (100 mg. three or four times a day) is the dose of 5-HTP that has most often been reported in the scientific literature and prescribed by physicians. Consider this a recommended starting dose. Effective dose may vary considerably from one person to another. In one study, 900 mg. a day (300 mg three times per day) was found to be the most effective dose for appetite suppression. The fact that this dose of 5-HTP was used without significant side effects can be taken as an indication of the general safety of this substance.

Start with a low dose (300 mg.) and work up gradually. If the lower dose delivers the desired therapeutic effect, you needn’t go higher.

Always be alert for adverse effects. If a given dose makes you feel physically or mentally uncomfortable, simply reduce the dose and the adverse effects will disappear.