5-HTP
by Julia Ross, M.A.
Editors note: We should preface this information on 5-HTP by suggesting that you either read Julia Ross’ book The Mood
Cure or consult with your health care practitioner if you have serious mood problems. The following is excerpted from an
article in Vol. 24 No. 2 of totalhealth and can be accessed in its entirety at totalhealthmagazine.com
It is clear that our moods are deteriorating
at unprecedented rates. What is not clear
is why. What is this tidal wave of emotional
malaise all about? Are our lives so
much more unhappy than they were 100
years ago or even 10 years ago? It is true that
we are facing some unprecedented adversity
in the 21st century. Even if it is the high pressure
or the absence of family support or the
terrorist threat, for example, why are we now
so unresponsive to traditionally reliable remedies
like long vacations, psychotherapy and
spiritual counsel? Why are we forced to turn
more and more to medication for solace?
I propose that much of our increasing
emotional distress stems from easily correctable
malfunctions in our brain and body
chemistry—malfunctions that are primarily
the result of critical, unmet nutritional needs.
Fortunately, the emotional tune-up that we
need so badly now is readily available. In fact,
the repair tools we need for this crucial effort
are shockingly simple. They are specific foods
and nutrient supplements, particularly amino
acid supplements, that are so exactly what the
brain needs that they can begin to correct emotional
malfunctions in just 24 hours.
For instance, the four emotion generators
in your brain are called “neurotransmitters.”
Some of their specific names will probably be
familiar to you: serotonin, catecholamines,
GABA and endorphins. Each of these four
neurotransmitters has a distinctly different
effect on your mood, depending largely on
the supply of its particular amino acid fuel
available.
A well stocked brain produces true emotions.
Depending on your life circumstances,
you will generally feel emotionally positive, if
your key neurotransmitter levels are high.
A poorly stocked brain produces false
moods. If you drop too low in any of the key
neurotransmitters, you will tend to develop a
specific set of defective moods as a result. If
you are high in serotonin, you are positive,
confident, flexible and easygoing. If you are
sinking in serotonin, you will tend to become
negative, obsessive, worried, irritable and
sleepless.
No matter what the cause of your drop in
serotonin, it does not mean that you are
doomed to languish in this particular mood
pit for the rest of your life. Even the saggiest
serotonin levels can be quickly elevated,
allowing you to experience the full range of
emotion that nature intended for you.
The 24-Hour 5-HTP Transformation
The inexpensive nutrient supplement 5-HTP,
made from an African bean, is the almost
instant solution to most low-serotonin problems.
It can be found in every health food
store and many pharmacies in America.
Numerous studies also attest to 5-HTPs
remarkable safety and effectiveness, even
when compared to prescription antidepressants.
My staff and I have been amazed at how
quickly 5-HTP can lift the spirits of clients
who had been depressed for so long that they
had forgotten what it was like to be cheerful
and optimistic. Within a day or two after
starting their 5-HTP, they typically report
that their feelings of anxiety and negativity
have evaporated, that their sleep has
improved and that their self-esteem has been
restored. TH
Information from this article is from The
Mood Cure by Julia Ross, M.A. Copyright
©Julia Ross, 2002. Reprinted by arrangement
with Viking Penguin, a member of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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