Full profile
| Also known as | 5-Hydroxytryptophan, Griffonia simplicifolia extract |
|---|---|
| Best for | Mood-balance support (conservative) · Evening or sleep support · Fibromyalgia-related discomfort (conservative) |
| Evidence grade | Grade C — Limited — early or small human trials |
| Studied dose range | 100–300 mg/day typical (Health Canada: mood 150–300 mg/day; sleep 100–200 mg/day; maximum 300 mg per single dose). Start low and titrate over ~2 weeks to limit nausea. |
| Time to effect | Roughly 2 weeks for mood; sleep effects can appear sooner. |
| Best form | Standardized Griffonia simplicifolia seed extract; divided or enteric dosing reduces nausea. |
Evidence, honestly graded
Limited. 5-HTP crosses the blood-brain barrier without the transport competition tryptophan faces, and small double-blind trials suggest benefit for mood and for fibromyalgia symptoms (Caruso 1990), but the Cochrane review and a follow-up meta-analysis (Shaw 2001; Shaw 2002) judged the overall evidence insufficient to recommend routine use — the trials are small, old, and largely unreplicated at modern standards. Graded C, with a prominent drug-interaction caution.
See the full grading rubric — study type, replication, population match, and dose adequacy — in The Evidence Standard.
Side effects
- Nausea and GI discomfort (most common, dose-related)
- Drowsiness
- Headache
Who should avoid it or check first
- Taking antidepressants — an explicit Health Canada contraindication
- Scleroderma
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding without guidance
- On carbidopa without practitioner oversight
Interactions
- Serious serotonin-syndrome risk with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, triptans, tramadol, dextromethorphan, and other serotonergic agents — this caution must be prominent
- Caution with carbidopa; additive sedation with CNS depressants
Stacks well with
- Melatonin (evening slot)
Use caution stacking with
- Any antidepressant or serotonergic agent
- L-Tryptophan (redundant serotonergic precursor)
What to look for on a label
- Carry the mandatory "do not use if you are taking antidepressants" warning verbatim.
- 5-HTP has a dedicated Health Canada monograph with dose caps (max 300 mg/dose) and required serotonergic/scleroderma cautions — build the label from it.
References
- Shaw K, Turner J, Del Mar C (2001). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3):CD003198Signal favoring treatment; evidence insufficient to recommend routine use.
- Shaw K, Turner J, Del Mar C (2002). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(4):488–491Better than placebo, but low-quality evidence base.
- Caruso I, Sarzi Puttini P, Cazzola M, Azzolini V (1990). Journal of International Medical Research, 18(3):201–209Improved fibromyalgia symptoms versus placebo.
Grades and studied doses are our conservative reading of the human research, shown for education. They are not product claims, and a studied dose is not a recommended dose.
See how 5-HTP compares on grade, dose, and goal in the Evidence Explorer.
