By Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD
What is 5-HTP?
5-HTP is a compound believed to help increase serotonin levels in the body. This may be beneficial for several conditions, including migraine, depression, insomnia, and more.
5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that your body naturally produces. Your body uses it to produce serotonin, a chemical messenger that sends signals between your nerve cells.
Low serotonin levels are associated with health conditions like depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders, among others. Therefore, increasing your body’s production of serotonin may have various benefits.
For this reason, serotonin-producing 5-HTP supplements have become increasingly popular.
Here are 5 potential health benefits of 5-HTP, based on science.
1. May aid weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness
5-HTP may increase feelings of fullness, which could reduce your appetite and help you manage your weight.
Weight loss could increase the production of hormones that make you feel hungry. These feelings of constant hunger can make losing weight unsustainable in the long term.
According to a 2006 study, 5-HTP may counteract these hunger-inducing hormones, working to suppress appetite and help you lose weight.
In another older study, 20 people with diabetes were randomly assigned to receive either 5-HTP or a placebo for 2 weeks. The results showed that those who received 5-HTP consumed approximately 421 fewer calories per day, compared to the placebo group.
A 2023 study also found that taking 100 milligrams (mg) of 5-HTP daily for 8 weeks helped reduce fat mass, even if total daily calories hadn’t changed.
2. May help with depression by increasing serotonin levels
The exact cause of depression is largely unknown, but some researchersTrusted Source believe that a serotonin imbalance may influence your mood in a way that leads to depression.
However, keep in mind that other studies have turned up conflicting findings on the relationship between low serotonin levels and depression. Still, 5-HTP supplements are thought to help manage depression by increasing serotonin levels.
For instance, a 2017 study in 15 females found that combining 5-HTP with creatine improved symptoms of depression after 8 weeks.
Another small 2020 study in people with Parkinson’s disease concluded that 5-HTP could help improve symptoms of depression compared to a placebo.
3. Could improve symptoms of fibromyalgia
Supplementing with 5-HTP may improve symptoms of fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by muscle and joint pain, as well as extreme tiredness and brain fog, also known as “fibro fog.”
There’s currently no known cause of fibromyalgia, but low serotonin levels have been associated with the condition. This has led researchers to believe that increasing serotonin levels may benefit people with fibromyalgia.
Indeed, early evidence suggests that 5-HTP may improve symptoms of fibromyalgia, including muscle pain, sleep problems, anxiety, and fatigue. However, not enough research has been conducted to draw any clear conclusions about the effectiveness of 5-HTP at improving fibromyalgia symptoms.
