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5-HTP--- who's tried it?

"WHAT THA FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DOING .. 1500MG OF HTP??? ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS!... YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO TAKE MORE THAN 75MG A DAY.."

75mgs wouldn't do shit for me. Studies have used ten times that amount for carb cravings and showed no problems:

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1998 Jul;22(7):648-654

"Effects of oral 5-hydroxy-tryptophan on energy intake and macronutrient selection in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients."

Cangiano C, Laviano A, Del Ben M, Preziosa I, Angelico F, Cascino A, Rossi-Fanelli F.

Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: In obese patients, brain serotonergic stimulation via orally administered 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP), the precursor of serotonin, causes decreased carbohydrate intake and weight loss. Since diabetes mellitus is associated with depressed brain serotonin, hyperphagia and carbohydrate craving, we hypothesized that in diabetic patients, orally administered 5-HTP stimulates brain serotonergic activity and thus normalizes eating behaviour. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether in diabetic patients: 1) predicted brain serotonin concentrations are depressed as a result of decreased availability of the precursor, tryptophan; and 2) oral 5-HTP is effective in reducing energy and carbohydrate intake. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 25 overweight non-insulin dependent diabetic outpatients were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, and randomized to receive either 5-HTP (750 mg/d) or placebo for two consecutive weeks, during which no dietary restriction was prescribed. Energy intake and eating behaviour, as expressed by macronutrient selection, were evaluated using a daily diet diary. Plasma amino acid concentrations and body weight, as well as serum glucose, insulin and glycosylated haemoglobin were assessed. RESULTS: 20 patients (nine from the 5-HTP group and 11 from the Placebo group) completed the study. Brain tryptophan availability in diabetic patients was significantly reduced when compared to a group of healthy controls. Patients receiving 5-HTP significantly decreased their daily energy intake, by reducing carbohydrate and fat intake, and reduced their body weight. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the role of the serotonergic system in reducing energy intake, by predominantly inhibiting carbohydrate intake, and suggest that 5-HTP may be safely utilized to improve the compliance to dietary prescriptions in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Am J Clin Nutr 1992 Nov;56(5):863-867

"Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan."

Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, Del Ben M, Laviano A, Muscaritoli M, Antonucci F, Rossi-Fanelli F.

3rd Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Italy.

Previous observations have shown that oral administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) without dietary prescriptions causes anorexia, decreased food intake, and weight loss in obese subjects. To confirm these data over a longer period of observation and to verify whether adherence to dietary restriction could be improved by 5-HTP, 20 obese patients were randomly assigned to receive either 5-HTP (900 mg/d) or a placebo. The study was double-blinded and was for two consecutive 6-wk periods. No diet was prescribed during the first period, a 5040-kJ/d diet was recommended for the second. Significant weight loss was observed in 5-HTP-treated patients during both periods. A reduction in carbohydrate intake and a consistent presence of early satiety were also found. These findings together with the good tolerance observed suggest that 5-HTP may be safely used to treat obesity.
 
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Hey, Cockdezl you motherfucking son of a bitch!!, READ THIS BITCH!!!..... LOL, just messin bro. Shit man, i get a lot of my info from t-mag. That's where i got tha htp info from....an article from Brock Strasser himself..... this is what he had to say about 5-HTP...

Hope it helps... love ya tootsie pops! PEaCe....


5-HTP
The Best Carb "Suppressant" Around
by Brock Strasser




Sometimes articles in bodybuilding magazines are a lot like sex. Okay, maybe not a lot, but just go with the analogy, okay? Sometimes you just want the info quick and dirty, the journalistic equivalent of a "nooner." Wham-bam thank you T-mag. Other times it's fun to get into the nitty-gritty details and take it a little slower. In the following article we'll give you both options.

If you just want a quickie, i.e., you want to know a little about 5-HTP, what it does and how much to take, then just read the first part. On the other hand, if you want all the details, then put on some soft music and read the second part. Either way, you're sure to learn something.


The Quickie Version

5-HTP (5-hydroxy L-tryptophan) is one heck of an appetite suppressant. Scratch that. In my opinion, it's one heck of a carb suppressant. Use this stuff, and your cravings for donuts will take the A train out of town. It's ideal for those on a high protein, low-carb diet.

Just take 12.5-25 mg one-half hour before meals and your carb drive goes limp. There's just one thing, though. Because of the potent effect 5-HTP has on the brain, don't exceed a total of about 75 milligrams per day. So you can take 25 mg with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or you could take 12.5 mg before six smaller meals throughout the day. It's up to you, as long as you don't go over 75 mg a day.

Also, make sure you're getting enough vitamin B6 when you're using it. Which if you're like most of us and take a multi-vitamin pill or drink several vitamin-loaded MRPs a day, you should be getting plenty of B6 already. All I'm talking about here is 10 mg a day.

Ahhh, nothing like a little quickie! Say, you got a Wet Nap or something?


The Nitty-Gritty Version

When it comes to diet, I'm usually "master of my domain." It isn't often that I get cravings, but when I do, it's invariably for those foods that rank pretty much at the bottom of the list of the bodybuilding food chain. In case you need further introduction, these insidious foods include potato chips, Cheetohs, Eggo waffles, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, donuts, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and all those other things that make up the pantry of the average American slob.

God I miss 'em.

Regardless, every once in a while, I hear their siren call. Occasionally, in a weak moment, maybe after watching "My Dog Skip" for the twentieth time, I'll succumb and jam some of those aforementioned babies down my pie hole.

The effect on my physique can best be described as a "blurring of the lines." What was a sharply defined physique only a day before gets fuzzy, as if I were looking at it through some presbyopic guy's glasses.

Fortunately, I've found a compound that's a potent carb-craving killer. It's called 5-HTP, and damn if I don't love the stuff.

A few hits a day, and I can even look at a life-size, anatomically correct model of Pamela Lee, constructed entirely out of sponge cake, and the thought of diving in and eating it up doesn't even cross my mind.


How does it Work?

5-HTP works by manipulating serotonin, a neurochemical critical to a wide variety of brain functions. Serotonin, in turn, is made in the body from 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, which is simply a modified amino acid obtained from plant sources.

Without adequate levels of serotonin, you'd probably suffer from depression, sleep disorders, addiction, and obesity. However, for the purposes of this article, we're primarily concerned with how serotonin affects appetite.

Studies have shown that there's often a direct association between obesity (due to overeating) and decreased brain serotonin levels. Without adequate levels of serotonin, the brain perceives that the body is starving and turns on the hunger mode. Obese people who suffer from low levels feel chemically compelled to eat more and more. Once they ingest carbohydrates and various sugars in general, they experience a temporary increase in serotonin levels.

That's why some people are willing to eat an excess of junk food that's entirely lacking in protein.

That's also why drugs like the now banned Redux (dexfenfluramine), which increased serotonin production, were successfully used as an appetite suppressant in the treatment of common obesity. Once serotonin levels retained to normal levels, the food-jones disapeared.

Other "addictive" substances raise serotonin levels, too. Examples include alcohol, tobacco, certain narcotics, and caffeine. Obviously, I'm not suggesting that you add these things to your fat-fighting arsenal — it's just an interesting point.

Conversely, serotonin levels drop during periods of stress. The stress generally causes an increase in cortisol levels, which reduce levels of serotonin. This is probably why some people eat to "make their problems go away."

Interestingly, during clinical trials in obese subjects, the intake of 5-HTP caused a voluntary decrease of the intake of both carbs and fats, but not of protein. Very cool, huh? That means that it exhibits sort of a selective appetite suppression, which is just the thing for athletes.

That also means that 5-HTP should also help people adhere to a low-calorie/high-protein diet — like any one of the ketogenic diets floating around.


The Particulars

Individuals who are already under medical treatment and are using drugs which alter serotonin metabolism shouldn't take 5-HTP, unless your Doctor recommends it. Anti-depressants and L-dopa are examples of drugs that shouldn't be taken at the same times as 5-HTP.

As a nutritional supplement, most individuals can safely use 5-HTP at a dosage of up to about 75 milligrams a day. Users can take that in divided doses, or take it all at once before a meal. While much higher doses have been used in very specific circumstances, definitely don't use more than 75 milligrams per day. You don't need it. 5-HTP is very powerful and a little bit goes a long way.

If you decide to use 5-HTP, it's a good idea to make sure your diet contains adequate amounts of Vitamin B6, which most of you already get. This particular vitamin aids in the body's conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin. It also helps prevent the accumulation of tryptophan metabolites and delays (somewhat) the rise in 5-HTP-induced rises in serotonin. No additional B6 is needed beyond that obtained in a typical B vitamin (you don't need more than 10 milligrams per day).

Adequate protein intake is also important if you want to give 5-HTP a spin. Quite obviously, if you're knocking out most of the carbs from your diet, you want to at least partially replace the calories with protein to keep you from losing muscle.

One last point: whatever you do, don't drink alcohol within 6 hours of using 5-HTP. Alcohol greatly affects the metabolism of 5-HTP, so you'll not only be loopy, you'll regain your carb yearnings and wake up in a mountain of Twinkie wrappers.


Summary

5-HTP could easily be the best appetite carb "suppressant" on the market. (It also seems to have therapeutic potential as an anti-depressant.) So if you want to kill those carb craving, follow the guidelines above and give 5-HTP a shot.

And, as you might have guessed, Biotest is probably going to be adding the compound to its thermogenic product, MD6. Of course, if you don't use thermogenics and just want some help in controlling your carb cravings, 5-HTP is the way to go.


References

Adams WK Keirer SW and Badia-Elder N. Tryptophan deficiency and alcohol consumption in rats as a model for disadvantaged human populations; a preliminary study. Medical Anthropology. 16(2):175-91 (1995).

Benkelfat C. Ellenbogen MA and others. Mood-lowering effect of tryptophan depletion. Enhanced susceptibility in young men at genetic risk for major affective disorders. Arch. Gen Psych.. 51(9)687-97 (1994).

Cangiano C, Ceci, F, Cascino A and others. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Amer. Clin Nutr.. 56:863-7 (1992).

Delgado PL, Price LU and others. Serotonin and the biology of depression. Effects of tryptophan depletion in drug-free depressed patients. Arch. Gen. Psych.. 51(11)865- 74(1994).

Haleem JD, Yasmeen A and others. 24h withdrawal following repeated administration of caffeine attenuates brain serotonin but not tryptophan in rat brain; implications for caffeine-induced depression. Life Sciences. 57(19):PL285-92 (1995).

Kramer PD, Listening to Prozac, Viking Press, New York, NY (1993)

Leonard BE. Serotonin receptors and their function in sleep, anxiety disorders and depression. [Review. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics. 65(2)66-75 (1996).

Mckinney B and Crawford MA. Fibrosis in guinea pig hearts produced by plantain diet. Lancet. 2:880-2 (1965).

McKinney B. Studies on the experimental production of endomyocardial fibrosis and cardiomegaly of unknown origin by dietary means. American Heart Journal. 90(2)206-14 (1975).

Menkes BB, Coates DC and Fawcett JP. Acute tryptophan depletion aggravates premenstrual syndrome. Journal of Affective Disorders. 32(1 ):37-44(1994).

Ouichou A, Zitouni M and others. Delta-sleep-inducing peptide stimulates melotonin, 5-methorytryptophol and serotonin secretion from perifused rat pineal glands. Biol. Signals. 1(2)65-77 (1992).

Poldinger W, Calanchini B and Schwartz W. A Functional -Dimensional Approach to Depression: Serotonin deficiency as a Target Syndrome in a Comparison of 5- Hydroxytryptophan and Fluvoxamine. Psychpathology. 24:53-81(1991)

Ratnavel RC, Burrows NP and Pye RJ. Scleroderma and the Carcinoid Syndrome. Clin. Exp. Derm..19:83-5 (1994).

Ryan ND, Birmaher B. and others, Neuroendocrine Response to L-5- Hydroxytryptophan Challenge in Prepupertal Major Depression. Arch, Gen. Psych. 49(11)1:843-51(1992).

Sezi CL. Effects of protein deficient cassava diet on Cercopithecus Aethiops hearts and its possible role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of endomyocardial fibrosis in man. East African Med. J.. 73(5Suppl.):S11-16 (1996).

Shea-Moore MM, Thomas DP and Mench JA. Decreases in aggression in tryptophan-supplemented broiler breeder males are not due to increases in blood niacin levels. Poultry Science. 75(3)370-4. (1996).

Stachow A and others. 5-Hydroxytryptarnine and tryptomine pathways in scleroderma. Brit. J. Derm. 97:147-155 (1997).

Sternberg, EM, Van Woert MH, and others. Development of scleroderma-like illness during therapy with 5-hydroxytryptophan and carbadopa. New England Journal of Medicine. 303:782-7(1980)

Stokes PE. The potential role of excessive cortisol induced by HPA hyperfunction in the pathogenesis of depression. [Review]. European Neuropsychopharmacology. 5 Suppl.:77-82 (1995).

Van Woert MH, Rosenbaum D and others. Long-term therapy of monoclonus and other neurological disorders with L-5-hydroxytryptophan and carbadopa. N. Engl. J. Med.. 296:70-75 (1977).

Wurtman RJ and Wurtman JJ. Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving obesity and depression. (Review. Obesity Research. 3 Suppl. 4:4775-4805 (1995).
 
Tryptophan, the Growth Hormone stimulator

Take it on an empty stomach, oral tryptophan is a potent growth hormone releaser. A dose of 5-10 grams will cause a large rise in serum growth hormone, even when taken during the day. Daytime use is not advisable though, unless you take it an hour before you plan to nap. Tryptophan has sedative action....

It helps put you to sleep, and also increases the release of growth hormone.

To get enough tryptophan into the brain to raise serotonin levels and increase growth hormone release, you have to take it in the absence of any other large neutral amino acid.
 
CRUMCAKE, I read that article by Strasser, and I disagree with him on two points:

1. the dose. Like I said, 75 mg seems too low, and

2. his suggestion of using B6 with it is not wise. B6 is a cofactor for decarboxylase enzymes. 5-HTP gets de-carboxylated into serotonin in the brain, unfortunately there is alot of decarboxylase in the peripheral tissues which will turn 5-HTP into serotonin where we don't want it. This is a problem with L-dopa, and the pharmaceutical companies have remedied this, by adding a decarboxylase inhibitor, such as carbidopa or benzeridine, to their formula.

If someone could make a 5-HTP formula with a decarboxylase inhibitor, then I think we would have a pretty potent formula.
 
Good points bro, Tha only thing is .. that i guess it also varies from one individual to another.

Cheetos are my kryptonite .. .. donuts, pizza, cupcakes..whatever..those i can handle without giving into eating them... But Cheetos..man i might even choose those pesky cheesy orange fuzzy midget dicks over some snatch.

Anyways my point is when on 50mg of Htp , FOR ME, totally annihalates ALL cravings of carbs and junk foods... even Cheetos.

Fuck you CHESTER...I'm finally going to conquer you...bitch.


peace.
 
down under we only take 5HTP after a night out on the recreational drugs! it's meant to restore your serotonin levels and helps you get back to normal quicker! so i feel any way!

cheers
 
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