5-HTP is a naturally derived supplement that supports healthy serotonin levels, promoting mood balance, restful sleep, and emotional well-being.
5-HTP: A Natural Boost For Brain Health
Updated Jul. 16th, 2026 | Read Time: 2 Minutes | What You Will Learn:
- What Is Serotonin?
- 5 HTP Health Benefits
- Mood Support
- 5 HTP & Melatonin For Sleep Support
- How Can I Take 5-HTP?
- Nutritional Information
- Reader Comments (6)
5-HTP is a precursor to the neurotransmitter hormones serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is a hormone that regulates mood, behaviour, appetite, dilation of blood vessels and many other body processes. Serotonin regulates appetite by singaling fullness. It also promotes feelings of happiness and well-being. Melatonin regulates the body's sleep/wake cycles. Optimal levels of melatonin allow us to have a restful and restorative sleep. 5-HTP often benefits those suffering from insomnia, jet lag, aging, frequent colds and flus, PMS, memory loss, arteriosclerosis, stroke, cognitive decline, headaches, migraines, obesity, fibromyalgia, stress, anxiety, and mood swings.
What Is Serotonin?
Deficiency of serotonin can lead to overeating and obesity. This also accounts for the fact that when we are under stress our appetite tends to change. Some people become deficient in serotonin and gain weight because they overeat. Others lose their appetite because their brain is reacting to high levels of serotonin released in response to the stressful time.
What Are The Health Benefits of 5 HTP?
Mood Support
Clinical trials compared 5-HTP with tricyclic antidepressants and Prozac for depression. 5-HTP matched or exceeded their effectiveness at commonly prescribed doses. Serotonin also decreases the diameter of blood vessels. 5-HTP may help relieve headaches and migraines linked to increased blood flow in the brain.
5 HTP & Melatonin For Sleep Support
Melatonin regluates sleep cycles and signals the release of growth and sex hormones during sleep. These hormones repair tissues and help maintain healthy hormone levels. Finally, melatonin is an antioxidant that protects tissue by neutralizing damaging free radicals. The body produces less melatonin with age. This decline may contribute to age-related diseases. Supplementing with 5-HTP may be a means to prevent this age-related decline by naturally boosting melatonin levels.
How Can I Take 5-HTP?
5-HTP is available as purified tablets or capsules and as herbal perparations made from Griffonia simplicifolia. Taking your supplement with a high-carbohydrate food or drink, like juice, will increase its absorption. Dosages range between 50 and 300mg daily. It is generally a good idea to start at the lower end of the dosage range and work to your required dosage.
I can't tell you enough about how much 5-HTP has helped me. After taking it only 2 weeks I slept better and woke up feeling much more rested. My mood improved after about 4 or 5 weeks. Seemed to work even better combined with B-6 as the article notes, but I was getting good results before, too.
That's great, Rusty! Glad to hear that you're getting such good results.
My naturopathic doctor recommended that I use 5-HTP twice a day to help me deal with my grief. Helped tremendously!!! Not crying all the time anymore. Sleeping better too.
I actually felt it slowly working, it goes straight to my head and begins this calming feeling similar to easing of tensions in my mind. I think a lot so I could feel the weight being taken off my mind. It gave me a break to a rest from my racing thoughts. Needs to be taken with water to avoid dehydration. Not a big deal. I take it night before bed otherwise I become too sleepy. I like how it comes with Tyrosine.
Hello Kaveh,
Thank you for sharing your experience with 5HTP. We're so glad to hear it has worked so well for you and calms your thoughts. We think you'll enjoy learning about L-Theanine too, check out this article: https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/theanine/
This article was really informative and really cool. I had no idea that these things could be supplemented instead of traditional medication of course if you need the medication I’m off for taking it but this is a really cool first step. If you wanna try it I personally didn’t know that you could add melatonin with other things so this was really interesting to see. It makes a lot of sense and as somebody who definitely has trouble sleeping, especially in the winter if you’re not getting enough sunlight, this is a really informative article. Thank you so much for sharing!