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Mood Change Library
  • 5-HTP: Efficacy for Depression, Anxiety & Insomnia

    5-HTP: Efficacy for Depression, Anxiety & Insomnia

    5-HTP might be as effective for depression as Prozac, but the evidence of efficacy is unclear for both the supplement and the antidepressant pharmaceuticals. It’s possible 5-HTP might help some people with either insomnia or anxiety. But the evidence is less clear. . . . Continue reading →

  • Low Tryptophan = Low Serotonin. Does Low Serotonin = Depression?

    Low Tryptophan = Low Serotonin. Does Low Serotonin = Depression?

    There’s a major controversy over whether or not depression is caused by low tryptophan and it’s consequence—low serotonin. Some researchers assert that there’s no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin. What does the science say about the causes of depression . . . Continue reading →

  • Tryptophan for Sleep: Not as Simple as Popping a Pill

    Tryptophan for Sleep: Not as Simple as Popping a Pill

    Without tryptophan there would be no melatonin, the backbone of the biology of sleep. But tryptophan’s role in sleep might be more about how it is affected by things like diet, light exposure and gut health than it is about the tryptophan itself. Continue reading →

  • Tryptophan: Interactions with Drugs & Supplements

    Tryptophan: Interactions with Drugs & Supplements

    Tryptophan can interact with drugs and supplements that cause sedation, increasing the sedative effect. Taking tryptophan with any of these drugs, substances or supplements might cause excessive sleepiness and negatively impact the ability to drive or operate heavy machinery. Continue reading →

  • How Safe are Tryptophan Supplements?

    How Safe are Tryptophan Supplements?

    People have been taking tryptophan in supplements for over five decades with just occasional modest, short-lived side-effects. Tryptophan is not addictive and does not appear to cause tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, or rebound insomnia like sleep drugs. When used short-term, it’s likely a safer alternative to pharmaceutical sleep aids. Continue reading →

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