Introducing our favourite supplement (one of them) at Byron Compounding Chemist…
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
5-htp is in essence your happiness neurochemical precursor, (meaning it is converted in our bodies to another chemical, serotonin produced in the brain. We produce 5htp in our bodies from tryptophan (an amino acid) sourced from our diet. Foods such as eggs, cheese, nuts, tofu, oats, turkey, salmon are useful for boosting serotonin levels.
SEROTONIN
Serotonin, which is responsible for keeping us balanced in a mood sense, motivated, calm and resilient. This then is further converted to melatonin (which is our body clock hormone .. it tells us when we should sleep /day and night cycles ). That partly explains why when a person does not produce enough serotonin, they may have poor sleep patterns. waking early hours of the morning as their melatonin stores are deplete.
HOW DO ANTIDEPRESSANTS WORK?
Antidepressant medicines work to keep higher levels of serotonin (and other neurochemicals) circulating in the body for us to use, thus maintaining a balanced mood.
DO I NEED A PRESCRIPTION FOR 5HTP?
5-htp is available from Byron Compounding Chemist, no need for a prescription from your Doctor. We compound this in customised strengths depending on your requirements.
WHAT WOULD I NEED 5HTP FOR?
We often recommend 5-htp to help with PMS, poor sleep and mild mood changes as a result of hormonal fluctuations throughout the month.
Chat to our Pharmacists and your Doctor to check whether this might be a useful supplement for you.