When faced with Life’s Nagging Vicissitudes…
In life, we are often faced with challenging situations that leave us feeling quite drained, and out-of-sync with ourselves and our surroundings. These universal miseries, which can range from trying socioeconomic conditions impinging on the growth & progress-prospects of individuals, to the more immediate losses of health, wealth or life experienced on a personal level, may be more astutely thought of as being some of the overt existential predicaments that have characterized the human evolutionary project ever since it first arose into existence. Since we live in a world endemically faced with a rampant scarcity of resources, the natural competitive drive that spontaneously results in individuals leads to them competing tooth-&-nail for the same provisions desired (out of necessity, and by way of the survival instinct) by someone else – and it is from this practicably-discernible principle that the entire macroeconomic ‘problem’ of the haves and the have not’s springs up, and festers much of the societal disharmony/inequity that we all then intimately experience (and thereby accrue much consequent angst from). Since no individual lives in isolation from the community, it is quite natural for the group’s dynamics to affect him/her in both positive and negative ways – depending on the strategic orientation set-up by the society inhabited. Fortunately, and as a means to alleviate some of this continuous stress from exacting too much of its toll onto our persons, many organic healthy supplements, such as 5-HTP, are now available in affordable, over-the-counter preparations for people to consume at their leisure – particularly when they should be made to feel that life has become just a little too hard to bear.
Explaining 5-HTP – the ‘Feel Good’ Miracle that’s already there!
5-HTP (or 5-Hyroxytryptophan) is the natural precursor to the essential neurotransmitter Serotonin, which in addition to relaying electrical nerve impulses across synapses, is also responsible for generating a state of happiness and pleasurable contentment within the body/psyche. It also has a crucial role in the production of melatonin – one of the end-products of serotonin synthesis, and vital to the body’s circadian-rhythm. Low blood levels of serotonin have been found to correspond directly with elevated indicators of depression, anxiety and other forms of psychological stress. When the serotonin system is functioning optimally within the body, an individual’s natural mood, sleep, satiety, sex, and cardiovascular drives (among many other important bodily processes) are said to be working properly.
Although tryptophan and its derivative compounds can be derived from foods such as cheeses and other dairy products, their rate of assimilation within the body (and relative bioavailability) is little – which means that under normal conditions, the human body is left to fend off for itself with the 5-HTP reserves that it already possesses. In certain disease conditions, through the normal aging mechanism, and during circumstances of high stress, this existing supply can oftentimes prove to be inadequate in meeting the body’s required supply of serotonin. In such cases, making timely use of 5-HTP health supplements can prove to be quite beneficial, and may even result in curbing the further progression of the afflicting disease states. A few research trials investigating the positive influence of the said health agent on psychiatric-ward confined suicide attempters have categorically demonstrated the significant potential of 5-HTP supplementation (and in turn high serotonin levels) on clinically depressed patients – who reported better long-term behavioral management than patients administered with placebos.
Inducing a Good Night’s Sleep
Since 5-HTP fuels the biochemical pathway that leads to the production of melatonin (as stated above), it therefore has a natural role in regulating the body’s circadian rhythm – which is the sleep cycle that we all have inherited from our ancestors by way of the evolutionary process. The circadian rhythm is speculated by researchers to revolve around the timings of the sun – with sunlight providing the natural stimulus for the promotion or cessation of the melatonin-production mechanism. It is melatonin which, in addition to providing a host of strong antioxidant and neuro-protective defenses for the brain and the heart, causes a person to go to sleep. Any form of incident light rays, particularly blue light, falling on the said individual causes him/her to wake up, and forces the body to lessen its indigenous melatonin production. Many insomniacs, consistently plagued by the rigors of modern life and its associated issues, have successfully used 5-HTP health supplements to lure some much-needed sleep-time back into their hectic schedules. Deemed superior to pharmaceutical alternatives like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) by many naturopaths and holistic health experts, 5-HTP can do wonders in addressing the full spectrum of serotonin-deficiency linked psychological conditions – and without any debilitating side effects. By way of caution, it is very important, however, not to exceed the dosage recommendations of 5-HTP written on product packages or physician prescriptions. Cases of serotonin toxicity, though rare, have nevertheless been documented in medical journals, and may even prove to be fatal.
Choosing the Best Brand for the Buck
Although there are many nutrition brands in the country that are marketing an entire range of differently-priced 5-HTP and Tryptophan products, not many of them meet the stringent quality requirements of health regulatory institutions like the FDA. A few supplements brands, when tested for the purity of their products’ ingredients, have even been penalized and barred from furthering their manufacturing activities due to visible traces of arsenic and lead contamination found within their allegedly ‘health promoting’ wares. Luckily, there do exist a few certified brands like Vitamin World in the country, whose 5-HTP (and many other) products not only satisfy all set regulatory safety standards, but are backed up by an enormous bulk of raving customer testimonials (as evidenced on the company’s website – that also offers instant online purchasing and shipping services, along with a host of exclusive discount offers not available in some physical retail outlets).
