5-HTP is a safe precursor to serotonin, the “happy neurotransmitter”, which may improve and uplift your mood. At night time, serotonin itself undergoes further conversion in order to produce melatonin, which will help you fall asleep. Therefore, I will take 5-HTP during the day, if I am trying to lift my mood or at night to promote sleep. A small carbohydrate meal will promote serotonin synthesis.Did you know that special cells within our gut lining produce 90% of our total body serotonin? You also need to know that serotonin is responsible for bone health and bowel motility. Study:If you would like to know more, you can read this Pubmed article on the link between serotonin and mood. From that study: ” Synchronizing circadian (24 h) rhythms in physiology and behaviour with the environmental light-dark cycle is critical for maintaining optimal health. Dysregulation of the circadian system increases susceptibility to numerous pathological conditions including major depressive disorder. Stress is a common etiological factor in the development of depression and the circadian system is highly interconnected to stress-sensitive neurotransmitter systems such as the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system.Thus, here we propose that stress-induced perturbation of the 5-HT system disrupts circadian processes and increases susceptibility to depression. In this review, we first provide an overview of the basic components of the circadian system. Next, we discuss evidence that circadian dysfunction is associated with changes in mood in humans and rodent models. Finally, we provide evidence that 5-HT is a critical factor linking dysregulation of the circadian system and mood. Determining how these two systems interact may provide novel therapeutic targets for depression.
