ADHD is a common disorder that affects children and can last long into adulthood. It is usually treated with psychostimulants but these can have pronounced effects on the brain. 5 HTP provides an alternative to conventional ADHD medication. Is it any good? Read on to find out. Learn more here: http://www.progressivehealth.com/using-5-htp-for-adhd.htm

1. ProgressiveHealth.com
5 HTP and ADHD

2. Information
5-HTP or 5-hydroxytryptophan is an amino acid found in nature.
Although it is rarely found in food crops, it is still found in the plant
kingdom. Most of the 5 HTP used in the dietary supplement industry
is extracted from the seeds of an African plant, Griffonia simplicifolia.
As an over-the-counter dietary supplement, 5 HTP is used to treat a
number of medical conditions caused by low levels of serotonin in the
brain.
This amino acid is normally synthesized in the body as the immediate
precursor of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter in the central
nervous system. 5 HTP is made from L-tryptophan, an aromatic and
essential amino acid.
Chemistry Nature Food
5 HTP and ADHD
What is 5 HTP?
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Industry

3. 5 HTP and ADHD
What is 5 HTP?
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In the synthesis
of serotonin, the
conversion of tryptophan to 5
HTP is the rate-limiting step.
This means that the rate of
synthesis of the
neurotransmitter is
determined by the
production of 5 HTP.
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To improve the efficiency of
serotonin synthesis, 5 HTP
supplements are directly
taken to bypass the need for
tryptophan.
5 HTP is readily taken up
into the central nervous
system through the blood-
brain barrier.
It is then converted to
serotonin in a single
reaction catalyzed by the
enzyme, 5 HTP
decarboxylase and vitamin
B6.

4. 5 HTP and ADHD
What is 5 HTP?
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Therefore, 5 HTP supplements are the
best means of increasing serotonin
levels in the brain. Serotonin is responsible
for the regulation of sleep, appetite and
mood. It also contributes to learning and
memory. Since 5 HTP supplements
improve the synthesis of serotonin in the
brain, they are used to improve mood,
suppress appetite and promote sleep. This
means that 5 HTP supplements can help
treat depression, anxiety disorders,
obesity, insomnia and other sleep
disorders.
Other conditions for which 5 HTP supplements are helpful
include fibromyalgia and panic disorders.
There are other indications that 5 HTP may become
useful. For example, it can be used to manage the
symptoms of disorders which can be corrected by
improving serotonin levels.
5 HTP supplements are largely safe and
well tolerated. The most common side
effects of 5 HTP are gastrointestinal
disturbances including stomach pain,
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Although it is mostly used by adults, 5
HTP has also be found to be effective and
safe for children. Its use in children
should, however, be monitored and
discontinued at the earliest sign of serious
side effects.

5. 5 HTP and ADHD
What is ADHD?
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a developmental disorder with a
unique set of symptoms including inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. People
suffering from ADHD usually have a combination of these features.
ADHD is the most common psychiatry disorder in children. It affects 3 – 5% of children
and there are more reported cases in boys than in girls.
Up to half of the children diagnose with ADHD continue to live with the disorder well into
adulthood.
ADHD is controversial disorder which continues to generate a lot of attention. Because its
symptoms resembling some of other disorders, it is often misdiagnosed or overlooked
entirely.

6. 5 HTP and ADHD
What is ADHD?
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Diagnosing ADHD is a
delicate task especially in
borderline cases. Some
people only show some of
the symptoms of ADHD
and not enough to reach a
diagnosis.
In addition, when these
ADHD symptoms are
mild enough not to
impair work,
relationship etc. then
ADHD may not be
diagnosed.

7. 5 HTP and ADHD
What is ADHD?
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01 Language delay
02 Persistent bed wetting
03 Mood disorders
05 Obsessive-compulsive
disorders (OCD)
06 Bipolar disorder
07 Conduct disorder
04 Anxiety disorders 08 Borderline personality
disorder

8. 5 HTP and ADHD
What is ADHD?
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The two neurotransmitters most affected are
dopamine and serotonin. The ADHD gene
variants for these neurotransmitter pathways
affect transporters and receptors in the brain.
This means that compared to children who do not
have ADHD, the serotonin and dopamine system
in the brain of ADHD children light up differently.
A good support for this neurotransmitter
difference hypothesis is the low arousal theory.
Although the exact causes of ADHD remain
unknown, different studies have suggested that
genetics, diet, environmental toxins and social
background contributes to ADHD.
Of these factors, genetics is the strongest.
ADHD is often inheritable and it has been
estimated that as many as 75% of ADHD cases
are due to genetic inheritance.
For example, a single gene, the variant of
LPHN3, is known to be responsible for 7%
of ADHD cases. People with the ADHD-
promoting variant of this gene respond
well to stimulants.However, most cases of
ADHD are caused by the combination of
genes like LPHN3. These gene variants
often after the level and activities of certain
neurotransmitters in the brain.
Already, the low arousal theory has gained
strong support in the medical community
because it explains the results of brain scans in
ADHD patients, the calming effect stimulants
have at therapeutic dosage on ADHD patients
and the differences in neurotransmitter pathway
in ADHD patients.This theory explains that
hyperactivity is only a means of physical self-
stimulation in people with low arousal. When
ADHD patients are not properly stimulated by
external stimuli, they make up for it by
fidgeting, talking and walking around.

9. Information
The chief function of 5 HTP supplements is to increase serotonin levels in the brain.
There are 7 classes of serotonin receptors in the central nervous system and these are
numbered from 5 HT1 to 5 HT7. Serotonin and serotonin drugs usually bind to these
receptors to activate or inactivate the serotonin pathway. However, these serotonin
receptors are also responsible for regulating the release and activities of other
neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Therefore, given the central role of dopamine in the
presentation of ADHD, it follows that serotonin receptors can help regulate the
neurotransmitter in the brain.
In fact, there is clinical evidence for such interaction. Some of the genes (or their variants)
that have been shown to contribute ADHD include those that express serotonin receptors
(5 HT1B and 5 HT2A). In certain parts of the brain, increasing serotonin levels can
increase dopamine levels too through these serotonin receptors. Since the brain scans of
ADHD patients show low dopamine levels, this is a welcome outcome.
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Clinic
5 HTP and ADHD
How 5 HTP Supplementation Might Work for ADHD
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10. 5 HTP and ADHD
How 5 HTP Supplementation Might Work for ADHD
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5 HTP can improve the symptoms of
depression by increasing serotonin
levels. In fact, physicians prefer to treat
depression before ADHD, and increasing
serotonin levels achieves this purpose.
Yet another way in which 5
HTP supplementation can
help ADHD patients is by
increasing mood and
promoting learning and
memory.
A high proportion of ADHD patients also
suffer from mood disorders and depression.
In fact, in adult ADHD sufferers, depression
is the most common condition that occurs
along with this hyperactivity disorder.
Because 5 HTP (through serotonin) improves
mood, it acts like psychostimulants which have
a high success rate in the treatment of ADHD.
By stimulating ADHD patients, 5 HTP can
contribute to fulfilling the arousal need of these
hyperactive patients and so reduce any
compensatory signs of low arousal.
In fact, a study published in
the journal, Science, in 1999
suggests that he serotonin
pathway is involved in the
paradoxical calming effect
that psychostimulants have
on ADHD patients.
Lastly, children with ADHD
often have sleep issues.
Taking 5 HTP can also
improve this problem and
help them sleep better.

11. 5 HTP and ADHD
Taking 5 HTP for ADHD
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5 HTP should not be combined with
ADHD drugs that also affect
serotonin levels.
Furthermore, since there are
multiple components to the
progression of ADHD, not every
patient may benefit from 5 HTP
supplementation.
There is no standard dosage for 5
HTP in the management of ADHD.
However, it is best to start with low
doses, especially for children.
A low dose of 50 mg daily is
recommended to see if 5 HTP can
improve some of the symptoms of
ADHD. Subsequently, this dose or
its frequency of administration may
be increased following consultation
with your physician.

12. Thank You