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| Ste |
nicked from gurn.net
"The reasons for the potential risks of 5-HT, were brought to our attention by Steven B. Harris,
M.D. Dr. Harris explained that: 5-hydroxytryptophan 5-HT is one step closer to serotonin than
tryptophan. The sequence is as follows: Tryptophan-- 5-hydroxytryptophan--- Serotonin
Based on the above metabolic sequence, it would appear desirable to use 5-HT instead of
tryptophan since 5-HT more readily, converts to serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is often deficient in the brains of depressed people. Boosting
serotonin can alleviate depression in some people and reduce carbohydrate cravings in others,
thus including weight loss.
Here's why 5-HT will not work for most Americans and could be lethal to some people: The
blood-brain barrier does not allow significant absorption of serotonin from the blood. The brain
does have a large neutral amino acid pump that freely allows tryptophan and 5-HT into the brain
for conversion into serotonin
The process by which 5-HT is converted into serotonin is called decarboxylation. If
decarboxylation occurs before 5-HT absorbed by the brain, then blood levels of serotonin will
elevate significantly, but very little serotonin will enter the brain.
When Europeans take 5-HT, they are often prescribed the dopa decarboxylase inhibitor
carbidopa that prevents 5-HT from being converted into serotonin until it reaches the brain.
Americans do not take carbidopa with 5-HT and the result is possible serotonin overload in the
blood, with virtually no serotonin reaching the brain. We will describe later the dangers of
overloading the blood with serotonin.
Americans taking 5-HT are more vulnerable to blood serotonin overload because, unlike most
Europeans are who are vitamin deficient, Americans who use 5-HT usually take large doses of
vitamin B6 as well. Vitamin B6 rapidly converts 5-HT into serotonin before it reaches the brain.
Even when combined with carbidopa, high levels of vitamin B6 will break through the carbidopa
barrier and insure that 5-HT converts into serotonin in the blood before the it can reach the brain.
The multiple health benefits of vitamin B6 are too important, we believe, to recommend that
people avoid taking vitamin B6 just to enable them to try using 5-HT to boost brain serotonin
levels. This may be difficult anyway without also taking carbidopa, which is only available in the
U.S. as a prescription drug.
At the very best, those who take vitamin B6 with 5-HT are probably wasting their money.
Unfortunately, high serotonin in the blood is not benign. Anyone suffering from heart disease
should avoid 5-HT because the elevation in blood serotonin could cause coronary artery spasm
and/or abnormal platelet aggregation, which are risk factors for sudden death heart attack.
Here is the real frightening aspect of serotonin overload, as described by Dr. Harris: "Serotonin
causes not only harmless flushing and diarrhea, but people with serotonin secreting tumors
(hindgut carcinoids) also have problems with fibrosis of the endocardium and valves of their
right hearts, which can cause heart failure The effect can also be seen with dietary intake of only
modest amounts of serotonin, and there has actually been described in the medical literature, a
tribe of South Sea islanders with right heart fibrosis as a result of eating green banana mush,
which poisons them with its serotonin content."
Dr. Harris goes on to state that people who ingest several hundred milligrams a day of 5-HT with
B6 and without a decarboxylase inhibitor would expect to see urinary excretion of a serotonin
metabolite in the same range as a person with a serotonin secreting tumor.
Based upon Dr. Harris' report, the Foundation had its analysts conduct an extensive review of the
medical literature and have come to the following preliminary conclusions:
1. For 5-HT to boost serotonin levels in the brain it is necessary to:
a) Take 50 mg of carbidopa before each 5-HT dose. Carbidopa is a prescription drug.
b) Limit vitamin B6 supplementation to a small dose taken at least before or after
5-HT/carbidopa dosing.
c) Have a urinary test to metabolite of serotonin called 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid
5-HIAA) regular basis. As long as 5HIAA levels are normal, than 5-HT intake would
be safe.
2. Those with existing cardiovascular disease, including arterial fibrillation, coronary artery
disease, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease or pulmonary
hypertension want to avoid 5-HT completely. One Foundation analyst felt that 81 mg of
aspirin and 500 mg a day of magnesium would reduce the risk of 5-HT inducing a heart
attack.
3. The effects of 5-HT by itself elevating blood serotonin are extremely individualistic. Some
people may not experience any blood serotonin increase, while others could suffer from
lethal serotonin peripheral overload.
4. Despite the potential dangers of 5-HT, most FDA-approved drugs to treat depression and
obesity appear to be more toxic.
5. At the time of this printing, we have not been able to verify whether 5-HT serotonin
overload would cause fibrosis of the aortic valve and destruction of the heart muscle.
Based on the potential health risks of ingesting 5-HT, the Foundation has decided not to offer it
to members at this time. We encourage anyone seeking to use 5-HT to follow strictly the above
protocol for safe 5-HT supplementation. We'll be reporting further evidence regarding 5-HTP as
soon as it becomes available.
This warning applies only to 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-HT), not tryptophan itself. Published
studies show that tryptophan does not readily convert into serotonin blood, but that 5-HT does,
since 5-HT convert directly into serotonin tryptophan has to go through one additional metabolic
step which protects against serotonin overload. "
i would expect there is some truth to it, however you are recommended to take 5htp with grapefruit juice to provide amino acids to help seratonin pass the blood/brain barrier!
anyway, if yo uare worried, jsut eat loads of bannana's and turkey meat, its rich in tryptophan :D |
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| Cru5ad3r |
Hmm interesting .. my first exp on 5htp wasnt so great .. pissed loads and heart beat felt different .. though i didnt feel too bad ..
Must have combined with my bk double whopper i had b4 the spaghetti .. my bottle says not to be taken with protein meals ..
Crusader |
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| dj_mdma |
well we can thank our lucky stars that because we are undernourished and american people are soooooo healthy
| quote: | Americans taking 5-HT are more vulnerable to blood serotonin overload because, unlike most
Europeans who are vitamin deficient, Americans who use 5-HT usually take large doses of
vitamin B6 as well. |
we wont get seratonin poisoining.
Nothing to worry about folks, i bet its just another scare thingy drummed up by the US Govt Anti drug machine. :rolleyes:
vitamin b6 is added to most cereals and stuff as a supplement. I just looked on a packet of kellogs special k, that in a serving there is only 1.1mg. I don't know how much 5htp there is in a capsule, but you would probably need more than 1.1mg to metabolise all that 5htp to seratonin before it reaches the brain! |
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| Ste |
| quote: | Originally posted by dj_mdma
well we can thank our lucky stars that because we are undernourished and american people are soooooo healthy
we wont get seratonin poisoining.
Nothing to worry about folks, i bet its just another scare thingy drummed up by the US Govt Anti drug machine. :rolleyes:
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i thought that but its actually a company which stopped selling 5htp, i think.
also you dont need much vitamin b6 for things, however in the case of seratonin, i dont know how complex the molecule is, it may only need one b6 molecule to bring together many 5htp molecules to produce a seratonin molecule, but it depends wether seratonin is a long chain or a small molecule and what else it is made form apart from b6 and 5htp ???
as for crusader, your symptoms are typical of someone after taking MDMA, suprisingly enough :p
i dont take 5htp anymore purely coz i cant afford it (15 quid for 60 50mg caps), i dont think this article will stop me if i ever get anymore, or if i get the chance drink some nice grapefruit juice at the same time.
to be fair ur probs worse off without it if you take pills, the article is jsut for peopel who take it as a sleep aid/anti depressant |
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| Matty V |
| The best cure is a few films, a few reefers and a few days where u dont have to leave ur house for anything :D |
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