5-HTP is mainly extracted from Griffonia Seed, an African plant. 5-HTP is also an essential amino acid produced by the brain and can control the body's serotonin levels. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that produces pleasant emotions, affects nearly every aspect of brain activity, from regulating mood, energy, and memory, and even shaping your outlook on life. 5-HTP is the precursor of serotonin, which is produced by decarboxylase. In recent years, the increase in the demand for 5-HTP is mainly caused by changes in people's lifestyles, incorrect eating habits and hormone secretion disorders, people's mental stress is gradually increasing, so the demand for natural ingredients to fight depression is also increasing. Importantly, as a natural plant extract for depression, 5-HTP has advantages over tryptophan because most tryptophan is chemically synthesized. With the growing demand for brain health and sleep, 5-HTP will be more widely used in the world in the future.
Hypericum perforatum L belongs to the family Garcinia, Hypericum, also known as St. John's wort in the West. Several studies have shown that Hypericum perforatum can achieve antidepressant effects by inhibiting the recovery of 5-HT and monoamine oxidase, acting on dopamine and norepinephrine. Hypericin contained in Hypericum perforatum is the main component for relieving depression, among which the content of petals is the highest. In Germany, the use rate of St. John's wort reaches 40% of all drugs for treating depression. A study in 2016 involving 960 adults in 14 studies showed that a daily intake of 500 to 1,800 mg of Hypericum perforatum extract can significantly reduce depression, as much as prescription antidepressants. The study found that Hypericum perforatum extract improves mood by reducing the body's reuptake of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.
A study recently released by the Social Mental Health Education Research Center of Chiba University in Japan showed that sulforaphane derived from broccoli has the effect of preventing depression and inhibiting the recurrence of depression. The research team used experimental mice as objects and found that normal healthy mice could drink sugar water with a concentration of 70%-80%, while depressed mice under stress could only drink about 50% sugar water. But if the mice were fed SFN before they fell into a state of depression, the depressive mice drank the same sweet water as normal experimental mice, thus avoiding the appearance of depressive symptoms. In addition, the researchers administered SFN precursor substances to young mice and confirmed that their stress resistance was significantly increased.
Earlier research has shown that Hericium erinaceus extract has some potential for promoting cognitive health in the brain. A 2015 study found that Hericium erinaceus can relieve depression by lowering the levels of certain inflammatory factors. This experiment found that the imbalanced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 in serum can lead to depression, while Hericium Erinaceus extract has a clear antidepressant effect in serum and behavior, and the effect can be Compared with paroxetine, its specific mechanism of action will be further studied in the future.
The roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola can be used as medicine, and sometimes the whole plant can be used. Modern research shows that Rhodiola has antioxidants, increased exercise endurance, improved immunity, anti-depression and whitening effects. Animal experiments have shown that salidroside, an extract of Rhodiola Rosea, can increase the transmission speed of serotonin precursors tryptophan and 5-HTP in the brain, and unstable serotonin often cause low mood and depression. An article published in Phytomedicine in 2015 pointed out that Rhodiola Rosea extract can relieve the condition of patients with mild to moderate depression (MDD). In addition, Rhodiola can improve sleep quality by protecting the nervous system from oxidative stress damage.
