What's the difference between taking SSRI medication or 5-HTP Supplement?!
Question: Serotonin is a neruotranmitter-- in other words it is a chemical that the body produces naturally to elicit a reaction. People who have depression problems usually are due to inadequate amounts of serotonin being released.
When serotonin is realeased, it is allowed to stay on the cell (were recepters are located) for a certain amount of time. After the time has elapsed, it is reabsorbed. SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) work by delaying the reuptake (absorbtion) of the serotonin. So basically, since the person is deficient in serotonin, they decrease the absorption letting the serotonin stay on the cell longer, which gives the deficient person more serotonin-- it increases the amount of serotonin available to the brain.
The 5HTP is a precursor to making serotonin. If you think of serotonin as a cake, 5HTP would be the eggs. 5HTP is needed to make the molecule serotonin. But it is a little controversial because it is not FDA approved and hasn't had adequate testing done.
Hope that I explained it well enough. It's kinda hard to put into words.
Answers: Serotonin is a neruotranmitter-- in other words it is a chemical that the body produces naturally to elicit a reaction. People who have depression problems usually are due to inadequate amounts of serotonin being released.
When serotonin is realeased, it is allowed to stay on the cell (were recepters are located) for a certain amount of time. After the time has elapsed, it is reabsorbed. SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) work by delaying the reuptake (absorbtion) of the serotonin. So basically, since the person is deficient in serotonin, they decrease the absorption letting the serotonin stay on the cell longer, which gives the deficient person more serotonin-- it increases the amount of serotonin available to the brain.
The 5HTP is a precursor to making serotonin. If you think of serotonin as a cake, 5HTP would be the eggs. 5HTP is needed to make the molecule serotonin. But it is a little controversial because it is not FDA approved and hasn't had adequate testing done.
Hope that I explained it well enough. It's kinda hard to put into words.