Dietary Supplements And Finding An Insomnia Cure

Dietary supplements include a wide range of both vitamins and minerals, as well as one of the most talked about supplements for the treatment of insomnia – Melatonin.

Another commonly used supplement is Tryptophan.

Tryptophan is a naturally occurring sedative which assists the brain in the manufacture of serotonin, a chemical neurotransmitter that helps in the regulation of sleep, temperature, cardiovascular function and mood, amongst other things.

In 1989 however an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) in the United States was linked to the use of tryptophan supplements, resulting in a ban on their importation by the FDA.

Later studies attributed this outbreak to contaminants in certain supplements imported from Japan. Despite this, the FDA ban remains in force today.

Since then, tryptophan has been replaced by – 5-HTP (5 hydroxytryptophan), which is freely available in health-food stores and drug stores.

5-HTP is reported to produce a number of side-effects including nausea, vomiting and difficulty in breathing. In high doses it can raise both your blood pressure and heart rate, leading to agitation. In rare cases it can even lead to coma and death.

Reports of complications when combined with other drugs and natural products (such as St. John's Wort) designed to help overcome depression also suggest that 5-HTP may well do more harm than good.

On balance I feel that sufficient evidence exists at this time to suggest that tryptophan and 5-HTP may do more harm than good and I would not recommend them as dietary supplements.