Posted by Larry Hoover on December 10, 2004, at 20:43:33
In reply to Re: L-tryptophan or 5-HTP; a few questions Larry » Larry Hoover, posted by MKB on December 10, 2004, at 20:07:23
> Larry, how do you take that powder form? In juice or in a teaspoon??? And how does the potency compare to a 500mg capsule of pharmaceutical grade tryptophan?
I put the powder into the blender with a bunch o' other stuff, is how I usually do it. That's because you just about can't stir it enough to make it mix with anything.
I bought some empty capsules and a capsule filler, and I'm going to fill some up. I haven't been taking it in the p.m., and I really want to try that timing. Capsules would be ideal for that.
500 mg tryptophan is 500 mg of tryptophan. The only thing is, I have to estimate the mass by measuring volume. That's the only downside to the big old tub o' tryptophan I have. It comes with a scoop, and each scoop is 1200 mg. I've got to figure out how much I get into a capsule, and then I'll know the dose in capsule measurements. This is routine stuff for a chemist.
> Regarding price gouging: I see that the veterinary version is much, much cheaper, but as far as capsules go, healthrecovery.com still has the best price I've seen. I have found pharmaceutical grade Tryptophan capsules on other sites at almost double that amount for the same quantity and strength.
Makes you wonder how one can do it cheaply, whereas the others can't, eh?
> When you said yes, it is an amino acid, were you talking about Tryptophan, 5HTP, or both?
Both are. You won't find 5-HTP in a pork chop, though, whereas you will find tryptophan in it.
An amino acid is any molecule that has an amine functional group, some sort of body of diverse structure, and an acid functional group.
Through the processing of an amino acid into a neurotransmitter, the amine part remains unchanged. Other changes might take place before this, but one step in the conversion of an amino acid to a monoamine neurotransmitter is the loss of the acid group. At that point, it is no longer an amino acid, due to there being no acid part present any longer.
> You lost me somewhere in the discussion. (Sorry, I'm not scientific at all.)
I hope that little explanation helped. I could draw it, and you'd understand. I can guarantee that. It's the words that don't carry the idea well. Or my words...I'm whacked. I just drove through a snow storm.
> Are you agreeing that it is preferable to use Tryptophan rather than 5HTP?
Yes. But some may benefit from the combination, too. I wouldn't rule that out.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:425800
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041123/msgs/427461.html