5-HTP and light
Question:
Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist.
The opposite has been done. I think I might have read this in Mark Twain’s _The Innocents Abroad_: one Greek Orthodox monastery’s most prized relics are a collection of sealed stone jars in the crypt. These contain the darkness that spread over the earth when Christ was crucified. Obviously what they need to work on is a way of diluting it to make homoeopathic darkness. Jack Campin: 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU; 0131 6604760 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes, freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh, and Scots traditional music resources
Response:
it shines there…
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Maybe bobo lives in Seattle where the sun never shines. just go outside and stand in the sun bobo….. Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) 
.. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
just go outside and stand in the sun bobo…..
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
*If I Could Save Time in a Bottle* I can’t, obviously. And *light*? Wow, heavy question. Carrie 
)
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist.
The opposite has been done. I think I might have read this in Mark Twain’s _The Innocents Abroad_: one Greek Orthodox monastery’s most prized relics are a collection of sealed stone jars in the crypt. These contain the darkness that spread over the earth when Christ was crucified. Obviously what they need to work on is a way of diluting it to make homoeopathic darkness. Jack Campin: 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU; 0131 6604760 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes, freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh, and Scots traditional music resources
Response:
it shines there…
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Maybe bobo lives in Seattle where the sun never shines. just go outside and stand in the sun bobo….. Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
just go outside and stand in the sun bobo…..
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
*If I Could Save Time in a Bottle* I can’t, obviously. And *light*? Wow, heavy question. Carrie )
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
Also, I wonder… why hasn’t anyone bottled *light* yet? I mean, there must be some chemcial reaction that takes place that encourages more serotonin to be produced as opposed to melatonin. If we could create a drug that changes that serotonin/melatonin balance, that would seem like the best anti-depressant that could ever exist. Trying to flood the brain with extra serotonin (SSRI/MAOI) wouldn’t reduce the levels of melatonin so it seems like not the best way to go. We want to reduce melatonin as well as stimualate serotonin, but ONLY in the day. At night of course, we need to get some melatonin for some sleep, and probably don’t need too much serotonin either. Taking an SSRI with something that inhibited production of melatonin would probably be a sure-fire way to guarantee insomnia! :) Although maybe for ONE day it would work as a great anti-depressant! Then again, so would a bit of MDMA! For now, lets all just take 5-HTP and expose ourselves to 6 million candles of light and we’ll all be happy happy happy. :) .. thoughs of the day from your very happy and friendly net lunatic – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
Response:
5-HTP as I understand it, is a precursor to melatonin *and* serotonin. Some people take 5-HTP for the serotonin boost (anti-depression, fm) and some for the melatonin (sleep). What I would like to know is, if you take the 5-HTP, and during the next hour or two you expose yourself to light therapy or higher amounts of light, does more of the 5-HTP get converted into serotonin as opposed to melatonin? Conversely, would taking more at night or in the dark ensure more production of melatonin and make it good for sleep? (One would think, why not just take melatonin directly) From what I have experienced and noticed, this seems to be somewhat true, although my sample size is rather small. :) This would also seem to make sense, as light is known to inhibit the production of melatonin. (and perhaps in this way promote more conversion to serotonin?) Can anybody confirm this? Perhaps others would like to try it and report their experiences! As my theroy would go, if you are wanting an anti-depressive effect from 5-HTP, taking it in the dark could actually make you more depressive by stimulating melatonin production and making you sleepy. Also, one would wonder if taking more 5-HTP might actually cause someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to become more affected by light than usual.. (that is, perhaps their bodies would produce even larger amounts of melatonin making things worse, if taken in the dark). This is assuming that SAD is caused by excessive conversion to melatonin instead of serotonin. (high levels of melatonin and low levels of serotonin can’t be a GOOD thing — we want the reverse unless we are wanting to go hibernate somewhere) However, taking 5-HTP when you have SAD and exposing yourself to large amounts of light might cause lots of serotonin to be produced which might well provide a very good anti-depressive effect, who knows. This is all just pure speculation — we need to do more research on this stuff! If anybody has any more knowledge or opinions on all this, please share!
