5-HTP Capsules

What you get in every serving

Two capsules deliver:

• 200 mg 5-Hydroxytryptophan, from Griffonia simplicifolia seed extract — Daily Value not established, so the panel marks it **
• 450 mg calcium, as calcium carbonate — 35% of the Daily Value
• A hypromellose capsule shell — plant-derived, no gelatin
• Gluten free and lactose free, as the label states
• Nothing else carrying an amount: the rest of the bottle is capsule shell and carrier

What 5-HTP is

5-HTP is shorthand for 5-hydroxytryptophan, a compound in the same family as tryptophan — the amino acid you'll know from protein foods. It isn't a vitamin and it isn't a mineral, which is why the panel prints ** next to it instead of a percentage: no Daily Value has been established for it, so there's no percentage to give.

Where the 200 mg comes from

Griffonia simplicifolia, a woody climbing shrub that grows in West and Central Africa. Its seeds are the commercial source of 5-HTP, and this panel names them: the row reads 5-Hydroxytryptophan (from Griffonia simplicifolia seed extract). If you're comparing bottles, that parenthesis is worth checking — plenty of labels print the compound and skip the source.

One more comparison note: 200 mg is the full-serving figure, and a serving here is two capsules, not one — which isn't the same as a 200 mg single capsule, however similar the bottles look.

The calcium row

The biggest number on this panel isn't the 5-HTP at all — it's calcium, at 450 mg and 35% of the Daily Value, listed as calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the mineral form of calcium found in limestone, chalk and shell, and it's among the most common calcium sources in the supplement trade. Because calcium is an established nutrient, it gets a real percentage on the panel where the 5-HTP gets a double asterisk.

What else is in the capsule

Three things, all of them on the label. Hypromellose is the capsule itself, a cellulose-derived shell that makes this a vegetarian capsule rather than a gelatin one. Microcrystalline cellulose is refined plant fibre, used as a bulking material across the supplement and pharmaceutical trade. Magnesium stearate keeps powder moving cleanly through capsule machinery. That's the entire list.

How it's taken

Two capsules once a day, 20-30 minutes before a meal, with an 8 oz glass of water. Capsules mean no taste to get past and nothing to measure — you're not weighing a powder or rinsing a scoop.

Who it's for

Anyone shopping specifically for 5-HTP capsules rather than a multi-ingredient blend, and anyone who'd rather see the botanical source named on the panel than guess at it. At the suggested two capsules a day, sixty capsules is a thirty-day bottle. The vegetarian capsule suits people avoiding gelatin, and the label prints gluten free and lactose free.

How to use it

As a dietary supplement take two (2) capsules once a day. For best results take 20-30 min before a meal with an 8oz (237ml) glass of water or as directed by your healthcare professional.

Other ingredients

Hypromellose (capsule), Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate.

60 Capsules · 30 Servings · Serving size 2 Capsules

Caution: Do not exceed recommended dose. Consult a physician if pregnant, nursing, under 18, or have a medical condition. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. DO NOT USE IF SAFETY SEAL IS DAMAGED OR MISSING. STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE.