HYDROXYTRYPTOPHAN AND STRESS TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM

Scientific articles

THE USES OF HYDROXYTRYPTOPHAN IN THE TREATMENT OF STRESS TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM

5-Hydroxy L-Tryptophan is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan (extracted from a plant called Griffonia Simplicifolia), which performs the important biochemical function of being a precursor of serotonin at the level of the central nervous system.

Serotonin is produced from tryptophan through a two-step process: the hydroxylation of tryptophan and the following decarboxylation of 5-HTp to serotonin, which occurs in close turn. Of these two steps, the former is considerably slower than the latter, and in fact the concentration of 5-HTp in the brain is constant and always very low.

5-Hydroxytryptophan as a precursor of serotonin

Serotonin is an important hormone and neurotransmitter: it reduces anxiety, improves mood, influences sleep-wake rhythm , and reduces headaches. It also exhibits both vasoconstrictive and vasodilator abilities depending on the area of the body in question; in fact, in the arteries and arterioles of the intestine it induces vasodilation mainly due to interactions leading to the production of other vasodilators locally (production of intestinal vasodilator peptides from peptidergic nerves), while in the rest of the blood vessels it induces vasoconstriction.

In general, several antidepressant drugs focus on increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain, precisely in light of its ability to act on mood.

Dietary tryptophansupplementation can increase serotonin production, but in a limited way, as only a small fraction of ingested Trp is then metabolized to serotonin.

Why is supplementation of this active ingredient important?

The intake of 5-HTp by diet is preferable because it is able to pass the blood-brain barrier like tryptophan, but, unlike the former, it is not used for any purpose other than serotonin production. The intake of this active ingredient, either by means of supplements or foods that are rich in it, has a direct physiological effect on brain serotonin levels that is stronger than that given by the intake of similar amounts of tryptophan.

Also confirming this is the fact that 5-HTp is already marketed as an antidepressant under the name Oxitriptane, precisely because of its ability to be converted to serotonin.

In some diseases, it is very important to stimulate stress reduction with the use of 5-HTp and serotonin: a very fitting example is precisely stress-related Telogen Effluvium. They also present an aesthetic benefit, albeit a secondary one, and in fact reduce widespread hair loss due to stress by reducing blood cortisol levels and stress reduction.

Why choose RestaX Effluvium?

In light of the above, Wikenfarma research has developed “Restax Effluvium“: a product containing 5-HTp, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Biotin, and Zinc, and indicated to physiologically intervene on acute and chronic stress-related hair loss and promote hair regrowth by naturally acting directly on the brain biochemical mechanisms that regulate mood tone. Restax Effluvium contextually counteracts thinning and thinning hair, as well as stopping hair loss due to psycho-physical stress, precisely because of the extreme synergy of its active ingredients.