5-HTP or 5-Hydroxytryptophan is used as a supplement to boost serotonin and can't be found in any of the foods we eat. 5-HTP cannot be sourced from the diet and is made by the body from tryptophan. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), also known as oxitriptan, is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Serotonin is associated with boosting your mood and improving sleep, and appetite. However, there has not been enough research on the benefits of taking these 5HTP supplements. People suffering from sleep and anxiety disorders might find taking them helps to ease their symptoms by boosting their serotonin levels.

It can also increase feelings of fullness which help aid in weight loss/ maintaining weight, reducing migraines, improving the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, and increasing the production of melatonin but more evidence is needed to prove this.