Any truth to this?

[AmyLee]

Someone on a different forum sent me this message:
Do you know that 5-HTP needs vit B6 to work but this means that it converts to srotonin in the liver not blood/brain barrier. From what I've read seems 5-HTP should be taken with fruit juice to get it to the brain.

I don't take Vitamin B. I just take multi vitamin and fish oil, and I do think 5 htp is working for me. I also don't just take it with fruit juice....I'd never even heard that before...

[comfortable_niche]

This article shed some light for me. In particular the bit:

" Q: Does vitamin B6 cause 5-HTP to rapidly convert into serotonin before it even reaches the brain? Does this mean you don't get an increase of brain serotonin?
A: No, actually quite the opposite. In one notable study on rats, vitamin B6 deficiency was deliberately induced. It was discovered that very little serotonin was produced in the rat brain when deficient in B6.⁴
In other experiments with monkeys and rats, the presence of ample amounts of B6 - even to the point of "moderate excess" - increased production of serotonin (in the brain) from 5-HTP by up to 60%.^5,6 Once again, it is clear that 5-HTP raises brain serotonin levels - with or without carbidopa or benserazide, and with or without vitamin B6. But the evidence indicates that it's better to take 5-HTP without carbidopa or benserazide and with vitamin B6.⁷"

http://www.life-enhancement.com/article_template.asp?ID=46

Like you, I take a basic multivitamin (which includes the B-vits) in the morning and 5-htp 2-3 times a day. I too find that the 5-htp does work for me, without needing B6 with every dosing.

[comfortable_niche]

I found another article. http://www.doctormurray.com/newsletter/3-04-2005.htm

This part will help,

"Vitamin B6 is required for the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin. Some “experts” advise against taking 5-HTP at the same time with vitamin B6 while others recommend taking the two simultaneously. The bottom line is that there is no evidence that taking vitamin B6 with 5-HTP increases the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin in the blood (an undesirable effect) while there is evidence that lack of vitamin B6 will definitely reduce brain serotonin manufacture. My recommendation is that adequate B6 stores are achieved by taking a high potency multiple vitamin and mineral formula."