Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellently detailed., 8 Jun 2000
By A Customer
I've bought two books on 5-htp, this one and Ray Sahelian's. This is by far the most comprehensive and in depth. I recommend it to anyone that is interested in the details of how and why this works, and how and why additional supplements such as tyramine or phenylalanine will increase the effectiveness of 5-htp.I've been interested in managing my own depression for a long time, and interested in such concepts as the "blood-brain barrier", and why certain amino acids must be eaten on an empty stomach to be effective. This book provides the detailed scientific knowledge, as well as the general usage guidelines. You can skip the science parts if you want, but it goes into significant detail to describe the different depression tests, and how 5-htp has performed on these tests compared to other antidepressants, to provide excellent evidence and reassurance of the realistic side-effect profile of 5-htp, as currently understood by the scientific and medical community. This book is a reference as well as an excellent practical guide, and introduces very complex material in a very soft and gentle way in its advice. It is very holistic in treating the subjects as an intersection of lifestyle and biology, and recommends lifestyle changes as appropriate as well, and is not about "pushing 5-htp" at all. A complete and thorough book. Thankyou Michael!
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quality sleep, less Anxiety, 19 Sep 1998
By A Customer
I had such a hard time falling asleep, accompanied by debilitating anxiety, until I read this book and started taking 5-HTP. My problem was so serious that I found I was sleeping with my eyes open (Ouch!) The very first night I took it, I slept like a baby. I was unable to take prescription sleep aids and anxiety drugs because of depression and other medical problems. I felt immediate relief with 5-HTP.The scientific studies referenced in this book made be feel very comfortable in taking 5-HTP. They were written in an easily understandable format. The author basically drew a map of the path 5-HTP takes throughout the body. Well done Dr. Murray!
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent, informative source for alternative health, 23 Jun 1998
By A Customer
This well-written and extremely interesting book is a must-read for anyone suffering from insomnia, carbohydrate cravings (which often lead to obesity), depressed moods, or migraines. All of these medical problems have been linked to lack of serotonin, a chemical that the human brain makes naturally, which plays a part in the ability to feel pleasure, feel satisfied after eating, and feel well rested. Dr. Murray introduces his reader to a naturally-derived serotonin booster, 5-HTP, which has had positive effects on obese, insomniac, and depressed patients in both medical studies and in his own patients, so far without the negative side effects associated with Prozac and fen-phen.While I agree with Amazon's assessment that the in-depth neurobiology of Dr. Murray's book can be intimidating, I see that as more of an indication of his unwillingness to patronize his readers by omitting it because it's "too hard for us." I would actually greatly distrust anyone who advised me to introduce a new substance into my body without telling me exactly what effect it was going to have on me in great detail. Try not to be intimidated by all those Latin names and medical terms - Murray really does try to explain these very complicated concepts in layman's terms. I also greatly respect Murray's holistic approach to curing depression and obesity - he is never satisfied with merely selling us a miracle pill that can cure all of the reader's health problems without any effort on his or her part in this book. In addition to detailing the positive effects of 5-HTP as a dietary supplement, he strongly emphasizes good nutrition, proper sleep and exercise, and having a positive attitude as well, which I find reassuring, given the number of crash-diet and snake-oil peddlers out there.
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