Dr Oz's latest supplement love child is positively scary

They need to arrest his *kitten* for fraud and throw him away for life. They used to do this with snake oil salesmen but now everyone puts way too much trust into doctors so they can get away with it.

I wish I wasn't on my phone...can't click the links! I'll take your word that it's awful though.

So much for Oz cleaning up his act. He was on the cover of Women's World in the checkout line with his new magic substance that alleviates depression, helps you lose weight, gives you more energy, works better than therapy, etc.: 5-HTP

So, I looked it up. This is one of the scariest supplements I've seen him tout yet. Scary? Yes. Most of his recommendations are just for crap that's a waste of space. This stuff can actually hurt you -- as well as having no real research results to back up his claim!

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-794-5-htp.aspx?activeingredientid=794&activeingredientname=5-htp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-Hydroxytryptophan

http://depression.about.com/od/5-HTP/a/5-HTP-For-Depression.htm

http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/5-hydroxytryptophan,5-htp.html

etc.

So, despite his woe-is-me to the Senate, Oz is still a danger to society.

I'm no fan of Dr. Oz, but while 5 HTP may have some side effects in larger doses in some people (studies have been inconclusive), virtually all of the sites you linked to cite studies saying that 5-HTP may be as effective as a mild anti-depressant. I myself have taken it, after reading several peer-reviewed scientific studies, and while I was very skeptical, I found that it did alleviate my anxiety and depression somewhat.

From one of the articles you linked to:

Is It an Effective Treatment for Depression?

Overall, the clinical trials published to date indicate that 5-HTP may be effective in treating depression, both on its own and when used in conjunction with prescription antidepressants. Better quality studies are needed, however, to firmly establish its effectiveness.

Is It Safe and Well-Tolerated?

Doses of around 200-300 mg per day seems to be fairly well-tolerated.

The most common side effects reported with 5-HTP include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Less common side effects include headache, insomnia and heart palpitations.

Gastrointestinal side effects appear to dose-dependent and tend to lessen over time.

The one way it can be dangerous is if you take it at the same time as other SSRIs, which can trigger seratonin syndrome.

I personally had no side effects while taking it, and noticed a difference in mood when I stopped. Doubt it was the placebo effect since I was fully expecting it to not work at all. I took it with green tea extract, since that contains an amino acid inhibitor and helps prevent seratonin conversion too soon, which actually helps with the side effects because the side effects can happen when the 5HTP converts to seratonin in your periphery (heart, valves, GI etc.)