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Science consultant skeptical about sleep supplements

Written by: David Castillo on March 24th, 2011

Science consultant skeptical about sleep supplements | read this item

There are merchants in Miami selling supplements which supposedly help people sleep. However, National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements consultant Paul Thomas explains believes “that is the problem with these kinds of supplements, because they only give you the total amount, and you really have very little basis to know if the amount of each individual ingredient is at a dose where you may get a therapeutic effect.”

Thomas gives melatonin as an example of a substance which is very effective in treating jet lag and insomnia if given at the right doses—anywhere in between 0.3 mg to 3.0mg. He further explains that 5-HTP and GABA are both neuro-transmitting substances which can help patients sleep. GABA calms down anxiety while 5-HTP is capable of treating depression and apnea.

However, Thomas believes that combining the two substances may not necessarily be effective, saying “as far as we know no science that has looked at these three ingredients together.”

Source: MiamiHerald.com