Griffonia simplicifolia
Our evidence-based analysis on griffonia simplicifolia features 21 unique references to scientific papers.
NOTE: We are updating our coronavirus (COVID-19) page with evidence as it comes in.
Summary of Griffonia simplicifolia
Primary information, health benefits, side effects, usage, and other important details
Griffonia simplicifolia is a West African shrub. Griffonia simplicifolia is the largest source of the compound 5-HTP. Its seeds contain up to 20% 5-HTP, by weight.
Studies that have been done on Griffonia simplicifolia suggest that when supplemented as an herb, it may rival the effects of supplementing 5-HTP in isolation.
However, further research is needed to confirm this effect. There may be other bioactives in the plant that are still undiscovered.
Additional studies are needed to determine whether supplementing Griffonia simplicifolia is truly comparable to supplementing 5-HTP.
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Further research is needed to determine the optimal human dose of Griffonia simplicifolia. The lowest effect dose for rats is 25mg/kg of bodyweight, which is about 4mg/kg of Griffonia simplicifolia extract, assuming 20% 5-HTP content. This translates to following human doses:
• 275mg Griffonia(55mg of 5-HTP) for a 150lb person
• 350mg Griffonia (70mg of 5-HTP) for a 200lb person
• 450mg Griffonia (90mg of 5-HTP) for a 250lb person
It is unknown whether Griffonia simplicifolia has other bioactives other than 5-HTP. The human dosages listed above are derived from rodent studies, and are not optimal, which is why they are different from the optimal dose of 5-HTP.
Things to Note
Caution Notice
Due to being a vessel for 5-HTP in sufficient amounts, the cautions on the 5-HTP page will extend to supplementation with Griffonia Simplicifolia and this herb should not be used alongside cognitive drugs and particularly SSRIs.
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Click here to see all 21 references.
