American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 56, 863-867, 1992

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS


Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan

C Cangiano, F Ceci, A Cascino, M Del Ben, A Laviano, M Muscaritoli, F Antonucci and F Rossi-Fanelli
3rd Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Italy.

Previous observations have shown that oral administration of 5- hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) without dietary prescriptions causes anorexia, decreased food intake, and weight loss in obese subjects. To confirm these data over a longer period of observation and to verify whether adherence to dietary restriction could be improved by 5-HTP, 20 obese patients were randomly assigned to receive either 5-HTP (900 mg/d) or a placebo. The study was double-blinded and was for two consecutive 6-wk periods. No diet was prescribed during the first period, a 5040-kJ/d diet was recommended for the second. Significant weight loss was observed in 5-HTP-treated patients during both periods. A reduction in carbohydrate intake and a consistent presence of early satiety were also found. These findings together with the good tolerance observed suggest that 5-HTP may be safely used to treat obesity.