A West African seed extract supplying the direct building block of serotonin. The clearest signal is on appetite: earlier fullness and some weight lost, at amounts high enough that stomach upset stops many. Sleep, mood and thinking-test gains are smaller and thinly studied. Combining it with any serotonin-raising medication drives every serious reported harm. Cheap and reversible. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute eosinophil count | < 350 cells/µL | Detects the white-cell rise preceding eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome |
| 24-hour urinary 5-HIAA | < 6 mg/24 h at baseline | Screens for serotonin-producing tumours before loading the pathway |
| Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) | < 25 U/L men, < 20 U/L women | Confirms hepatic capacity for amino-acid handling |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) | > 60 mL/min/1.73 m² | Establishes clearance capacity for the compound and its metabolites |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | 0.5–2.0 mIU/L | Excludes a thyroid cause of the low mood, fatigue or weight change being targeted |
| Serum serotonin | No established target range; change from own baseline is tracked | Confirms the pathway responded rather than proving benefit |
| Body weight and waist circumference | Waist < 94 cm men, < 80 cm women | Quantifies the appetite effect, which is otherwise invisible week to week |
Cadence: Baseline, then 4 weeks and 12 weeks, then every 6 months if use continues; any new muscle pain, rash or swelling warrants an immediate blood count