National University of Singapore (NUS) nutritionists have found that 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) supplementation can improve sleep quality in Singaporean older adults, particularly in individuals with poor sleep patterns, and manage their gut microbiome composition.

Ensuring good sleep quality is an integral part of achieving good health. However, a mental health study published in 2022 reported that close to 17 per cent of older adults aged 65 and above in Singapore are suffering from poor sleep quality, which has been linked to worse health outcomes, such as a greater risk of chronic diseases and cognitive impairment.

There is growing evidence on the association between gut microbiota composition and sleep quality. Additionally, there are pharmaceutical sleep aids available to help poor sleepers achieve a good night’s sleep. However, such aids may induce adverse side effects, including digestive problems and headaches. Dietary supplements, such as a naturally occurring amino acid, 5-HTP, are available, but its efficacy on sleep quality in older adults is unclear.

Through a 12-week clinical trial on 30 older adults, aged 65 and over, NUS researchers set out to evaluate the impact of 5-HTP supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota composition on older adults. The research team was led by Assistant Professor Kim Jung Eun from the Department of Food Science and Technology (NUS FST) under the NUS Faculty of Science, and the study was conducted in collaboration with Adjunct Associate Professor Johnson Fam from the Department of Psychological Medicine at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Based on the results of the clinical trial, the NUS team discovered that supplementation of 5-HTP can improve sleep quality in Singaporean older adults and this improvement was predominantly observed in poor sleepers which could be linked to the modulation of their gut microbiome composition.

The team’s findings were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition on 17 January 2024.