Serotonin: How to Naturally Harness the Power Behind Prozac and Phen/Fen (Keats Good Health Guides)

The subtitle is 'How to naturally harness the power ...", but there's little or no 'how' in this pamphlet. There's a reasonable amount of general information in its 46 pages, but it never draws any firm conclusions, and certainly doesn't give you enough information to formulate a plan of action or to know what supplements to take (or not to take). About half of the book is given over to behavioural and mood problems in which serotonin may play a role (including obesity, depression, alcoholism, insomnia), and another good few pages to the evidence that supplements can help this - but that these can be influenced by many factors, and too much can be as ineffective as too little, etc - so you really aren't left any the wiser after having finished reading the book.

OK

This book is a nice start towards learning more about the benefits (or lack thereof) of serotonin. It is now a bit dated though, and could definitely use an update. Unfortunately, the book really raises as many questions as it provides answers about the topic. The research available at the time seems inconclusive at best. The author seems to try to "hype" serotonin-producing supplements (like 5-HTP) in the beginning, but in the end one reaches the conclusion that this stuff is too dangerous to be messed with, unless taken under a Doctor's supervision. The side-effects for some include serious heart problems, or even death. It is certainly not the author's fault that this is a topic which needs MUCH more research done on it, before people start using various serotonin-enhancing supplements. Even the "natural" supplements can be just as dangerous as Prozac, Paxil, MAO's or other anti-depressents, if one is not properly supervised. The author is to be commended for bringing possible dangers to light, despite the tendancy to "hype" in booklets such as these. It's a quick read, and may be worth the money. Then again, you could probably find just as much useful (and more recent) information about the subject available on the Internet for free.