Ghana seeds are the source of African shrubs and the compound 5-HTP. It has the effect of anxiety and reducing appetite. Ghana seeds contain up to 20% by weight of 5-HTP.
Ghana seed is a shrub used in African folk medicine where seeds are used for aphrodisiac and antibiotic purposes, as well as to treat diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pains; The leaves are used to treat wounds, and the juice treats bladder and kidney diseases. More recently, the plant appears to be used to treat anxiety and depression, insomnia, migraines and headaches, and to regulate appetite, leading to weight loss in obese patients; All of these effects are considered to be manifestations of the 5-HTP contained in many supplements that have now been standardized.