You may think life circumstances determine your mood, but there are seven brain neurochemicals that also have a huge impact on how you feel. Serotonin is one of them.
Known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, serotonin regulates not just your mood, but a number of additional functions such as appetite, sexual desire,
sleep, stress, and memory, to name a few. When serotonin levels are imbalanced, even a slight amount, it can trigger a negative mood, disrupt your sleep, increase your appetite, or lead to emotional overeating. Low levels of serotonin can also affect your thinking causing you to get stuck in worry and
negative thoughts.
While this powerful neurochemical can help you feel good, it can also cause you to feel bad when you have suboptimal amounts. Here’s what you need to know about serotonin, and how to keep your body’s serotonin levels balanced to maximize your happiness.
WHAT IS SEROTONIN?
In simple terms, serotonin is a chemical messenger that transmits information between nerve cells and throughout your body. About 5-10% of your body’s serotonin is produced in the brain’s raphe nuclei, located in the brainstem. The other 90-95% is surprisingly synthesized in your gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin is made from the essential amino acid tryptophan, which has to be obtained in your diet.
Serotonin influences us to be more open-minded, flexible, and adaptive—and it helps us to focus our attention away from worries and be amenable to cooperating with others. When you feel respected by others and have healthy self-esteem, serotonin increases—and conversely, when you feel disrespected, serotonin levels go down. Hence, it plays an indispensable role in helping us to navigate life well. Serotonin also plays a role in sleeping, eating, digestion, blocking pain, and blood platelet function to heal wounds!
CONSEQUENCES OF SEROTONIN IMBALANCES
Less than adequate levels of serotonin are associated with low mood, worry,
anxious feelings,
poor memory, pain, aggression,
suicidality,
low self-esteem, oppositional behavior, rigidity, and difficulty dealing with new, changing, or unplanned events. On the flip side, higher levels of serotonin are associated with brighter moods, feeling more respected, and greater flexibility.
Experts are not entirely sure why some people have low serotonin levels. It is thought that genetic factors, brain changes due to aging, chronic stress, lack of sunlight and physical activity, and chronic pain may play a role.
Too much serotonin, better known as serotonin syndrome, shows signs that can be mild or severe and can be life-threatening. It’s often caused by a change in medication. Of course, the key to feeling good is making choices that support healthy serotonin levels in the brain and body. Below are nine researched ways to balance serotonin.
9 WAYS TO BALANCE SEROTONIN NATURALLY
1. Consume Tryptophan-Rich Foods
Since your body needs to get the essential amino acid tryptophan from the diet to make serotonin, eating tryptophan-rich foods can help increase serotonin levels. Animal proteins such as lean chicken and turkey, beef, and pork are some of the richest sources of tryptophan. Other good sources include salmon, soybeans, milk, pumpkin seed, oats, and eggs. It’s important to combine tryptophan-rich foods with complex carbs (such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, veggies, legumes, fruits, whole grains, etc.), which helps drive tryptophan to the brain.
2. Eat More Seafood
The
omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
vitamin D play critical roles in serotonin synthesis and release, according to a
study published in the
Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB). Ensuring your body has healthy levels of these three nutrients helps to optimize brain serotonin concentration and function. Both nutrients are plentiful in wild-caught fish such as salmon, sardines, Atlantic mackerel, cod, herring, lake trout, and canned light tuna. If you have trouble consuming adequate amounts of seafood and vitamin D, consider supplementing.
3. Make Positive Comparisons
When you negatively compare yourself to others, it erodes your self-esteem. The antidote to this kind of negative thinking is to focus on what you have and write it down. This action can give you an emotional boost, according to
research, likely increasing serotonin levels. A daily focus on what you are grateful for can help build neural pathways that make it easier to recognize what is right about yourself, instead of always focusing on what you lack.
4. Exercise
Exercise helps to drive tryptophan into the brain, which can turbocharge serotonin levels. One
review study found that exercise increases the firing rates of serotonin neurons.
Research has demonstrated that exercise can boost mood and cognitive flexibility.
5. Take Serotonin-Boosting Nutritional Supplements
Try supplementing with targeted supplements that have shown some indication of helping to optimize serotonin levels in the body. 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), curcumin, St. John’s Wort, magnesium, and B vitamins have all been associated with increased serotonin levels in studies
.
6. Enjoy Regular Massage
Research indicates that chronic stress negatively impacts serotonin production and hinders serotonin receptor function. Massage counters stress. One
study evaluated 84 pregnant women with
depression. Those who received a 20-minute massage twice a week reported feeling less anxious and depressed and had higher serotonin and
dopamine levels and lower cortisol levels after four months.
7. Get Sunlight or Bright Light Therapy
Getting sunlight or
bright light therapy increases serotonin levels and improves mood. One
Australian study found higher serotonin levels in individuals who were exposed to sunnier days. Getting 15 minutes or less is enough to make a difference. Bright light therapy has been shown to have mood-boosting effects in people struggling with depression, as well as s
easonal affective disorder, according to
research. This convenient method allows you to safely receive the benefit of light independent of the weather outside.
8. Enjoy Meditation and Downtime
Spiritual contemplation and
meditation increase serotonin levels, some
research indicates. Take time out of your day for reflection and contemplation.
9. Keep Your Thoughts Positive
Your thoughts are powerful. In fact, research indicates your thoughts influence how you feel and the serotonin your brain makes. In one
study that used positron emission tomography (PET) scans, researchers measured serotonin levels in healthy subjects when they focused on positive, negative, and neutral thoughts. Focusing on positive thoughts was correlated with increased levels of serotonin. If you focus on something positive, your serotonin levels increase, and you feel better!
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.
