Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that can affect mood. Eating foods that contain the essential amino acid known as tryptophan can help the body to produce more serotonin. Foods, including salmon, eggs, spinach, and seeds are among those that help boost serotonin naturally.
#1 Eggs: Eggs are an excellent source of nutrition and are rich in healthy fat. The protein in eggs has been thought to help boost blood levels of tryptophan, but the trick here is to eat the egg yolk.
Foods high in trans fats: Eating foods high in trans fats like potato chips, pizza, and fast food are linked to decreasing serotonin levels. These foods affect our mental health by causing inflammation that could prevent the production of Omega-3 fatty acids that improve brain function and mental health.
Drugs that prevent the reuptake of serotonin include SNRIs, SSRIs, tramadol, certain tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), certain opioids, dextromethorphan, the antihistamines chlorpheniramine and brompheniramine, and herbals such as St John's wort.
In conclusion, the higher levels of serotonin were during the phase of darkness, which varies depending on the region in which it is measured.
Many of the foods we eat naturally contain serotonin. Bananas are a prime example of nutritious food that may help promote the mood-boosting benefits of serotonin.
Causes of low serotonin
age-related health and brain changes. chronic stress. a lack of exposure to natural light. lack of physical activity.
Certain drugs and substances such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, NutraSweet, antidepressants, and some cholesterol-lowering medications deplete serotonin and other neurotransmitter levels. Hormone changes cause low levels of serotonin and neurotransmitter imbalances.
Accumulating evidence showed that dietary changes may favor the improvement or worsening of depression [5]. Eggs are a prominent source of high-quality protein, many vitamins, and bioactive components such as omega-3 fatty acids [6]. Those nutrients have been reported to benefit mood and mental well-being [7,8,9].
Eggs contain choline, a nutrient that's needed for the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that impacts the portions of the brain responsible for regulating mood and reducing stress.
B vitamins
Vitamins B-12 and B-9 (folate, or folic acid) help protect and maintain the nervous system, including the brain. They may help reduce the risk and symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression. Sources of vitamin B-12 include: eggs.
Want to boost your serotonin levels and lower your blood pressure? Grab an avocado. Rich in B vitamins and potassium, avocados will help stabilise your mood, so now you've got the perfect excuse for another serve of smashed avo on sourdough.
You can also limit foods that can negatively affect serotonin levels. Alcohol, aspartame, caffeine, trans fat, and fructose can be limited or eliminated from your diet to support healthy serotonin levels.
Some inherited genetic disorders may affect the body's ability to make or metabolize serotonin. Lifestyle and other factors that may also play a role include: Hormonal shifts, such as due to beginning or stopping hormone replacement therapy, menopause, pregnancy, or advancing age. Lack of sunlight.
Low levels of serotonin may be associated with many health conditions including: Depression and other mood problems. Anxiety. Sleep problems.
Increasing serotonin levels can be done naturally. The best ways to do this are eating well, getting out in the sun or supplementing with vitamin D, exercising, taking adaptogens, and managing stress. Serotonin can also be increased synthetically with antidepressants.
The serotonin test measures the level of serotonin in the blood. Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. Preparation may vary depending on the specific test.
Answer. Several fruits and vegetables contain tryptophan, which is a building block to creating mood-boosting serotonin. So if we consume produce rich in tryptophan, our bodies can make more serotonin. Plantains, pineapple, bananas, kiwi fruit, plums, and tomatoes contain high amounts of tryptophan.
So how does exercise make you happier? Aerobic exercise — walking, running, biking and swimming — significantly increases serotonin production in the body. You need about 30 minutes to get the serotonin “high.” Other exercise like yoga, Pilates and weight-lifting increases serotonin, too, just not as much.
Spinach
In addition, spinach is also high in tryptophan, which boosts serotonin and dopamine levels, giving you a two-way mood boost. Spinach is a very versatile vegetable to incorporate into your diet.
Recently, it has been proposed that vitamin D plays an important role in serotonin and melatonin regulation, which further indicates the relevance of vitamin D in mental health, especially the regulation of mood and sleep [4,6].
Normally, as people age, the serotonin neurons are especially vulnerable to neurodegeneration, so the transporters are lost when these neurons die and serotonin levels go down. The older they are, the more likely a person is to have lower serotonin levels.