There are two kinds of people in this world; those who eat to live and some who live to eat. We won’t shy away from admitting that we often identify in the latter category. Because let’s face it, food equals happiness —and there’s science to prove it!
Some foods like cheese and nuts contain a specific amino acid called tryptophan. This particular amino acid helps produce serotonin in the body, i.e., our body’s own happy pills! Needless to say, a serotonin deficiency leads to depression and other mood disorders. Since our diet is the primary source of amino acids that make serotonin, making the right nutritional choices is crucial for our happiness.
Of course, serotonin does have a whole range of other benefits as well for our health, and luckily, we can boost its production in some other ways as well.
What Is Serotonin Exactly?
In the simplest terms, serotonin is a chemical produced by our nerve cells, and it belongs to the neurotransmitters family known as catecholamine. Nerve cells use it to send signals amongst themselves. You can mostly find it in the digestive system, but there are also significant serotonin levels in our central nervous system and blood platelets.
As mentioned above, serotonin is created from one of the essential amino acids known as tryptophan. This amino acid is primarily going to make its way into your body through your diet. However, it is a naturally occurring substance which is why it’s present in different parts of your body and helps with various functions.
How Is Serotonin Beneficial For Our Health
As a naturally occurring substance, serotonin has several physiological and psychological benefits for the human body. Also, contrary to popular opinion, serotonin doesn’t just improve our mood, although that is one of its most significant roles in our brain.
Here are some ways in which serotonin helps our overall well-being.
Instant Mood-Booster
If you’ve ever wondered how food has made you feel better, the answer lies in serotonin production. It serves as one of the major neurotransmitters in our brain and is heavily involved in our emotions and moods.
But it’s important to understand that serotonin’s role in the brain is much more diverse and complex than just mood regulation. This explains why many treatments for psychological disorders target the serotonin system in our brains.
Improves Cardiovascular Function
Serotonin is also an essential circulating hormonal factor that helps normal cardiovascular function. It does so in one of two ways; either by affecting heart cells directly or by stimulating the nerves from the heart.
Regulates Body Temperature and Breathing
Several studies suggest serotonin’s role in regulating breathing and maintaining body temperature at adequate levels. This is especially true in younger children during the early development phases.
Moreover, studies show the high presence of certain neurons that use serotonin in different brain regions linked to respiratory control.
May Help With Eating Disorders
Serotonin also seems to be involved in many behavioral and psychological symptoms linked to eating disorders like anorexia. After a lot of research, some experts believe that tryptophan supplementation for serotonin production could be used as a possible treatment approach for anorexia.
How Can You Increase Serotonin Production through Your Diet?
From our appetites to our cravings and even obesity, all of these elements are linked to serotonin in one way or the other. This is probably because our food intake is closely linked to the amount of serotonin in our body.
Researchers have found out over the years that a person’s food intake often determines the serotonin released by neurons in the brain. This essentially means that the serotonin system and levels play a critical role in our eating behavior and are appetites and vice versa.
This essentially means that certain nutritional choices in our diet can affect our body’s serotonin levels. For instance, evidence suggests that carbohydrates affect serotonin through specific mechanisms linked to insulin secretion.
Confused? We’ll make it simpler.
Here are some tryptophan-rich foods that’ll help you boost serotonin production:
- Salmon
- Seeds and nuts
- Poultry and turkey
- Milk and cheese
- Eggs
- Soy And Tofu
- Pineapples
- Spinach
- Fermented foods like miso and kimchi
All of these food items can easily be incorporated into an everyday diet to boost serotonin production to promote health and wellness!
What Are Some Other Ways To Boost Serotonin Levels Naturally?
While our diet is the primary source of serotonin-producing amino acids, it’s not the only way to boost serotonin levels in our body. And no, we’re not talking about supplements either. There are several other natural ways to increase serotonin production.
For instance, you could regularly exercise to boost your serotonin levels. Plenty of research shows the positive and antidepressant effects of exercise. Another excellent serotonin-booster is sunlight. Getting out every day and soaking up an adequate amount of sunshine is the perfect way to boost your serotonin and energy levels.
There are also many subtle ways to increase serotonin production in our body, and these have a lot to do with lifestyle changes and overall health and wellness efforts. In fact, according to our women’s health and wellness coach and Registered Dietitian at xoxo4wellness, serotonin levels may be improved by something as simple but significant as a positive attitude toward life or by simply smiling and practicing mindfulness!
If you’d like to learn more wellness coaching for women or would like us to create a custom wellness plan for you that includes better nutritional choices for serotonin production and your overall wellness, feel free to reach out to us.
Besides personalized wellness plans, we also offer one-on-one life coaching and nutritional therapy, and wellness services that can help you turn your life around. You can also check out our “Redefining Your Wellness” program, designed to help you transform your life inside out.
Give us a call for more information!
