Serotonin is a neurotransmitter essential for regulating mood. A deficiency of serotonin can exacerbate anxiety and depression and lead to cravings for high-carbohydrate foods. Adding essential amino acids to your diet may help boost your mood. For example, Intelegen.com states that many people do not eat enough tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts the production of serotonin.
What is Serotonin
Serotonin helps transmit messages between parts of the brain. Cells influencing mood, appetite, memory, learning, sleep and social behavior are all affected by serotonin. The neurotransmitter is also responsible for sex drive and temperature regulation. Too little serotonin can lead not only to mood disorders but also to migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. Although serotonin is most frequently associated with brain function, the Mayo Clinic website reports that 95 percent of your serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract.
Tryptophan and Vitamin B-6
Tryptophan, the essential amino acid that is transformed to serotonin in your body, comes exclusively from food intake. Intelegen.com reports that in a normal human diet, tryptophan is the most frequently lacking of the 22 amino acids. High-carbohydrate diets help tryptophan, found in protein-rich foods, effectively cross the blood-brain barrier. Vitamin B-6 supplements can help convert tryptophan to serotonin. Foods high in tryptophan include low-fat dairy products, while B-6 is readily present in nutritional yeast, bright yellow flakes available in health food stores. When choosing carbohydrates, select whole grains over white bread, rice and pasta.
Folic Acid
Include plenty of folic acid in your serotonin diet plan. According to psychiatrist Erik Nelson at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, people with depression are more likely to have lowered folate levels. The "American Journal of Psychiatry" reported research that found folate-deficient people did not respond as well to antidepressant treatment as those with normal folate levels. Foods high in folic acid include whole grains, beans and leafy green vegetables such as collards and spinach.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
According to Dr. Andrew Stoll, the director of the Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at Harvard Medical School-McLean Hospital, brain cell membrane fluidity is influenced by omega-3 fatty acids. When the membranes are more fluid, serotonin can flow more smoothly through the brain. Omega-3s are found in walnuts, fortified eggs and fatty fish such as salmon.
Supplementation with Exercise
Adding exercise to your serotonin diet plan can help significantly in boosting your mood. Just 30 minutes of exercise five times per week helps improve both mental and physical health. Aerobic exercise such as jogging, swimming or walking boosts endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in your brain. It also increases self-confidence and a sense of mastery and allows you to work out frustration and anxiety. Exercise can help you sleep better, which may bring added relief to those suffering from depression-related insomnia.
References
- Nutritional Supplements: Natural Serotonin
- University of Cincinnati: Could Folic Acid Aid in Depression Treatment?
- Intelegen: L-Tryptophan---Natures Answer to Prozac
- Food and Behavior Research: Omega-3 for Bipolar Disorder: Restoring the Balance
- Mayo Clinic Researchers Identify Genetic Variants in Serotonin Genes that Impact IBS
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