Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. It enables signals to pass between nerve cells in the brain that regulate behavior. In other areas of the body, serotonin regulates digestion, blood flow and respiration. Serotonin is believed to affect sleep and appetite, and influence mood. Certain foods contain a precursor to serotonin called tryptophan, and it is thought that consuming these foods may help increase serotonin levels in the brain and body.
Bananas and Pineapples
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning the body is incapable of synthesizing it on its own. In order to obtain tryptophan, you must consume it via food sources. In the 2002 issue of the "Stanislaus Journal of Biochemical Reviews" Lateefah Davis explains that tryptophan is the least prevalent of all the amino acids found in foods, but mentions bananas and pineapples as rich sources of this nutrient.
High Carbohydrate Foods
High carbohydrate foods such as baked goods may contain less overall tryptophan than some other foods, but the tryptophan that they contains is more readily utilized by the body, according to Richard J. Wurtman in the "Encyclopedia of Neuroscience."
Poultry contains higher levels of tryptophan than baked goods do, but its protein content causes an increase in all amino acids in the blood. When these high protein foods are consumed, tryptophan must compete with other amino acids for access to the receptors that allow it to pass through the blood brain barrier and interact with nerve cells in the brain. Wurtman compared subjects who had eaten a breakfast of waffles to those who had eaten turkey, and found significant increases in plasma tryptophan in the waffle eaters 2 hours after eating, while the turkey eaters showed significant decreases in plasma tryptophan.
Peanuts and Peanut Butter
Peanuts contain high levels of tryptophan. Columbia University's Health Services website, Go Ask Alice!, recommends peanut butter on a bagel or muffin as a way to boost your serotonin levels. This method may be especially helpful if you're seeking a snack that offers the benefits of tryptophan without the sleep-inducing effects sometimes associated with it. The protein content of peanuts is thought to moderate serotonin's relaxing effects, and thus helps prevent your tryptophan-rich snack from prompting an episode of drowsiness.
References
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effects of Normal Meals Rich in Carbohydrates or Proteins on Plasma Tryptophan and Tyrosine Ratios
- Go Ask Alice!: Serotonin and Foods
- Middle Tennessee State University: Food, Mood and Neurotransmitters
- Stanislaus Journal of Biochemistry: The Role of Tryptophan in Serotonin Synthesis of High Stress Subjects
- MedlinePlus: Tryptophan
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