If you are depressed, you might benefit from a number of methods designed to boost serotonin. Advertisers like to point out your pharmaceutical options, but your environment, diet and other lifestyle choices are also thought to significantly effect your mood without having to deal with potentially harmful side effects.
Build Serotonin
Step 1
Getting bright light is one way to boost serotonin levels naturally. Therapy using lamps designed to mimic natural light has been used on people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). However, according to a study in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, bright light treatments can help treat nonseasonal depression. Enlightened by the new evidence, countries that get less natural light are now building “light cafes” and an Austrian village that is usually dark in the winter has even built a series of mirrors that will reflect daylight on the valley.
Step 2
Self-induced mood changes that come with activities such as meditation have long been acknowledged in science. However, recent research, including a 2007 study published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, points at how these activities directly affect the synthesis of serotonin in the brain. This discovery suggests that serotonin synthesis can influence mood and mood can, in turn, affect serotonin production. If meditation doesn’t appeal to you, it might not necessarily be what you need to do in order to boost your serotonin levels. Do something that induces your own happy mood. Take a yoga class, paint a nature scene, or take a warm bath with ambient music in the background.
Step 3
Tryptophan is a known precursor of serotonin. As a result, purified tryptophan has been used in therapy for serotonin-deficient conditions such as depression, anxiety and insomnia. Foods such as nuts, seeds, bananas, soy products, dairy products, tuna and red meat contain tryptophan, but they don’t necessarily affect serotonin levels because they only contain it in small amounts in comparison with other amino acids. Nevertheless, a diet can be altered so it is rich in tryptophan in contrast with other amino acids.
Step 4
The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends treatments based on recent, high-quality evidence. Its depression treatment guide suggests people suffering from mild depression should implement a variety of strategies, including regular exercise, because the potential benefits of a mildly depressed person taking an antidepressant may not outweigh all of the potential negative side-effects. However, the United States’ National Institute of Mental Health seeks to determine without bias (by using randomized, controlled trials) that exercise is indeed an effective option. Whether exercise directly improves serotonin levels isn't 100 percent certain, but several studies have found a connection between exercise and a boost in endorphins, morphine-like peptides that make a brain feel good.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have severe, clinical depression, seek advice from a medical professional. You might get the most benefits from combining natural methods with a serotonin-boosting medication.
