A lack of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that sends messages through the brain and controls your mood, can lead to mental disorders such as depression and dementia, PsychologyToday.com notes. While prescription medication might be the only answer for some with this problem, you might be able to turn to vitamins in your diet for help. Certain vitamins aid your body in the production and maintenance of serotonin. Consult your physician for the best treatment method if you have a mental disorder related to a lack of serotonin.
Folate
Folate is one type of vitamin that can increase your serotonin levels. Folate helps your body maintain levels of a compound called tetrahydrobiopterin, which contributes to the synthesis of serotonin in your brain, according to John D. Fernstrom in the June 2000 issue of "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Folate is found in food sources such as meat, seafood, cereal and other grains, beans and vegetables like spinach and asparagus.
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, raises your serotonin levels by impacting the tryptophan levels in your body. This vitamin helps your body metabolize tryptophan, which increases the levels of serotonin in your brain. Obtain vitamin B2 in your diet through foods like beef and poultry, cereal, milk and soybeans.
Vitamin B6
Like vitamin B2, vitamin B6 helps metabolize tryptophan, leading to serotonin production. Our bodies cannot make this vitamin on their own, so we need to obtain it through food, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. Find this vitamin in food sources like bananas, poultry and fish, potatoes, spinach and vitamin-fortified cereals.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is another B vitamin that works to make serotonin in your brain, PsychologyToday.com reports. Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal sources, including meat, seafood, dairy products and eggs, making this nutrient a concern for vegans. Vegans can obtain vitamin B12 from enriched cereals and other grains, or through a supplement, although these forms aren't absorbed by the body as well as the natural type.
References
- PsychologyToday.com: Vitamins -- Busy B's
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Can Nutrient Supplements Modify Brain Function?
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Supplements
- PubMed.gov: Quantitative Profiling of Biomarkers Related to B-Vitamin Status, Tryptophan Metabolism and Inflammation in Human Plasma by Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry
- Linus Pauling Institute: Oregon State University: Micronutrient Information Center
