Certain foods affect amino acids that increase levels of neurotransmitters. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, does not come directly from foods. However, some foods, including carbohydrate-rich meals, promote the effectiveness of the amino acid tryptophan, which boosts the production of serotonin in the brain. As a neurotransmitter, serotonin signals the brain to affect emotions, brings about a sense of calm and improves sleep. Serotonin may reduce pain by constricting blood vessels in areas of an injury.
Carbohydrate Foods
Foods rich in carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, such as whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta, and brown rice, bulgur, oatmeal, oat bran and barley. You can also eat foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan, including poultry, cheese, milk, nuts, sesame seeds, oats and peanut butter, according to MayoClinic.com. Foods such as milk, cheese and beans have significant amounts of protein and carbohydrates.
Amino Acids
Amino acids come from protein in foods and break down during digestion. The amino acids enter the bloodstream and then move to the brain network where they regulate neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters affect your moods and physical responses. They can make you feel motivated, excited, energetic or calm. When the amino acid tyrosine crosses the barrier from the bloodstream to the brain, it increases levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and epinephrine, which cause energizing effects. Tryptophan, on the other hand, converts to serotonin when it reaches the brain.
Energizing Effects
High-protein foods release tyrosine, which feeds the neurotransmitters that improve mental alertness and provide you with energy. This can interfere with the production of serotonin and its calming effects. High-protein foods include meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. While some of these foods also contain carbohydrates, the energizing effect may be overpowering, depending on the amount you consume.
Relaxed Feelings
Carbohydrate foods work by helping tryptophan get to the brain. Energy-inducing amino acids, such as tyrosine, often crowd out tryptophan following the digestive process. Eating carbohydrates releases insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin manages to clear out the other amino acids, but allows tryptophan to travel from the bloodstream to the brain and increase your serotonin levels, thereby creating the relaxing effects, Psych Central notes.
Balance
Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans provide you with the carbohydrates to release serotonin. Too many carbohydrates may pose the risk of causing fatigue. In that case, you can balance your protein and carbohydrate intake by choosing milk, cheese or beans, which have high amounts of protein and carbohydrates, or including turkey, nuts, oats or peanut butter, which contain tryptophan, in your meals.
