Low brain levels of serotonin can lead to anxiety and depression. Popular prescription medications for anxiety and depression work by blocking a transporter that inactivates serotonin by transporting it back into the cells. Though these drugs are effective, you can also raise your serotonin levels by eating serotonin foods. These include foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, tryptophan and vitamin B.
Raising Your Serotonin Levels
Step 1
Consult with your physician to determine whether your serotonin levels may be below normal. Discuss potential treatment options, including prescription medicines and dietary changes.
Step 2
Follow your physician's advice. If your doctor recommends a serotonin diet, substitute some of the ingredients in your normal diet with foods high in omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 acid aids the functionality of serotonin. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, herring, trout, sardines, eggs and flax oil.
Step 3
Include foods high in tryptophan in your diet. Foods high in tryptophan include flax seeds, flax oil, whey protein, buckwheat, fish, tofu, turkey, sunflower seeds and chickpeas. As tryptophan is an essential amino acid, you cannot synthesize this chemical on your own. So, you need a daily supply from your food intake.
Step 4
Add vitamin B to your diet. Vitamin B deficiencies can lower your serotonin levels. To prevent a deficiency, include foods high in vitamin B, such as meat, poultry, corn, legumes, peas, brown rice, nuts, nutritional yeast, green leafy vegetables, eggs and sunflower seeds.
Step 5
Include carbohydrates in your diet. Judith J. Wurtman, author of "The Serotonin Power Diet, Eat Carbs, Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant, to Stop Emotional Overeating" suggests that diets too low in carbs may lower serotonin levels. Good sources of carbohydrates include whole-grain bread and pasta, brown rice, legumes, vegetables and fruit.
References
- Why Serotonin Can Cause Depression and Anxiety
- The Huffington Post: Dropping Serotonin Levels: Why You Crave Carbs Late in the Day, by Judith D. Wurtman
- Omega 3 Fish Oils and Diet Help Alleviate Depression, by Dr. Barry Sears
- Psychology Today: Vitamins: Busy B's, by Hara Estroff Marano
- "Journal of Psychiatry and Neurosciece"; How to Increase Serotonin in the Human Brain without Drugs; Simon N. Young; November 2007
