Staying healthy involves ensuring that your body has enough vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, a mineral that helps regulate calcium levels and ensures that organs function properly. Serotonin is a brain chemical known as a neurotransmitter, and levels of this substance help keep your mood stable and sleep patterns regular. Boosting levels of magnesium and serotonin is possible, but before attempting to do so, talk with your doctor to make sure this is safe and appropriate for you.
Step 1
Take a magnesium supplement. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that adult males consume 270 to 400 mg daily, and that adult females get 280 to 300 mg. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you need more magnesium, and you should talk with your doctor about an appropriate amount.
Step 2
Add a SAMe supplement to your routine. SAMe may help increase levels of serotonin. MayoClinic.com recommends taking 800 to 1,600 mg daily for up to six weeks. Before taking SAMe, talk with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you to use.
Step 3
Take 50 mg of 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, one to three times daily, recommends the University of Maryland Medical Center. This chemical is converted into serotonin by the body, helping to boost levels of this neurotransmitter. Check with your doctor before using 5-HTP to see if it is appropriate for you.
Step 4
Incorporate magnesium-rich foods into your diet, like legumes, whole grains, Brazil nuts, soybeans, pine nuts, green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, chocolate and shredded wheat. Herbs and spices such as coriander, basil, cocoa powder and poppy seed also contain magnesium.
Step 5
Exercise regularly. According to Simon Young in an article published in the "Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience" in 2007, exercise helps boost mood, likely through increased serotonin levels. Before starting an exercise regimen, check with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you to do so.
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