Tart Cherries And Dopamine

Dopamine is a brain chemical associated with pleasure, reward, learning, motivation and motor control. A lack of this neurotransmitter may cause difficulty concentrating, loss of motor control, addiction, low sex drive, depression and cravings. Insufficient sleep and too much stress can reduce your dopamine levels, but your diet is also a factor. Sugar, alcohol and caffeine have a negative effect on your dopamine levels, but foods such as tart cherries can help naturally boost your dopamine levels.

Tart Cherries

Tart cherries are different from sweet cherries. Tart cherries are the kind you typically find in cherry pie and other cherry dishes. They are also called sour cherries, and their scientific name is Prunus cerasus. There are two kinds of tart cherries, amarelle and morello. Both kinds are red, but amerelle cherries have clear flesh and morello cherries have red flesh. Montmorency are a well-known type of amerelle cherry, and Balaton are a morello cherry.

Tyrosine

Cherries contain several healthy nutrients, including tyrosine, an amino acid. Your body makes dopamine from tyrosine, which it can then transform into the neurotransmitters ephinephrine and norepinephrine. Tart cherries are a good source of tyrosine. Almonds, bananas, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and avocados also contain tyrosine. Poor nutrition can lower dopamine levels but increasing tyrosine in your diet gives your body what it needs to make enough dopamine.

Antioxidants

Your body has neuron receptors in your brain that receive dopamine. If your neurons are damaged, dopamine can't bind to them. Free radicals are chemicals in your body that damage your cells and tissue. These substances can damage your neurons and interfere with dopamine use. Antioxidants are healthy substances found in many fruits and vegetables that neutralize free radicals. Tart cherries are rich sources of antioxidants. Eating cherries and other antioxidant foods helps protect your neurons. Tomatoes, blueberries, squash and bell peppers are some examples of other high-antioxidant foods.

Weight Management

Overeating and being overweight may contribute to lower dopamine levels, but eating tart cherries may help you stay slim. In a 2007 study published in the journal "Synapse," researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory found that overweight people had fewer dopamine receptors than those with a normal weight. However, rats that ate a high-fat diet with added whole tart cherry powder didn't gain as much weight as rats fed the same diet without the tart cherry powder, according to research conducted in 2008 at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center. As of 2011, it isn't known if tart cherries help humans the same way.

Calorie Restriction

Eating less may help raise dopamine levels. One way to prevent weight gain and help in weight loss is by restricting your food intake. Eating fewer calories may also help increase your dopamine receptors. The study published in "Synapse" found that rats who ate less had more dopamine receptors and lost fewer receptors as they aged.