Our mood and emotions are controlled by the levels of neurotransmitters in our body. However, food and activities can affect the levels of neurotransmitters. Therefore our mood and emotions can be controlled by food and activities. So you can see how useful is this knowledge! The logic is:
- If A = B and B = C, then A = C.
Firstly we need to understand the role of neurotransmitters.
Nerve cells do not connect to each other directly because that would limit the diversity and flexibility of neural communication. If nerve cells were directly connected, they would only be able to send and receive electrical signals of fixed intensity and duration. This would make the nervous system rigid and unable to adapt to changing conditions or perform complex tasks.
Neurotransmitters, on the other hand, allow nerve cells to communicate with each other in a more dynamic and versatile way. Neurotransmitters can vary in type, amount, and timing, which can affect the strength, frequency, and duration of neural signals. Therefore, the types of signal would be : electrical (through a nerve cell), then chemical (the neurotransmitter in the space between the 2 nerve cells) and then electrical again (through the next nerve cell).
There are a few types of neurotransmitters. For now we focus on DOSE - Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endophin. I have already written an article on dopomine which can be found here.
This article is about serotonin which affects many aspects of our health and well-being, such as your mood, sleep, digestion, and more. Serotonin is sometimes called the “happy chemical” because it can make you feel good and calm.
We can boost our serotonin level and hence our happiness through suitable food and activities.
Food:
Here are 3 groups of food that can increase the level of serotonin in our body:
- Food that contains tryptophan:
You may have heard of people saying that eating bananas makes you happy.- Why? Bananas contain high levels of tryptophan, an amino acid, which is converted into serotonin in your body.
- Some other food that are rich in tryptophan are eggs, cheese, fish, poultry, soy, nuts, and seeds.
- Food that contains omega-3 fatty acids to help your body produce and use serotonin. Some foods that are high in this nutrient are salmon, tuna, sardines, mushrooms, walnuts and flaxseed.
- Food that contains Vitamin D:
- Vitamin D can affect the production and function of serotonin in the brain.
- Vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to sunlight, as well as from foods such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna), egg yolks and mushrooms.
Activities:
Here are 5 activities that can increase the level of serotonin in our body:
- Regular Exercise: Engaging in physical activity, especially aerobic exercises like jogging, swimming and cycling.
- Sunlight Exposure: Sunlight exposure helps the body produce vitamin D, which plays a role in serotonin synthesis. Spending time outdoors in natural light can help elevate serotonin levels and improve mood.
- Meditation and Relaxation: Mindfulness practices, meditation and relaxation techniques can reduce stress and anxiety, which can indirectly support serotonin levels by promoting a positive mood.
- Socializing and Positive Relationships: Spending time with loved ones and engaging in social activities can boost serotonin.
- Dancing and listening to music can increase serotonin (and dopamine) level because dancing is a physical activity.
- Refer to (1)
- They have a calming and mood-enhancing effect. Listening to music you enjoy, while dancing to its beats, can lead to the release of dopamine and serotonin in response to the pleasurable experience.
- There is social interaction, refer to (4)
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