Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter that provides a chemical link between the neurons of the brain.
Natural serotonin is produced by the body during the digestion of healthy foods that contain the amino acid L-Tryptophan. If your digestion is not working well, you may lack serotonin. Read about the G.A.P.S. diet to learn more.
Serotonin is one of the chemicals which regulates emotion, and it is thought to play a large role in the biology of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, migraine, sexuality and appetite.
People who are suffering from problems in these health areas might have a serotonin deficiency. This deficiency may be caused by poor eating habits.
As well as being found in the brain, serotonin is found in abundance in the digestive system as well as the blood stream. When the proper foods are digested, the body creates natural serotonin.
For example, whey protein milkshakes contain the amino acid L-Tryptophan. When the protein is digested, the body converts the amino acid into natural serotonin as needed. This is the way nature intended for you to get your natural serotonin, from the digestion of various healthy foods.
Ask your doctor if natural serotonin may be an alternative to drugs or a complimentary treatment. In the treatment of depression and anxiety, SSRI pills (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are often taken in hopes of increasing the brain’s serotonin levels by increasing the amount of time that it stays in the brain.
However if the body has a shortage of natural serotonin, due to a poor diet, the drugs are simply trying to make the most out of the little bit of supply there is in the body.
The question is, why not also increase the supply, instead of only trying to make the little bit there is linger for a longer time? This is not to say drugs don’t have their place, consult your doctor.
But think about this. If someone has a shortage of Vitamin C and it was causing the symptoms of scurvy, would they take a drug to make the little bit of vitamin they did have last longer in their body? They might, but why not also just drink some orange juice and naturally get some more of the vitamin into the body? Hello, hello? Is health food a big mystery?
The human body is designed to produce natural serotonin from foods that contain amino acids. If someone is very low on serotonin it might be because the food they eat is junk and does not have the nutrients the body needs to support proper health.
Here is what can happen:
1. You eat a junk diet of processed and packaged foods.
2. You find yourself with a serotonin deficiency because your body can’t make any from the junk food you eat.
3. You either make the effort to eat whey protein and similar health foods that your body can use to create natural serotonin … or you don’t.
Most people don’t. Sad but true. They end up at the doctor and buy expensive pills because they wouldn’t make an effort to eat some health foods.
Here are three ways to get more natural serotonin into your body.
1. Health Foods: Drink a whey protein milkshake every day. We do. We put a scoop of chocolate flavor in a blender with a half a banana and some skim milk. It tastes delicious and helps keep your tummy flat too.
If using a blender is too much work you can get these milkshakes in ready to drink packages. Put some in the refrigerator and enjoy one each day.
2. L-Tryptophan Supplements: These were off the market for a long time due to one bad batch made by a foreign company. Now they are back and have passed the regulatory requirements for purity. One company that makes these is Doctor’s Best.
3. Take a look at a super high quality brain and mood formula that is made by a company we have great respect for named the Xtend Life company.
The editors of this website have used many of their products with great results. Their famous pure fish oil is also recommended for natural support of brain health.