How to increase our serotonin level naturally

There are times when we feel down and we don't know why. Nothing special has happened but we are unable to achieve a satisfactory state of mind. In these cases, the cause may be low serotonin levels.

A fast pace of life, a poor diet and lack of exercise make our levels levels of serotonin drop, causing a highly variable mood and generally down. Nevertheless, there are ways to increase serotonin naturally. We will see them throughout this article.

• Related article: "Serotonin: 6 effects of this hormone on your body and mind"

Serotonin: the hormone of happiness

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is synthesized, among many other places, in our brain. Traditionally, it has been named after the "happiness particle" or the "happiness neurotransmitter."

The reason is that serotonin is the main one in charge of regulating our mood. This neurotransmitter, which also plays a fundamental role in the regulation of our intestinal function, has the ability to carry out the chemical reactions necessary to increase our feeling of well-being and satisfaction.

In the same way, serotonin can help us better cope with the stress and tension of day to day. However, when stress levels are considerably high, it tends to go down. So we run the risk of experiencing a certain emotional instability.

In addition, the serotonin deficit, together with a whole set of external and internal factors, can facilitate the appearance and development of any type of depressive disorder. The reason is that when our body stops synthesizing it, for reasons of stress, due to deficiencies in our diet, etc., we are less skillful when it comes to control the ups and downs in our mood.

This neurotransmitter of happiness is synthesized in our body thanks to the action of tryptophan. This molecule is an essential amino acid vital for the proper functioning of our brain. Fortunately, tryptophan is found in a wide variety of foods, so the consumption of these, along with a healthy lifestyle, can help us increase serotonin levels and, consequently, feel much better.

• Related article: "Types of neurotransmitters: functions and classification"

How to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain?

As mentioned above, there are ways to increase the levels of serotonin in our body. Although there are man-made ways to keep our serotonin levels high, there are many other natural - and much more satisfying - ways to raise it.

We'll see now a series of recommendations or tricks that we can carry out when we feel that our mood is not very positive.

1. Try to lower stress levels

As specified at the beginning of the article, serotonin can help us better deal with stress. However, when levels of this are excessive, it is stress that exerts a damaging influence on serotonin.

Constant stress lowers serotonin and increases our blood levels of estradiol, the stress hormone, lowering our defenses and worsening our health both physical and psychological.

In addition, another of the effects of stress is related to diet, the main pillar for the correct synthesis and maintenance of serotonin levels. When we feel stressed, our body asks us for foods rich in fats, carbohydrates and sugars; three of the main enemies of serotonin.

Therefore, it is not necessary to wait to feel down to start worrying about our stress and our diet, but rather It is advisable to maintain a healthy lifestyle that helps us avoid, or at least counteract, this decay

2. Varied diet rich in tryptophan

It is necessary to insist on the importance of achieving a nutritionally varied and balanced diet. Most foods contain tryptophan. However, there are a number of them that are distinguished by having a high content of this amino acid. These are:

• Turkey and chicken meat.
• Blue Fish.
• Dairy products.
• Pineapple, avocados and plums.
• Spinach, beetroot, carrot, celery, dates and broccoli.
• Nuts (which also provide magnesium and omega-3).
• Whole grains and brown rice.
• Sesame and pumpkin seeds.
• Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, or soybeans.
• Dark chocolate.
• Spirulina.

Therefore, a healthy diet that contains these foods on a daily basis will help us to satisfy our needs for tryptophan and, therefore, to keep our serotonin levels high.

3. Avoid consuming simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are highly refined sugars that are digested very quickly and they have hardly any nutritional value, since they do not contain enough essential nutrients.

Foods that contain simple carbohydrates include:

• Pastries and sweets with refined sugar.
• Non-integral pasta.
• White rice.
• White bread.

4. Increase omega-3 intake

In addition to tryptophan, there are many other elements present in food that can help us increase our serotonin levels. A diet rich in fatty acids, such as omega-3, favors the production and regulation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline.

One of the main sources of healthy fats is oily fish and shellfish. Nevertheless, there are other foods such as avocado, walnuts and flax, chia and hemp seeds, foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid.

5. Avoid drinking coffee and stimulating drinks

Drinks with a high caffeine content, such as coffee or some types of soda or energy drinks, increase the secretion of adrenaline and cortisol; substances that, as we have seen before, are the main antagonists of serotonin.

In addition, these drinks are also characterized by their high sugar content, which makes them extremely exciting foods with very little nutritional value.

6. Perform physical exercise

It is well known that physical exercise facilitates the metabolism of serotonin and therefore increases the levels of this.

For this reason, doing physical activities regularly can help us keep our serotonin levels high, since it also increases our tryptophan levels.

7. Find places with sun and lots of light

Another compound that has a powerful effect on serotonin production is vitamin D. In addition to food, this vitamin D increases with exposure to sunlight. These sun rays are a very important help to get vitamin D, since it is synthesized in the skin from its rays.

In this way, work in bright spaces, exercise outdoors or go for a walk. by nature they will be perfect allies when we feel emotionally good and stable.

8. Sleep the necessary hours

Lack of sleep is another of the main enemies in our fight against stress and fatigue. While we sleep our body restores our serotonin levelsTherefore, adequate rest will also be essential when it comes to keeping our mental health intact.