The Benefits and Function of Serotonin

What is serotonin? What is the main function of serotonin? What is serotonin syndrome? What happens when there is serotonin deficiency?

Serotonin is a chemical and it is a neurotransmitter. It is produced from tryptophan which is an amino acid. This production happens mostly in the nerve cells and spinal cord of the central nervous system. It is then stored mostly in the intestines or gastrointestinal tract and also in the blood platelets.

Tryptophan is obtained from your diet or the foods you eat. One of the ways to increase serotonin is to increase foods that contain tryptophan or take natural health supplement that contains 5-HTP or 5-Hydroxytryptophan. Some of the foods that will increase your serotonin levels are meat, chicken, milk, eggs, cod fish, sesame seed, salmon, white wheat flour, white rice, sunflower seed and parmesan cheese. Taking vitamin B6 may improve tryptophan's ability to produce serotonin.

The main function of serotonin is to transmit or relay messages from one nerve cell in your brain to another. This action will affect human functions such as sleep, memory, learning abilities, sexual desires, moods, production of breast milk, cardio muscles and appetite. The function of serotonin in the guts or intestines is to regulate digestive process.

The other benefits of serotonin are to regulate body temperature and improve attention and alertness. Another possible function of serotonin is it may calm hyperactivity. Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Duke University discovered that boosting serotonin levels in the brain can produce a calming effect. Another function of serotonin is it helps control the release of insulin from cells in the pancreas.

A serotonin deficiency or imbalance happens when the production of serotonin is low. One of the effects is mood disorder. This can lead to eating disorder, depression, anxiety and other negative related emotions. This is one of the reasons why doctors prescribe medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for people who are depressed.

Bleeding can also affect the serotonin level and so is its interaction with some hormones. Women seem to have lower levels before and during menstruation, after childbirth and nearing menopause. Taking high amount of foods with myo inositol may also reduce your serotonin level. Some examples of myo inositol foods are grapefruit, bran flakes, brussel sprouts and cantaloupe.

An excess of serotonin production causes serotonin syndrome. This doesn't happen from the food you eat. It is due to combining wrong medication such as taking anti depressant and migraine medication together. An overdose of antidepressant medication, certain dietary supplements and taking illicit drugs will also cause an imbalance. Some of serotonin syndrome symptoms are restlessness, diarrhea, shivering, rapid heart rate, excessive sweating and loss of muscle coordination.

If you feel that you need to increase your serotonin, the best way to get natural serotonin is to eat foods that contain tryptophan. And to balance your serotonin levels, exercise and get enough sunlight. Studies show that acupuncture and bright light therapy also help balance serotonin levels.

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