Serotonin: Problems For Its Deficiency, Benefits And How To Increase It Naturally

On some occasion you have surely wondered why you have frequent changes in your mood, and if they tell you that they obey serotonin you will surely not be familiar with that word, now serotonin is a hormone that is responsible for establishing communication at the level of neurons throughout our nervous system, it is for this reason that specialists in the area identify it as a neurotransmitter, that is, it carries all the information that the human nervous system needs to function correctly.

Food plays a fundamental role in the synthesis of this substance , through this process it is that a better transmission of information is given to the nervous system, of this process will depend in most cases states of anxiety , depression in all its forms and In serious cases of psychiatric diseases, it has been patented according to large investigations that the intake of foods such as tofu, bananas , red meat, fish have an important contribution in helping this neurotransmitter to fulfill its correct function within our organism.

What is serotonin for?

One of the main functions of serotonin is to contribute to the proper functioning of our body, it is responsible for establishing the levels of sexual desire in men and women as well as being responsible for our reactions to situations that generate stress, you can check it at once in which a situation that generates pressure arises, your response to that event can give you an idea of ​​what serotonin does, send the necessary information to the neurons so that you resolve that feeling that somatizes some discomfort, in the same way the Serotonin produces within the human body melatonin which is a substance that is responsible for regulating normal sleep cycles .

Action mechanisms

There are studies that show that this neurotransmitter may be related to:

BOWEL FUNCTION

Specialists in the area affirm that it regulates intestinal function since serotonin is capable of regulating appetite , therefore the intestine has the possibility of digesting food at the correct time, which would prevent you from suffering from constipation or flatulence.

MOOD

Serotonin sends stimuli to the brain that can be evidenced in your moods, it is there where people sometimes unintentionally constantly manifest feelings of sadness or happiness, there are different opinions in the world that compare serotonin with lethal drugs that they wreak havoc on the human body .

COAGULATION

This chemical substance helps that when you suffer an injury in any part of your body the platelets that exist in the human body release serotonin which in turn sends signals to the brain and this to the nervous system which has the result of making the blood vessels contract, forming blood clots that begin to heal the wound.

SICKNESS

Among the favorable functions for humans, serotonin can cause that when a person ingests chemicals that are harmful to health, the speed of the digestive system increases, causing the affected person to have diarrhea and vomiting, thus expelling that toxic substance thanks to the serotonin.

BONE DENSITY

The medical specialists conclude that all the excesses in any area of ​​life are not favorable much less in health; They state that osteoporosis in humans in many cases is due to high levels of serotonin.

SEXUALITY

It has been shown that people who have high levels of this neurotransmitter report having low rates of sexual desire, which leads to another series of inconveniences in the life of a couple.

The Hormone of Happiness

Much is said about the relationship that serotonin has with the moods that a person can show in a normal day, in the same way they relate it to the response that people have to any situation that generates stress, that is why you should know what the low levels of this chemical can generate.

When a person has serotonin at levels that are not regular or normal, severe depression and sudden mood swings can occur, anxiety this in turn is about coping with consuming food without any control causing the person to gain weight.

Now, once you have identified these factors that harm health, it is important that you identify what you can do to maintain adequate levels of serotonin, you must stay away from those situations or stressors that generate those pressures that you cannot deal with without endangering your emotional balance, avoid consuming large servings of caffeine as it is proven to alter the nervous system.

In order to maintain serotonin in your body, you only have to do what gives you a feeling of pleasure, not only sex you can also work on what you really like, live life from positivity, always being you in any situation.

Where is serotonin produced?

Science, in its attempt to find a logical explanation for all the processes that make up the proper functioning of the human body, has determined that serotonin can be generated almost entirely in the digestive system of the human being and in the brain, in the same way it can be found in the central nervous system because its neurotransmitter function is widely proven.

Normal values ​​of this hormone

The medical test used to measure serotonin levels in the blood is called the serum serotonin level. It can be identified as a result of normal ranges from 101 to 283 nanograms per milliliter (ng / mL).

Reasons this test is done

In order to reach an accurate medical diagnosis, many patients go to their doctors in order to find a cure for their ailments, high levels of serotonin can trigger tumors in the liver or in the digestive system, most of the people affected at the time of routine tests have high levels of this substance in both urine and feces.

Serotonin deficiency and depression

There is research related to serotonin as responsible for the different ways in which depression is evidenced, when a person has a decrease in the production of this chemical substance, the main function of being a neurotransmitter will decrease which results that the person does not have the capacity or the positive impulse in any situation in the different areas of daily life.

The anxiety , the personality disorders, anger may be related to serotonin and its effects in humans but has never been able to check the levels of serotonin in the human brain, it is very true that is responsible for sending those messages towards the nervous system and each person will manifest a different behavior and stimulus. It is important to note that depression often produces physical symptoms, painful, cardiac, digestive symptoms, which are said to be physical because the depressed person somatizes depression.

Serotonin and postpartum depression

The natural process of being able to give life to another human being is often a moment that some women do not want to live again, this is due to postpartum depression that is related to the low levels of serotonin in the blood of these women. It is important that you know that postpartum depression develops quickly, generally lasts 1 to 3 days after delivery but can last for months, most women suffer from this process but some cannot overcome it without specialized help.

During pregnancy there is a great secretion of endorphins and a hormonal state that favors good mood, serotonin is present in excellent levels which allows the anxious mother to feel happy, when the birth arrives a hormonal change begins again abrupt, changes the whole family routine, that encounter with the new reality favors the appearance of postpartum depression.

Regarding treatment or medication, in the first instance it is recommended to establish normal values ​​for serotonin, in the same way certified specialists can decide if it is necessary to use antidepressants that are very effective but can produce a large number of side effects. especially at the beginning of the treatment when your body has not gotten used to it yet.

Relationship between serotonin and anxiety

Anxiety is an inherent process of the human species, which is why anxiety can be classified as a pathological state with a series of symptoms such as irritability, intolerance to loud noises, slight memory loss, muscle tension and cognitive deficit. Now serotonin is related to states of anxiety because when there are low levels of this substance, neurons do not receive an adequate message and it is at that moment where symptoms begin to be observed, such as anxiety for example.

Anxiety is characterized by manifesting alterations in the vegetative nervous system, especially by an increase in the tone of the nervous system, which is in charge of accelerating all the organic processes of our body, this acceleration is often not manifested physically, but by the rapidity of mental processes, which cause difficulties in concentrating on conversations or on a specific topic. When anxiety increases, nervous breakdowns occur in which loss of self-control is often evident, which can generate unpleasant situations.

Check out our article on anxiety: Disease or Global Plague of the 21st century?

Serotonin and the circadian rhythm

The differences between physical and mental changes according to the activities that a human being performs between day and night is known as the circadian rhythm, when a person is at rest, that is, during the hours of deep night sleep, serotonin in blood levels it is in its minimum expression while, during the day in daily activities this substance reaches the optimal levels that generate proper functioning of the body. Our body engages with these hormonal rhythms and works as a two-phase system:

• The morning phase that begins with sunrise
• The night phase that ends at sunset.

The circadian rhythm we can then infer that during the morning hours it reduces serotonin and sleep levels, considerably increases adrenaline and norepinephrine and likewise keeps you in a constant state of alert, raises cortisol levels, improves metabolism. , allows non-harmful levels of insulin in the blood and consequently a better mood and energy. During the nights, on the contrary, the level of serotonin increases producing sleep and a feeling of tranquility and relationship, decreases adrenaline and alertness, as well as reduces cortisol, metabolism and insulin, as well as the growth hormone is activated and is produces more fat.

Check out our article on the circadian rhythm .

Serotonin benefits

The most important thing for your health is to learn to preserve it, for this you must begin by learning to establish a balance in all the biological processes of your body, it is for them that maintaining adequate levels of serotonin can help you:

Get a good night’s sleep

The correct levels of this chemical in the blood will allow you to achieve sensations of relaxation that are conducive to rest, sleep and rest your mind and body, and therefore start a new day with a lot of positive energy.

For a calmer sleep, be sure to visit the following article 15 Essential Tips for a Peaceful and Restful Sleep .

Helps in digestion

At present, thanks to advances in science, it is proven that the greatest amount of serotonin can be located in the digestive system, the balance in the levels of this substance will help to make a correct digestion of food, thus avoiding suffering from the colon. irritable and intestinal pain.

Reduces the risk of obesity

L to serotonin gives to the body a sense of relaxation to eating, so feel satiety consuming small amounts of food, just as levels of serotonin correct combat anxiety then avoid eating foods that are conducive to weight gain.

Prevents premature skin aging

Because it produces a large amount of antioxidants that help the skin to eliminate dead cells, thus achieving rejuvenation .

Check here: How to prevent premature aging?

Relieves stress and anxiety

Because serotonin at night favors the production of sleep and allows total relaxation, during those moments the brain allows you to approach those situations from the background and decide the reactions that best suit you.

Low blood serotonin

It is important that if your specialist doctor tells you whether or not you should perform an exam to determine your serum level, that is, to know your serotonin levels in the blood, identifying the symptoms is of vital importance to determine whether or not you need this test. , you must always keep in mind that the main thing is to maintain an optimal state of health that is why you must pay attention to the signals that your body sends you, if you regularly have insomnia, anxiety, you get depressed easily, the cause is probably low levels of serotonin, but it can also be due to other health conditions, so your doctor is the one to guide you.

Physical and emotional symptoms

Identifying what serotonin produces in your body and mind is your main task if you want to regulate its levels and have a better quality of life, it is for them that I present some of the symptoms that this substance produces in your body:

1. Regulate positive and negative moods: Once the levels of this substance are regularized in your body, you are the only one who decides how to present yourself to other people, it is your task to show that you can deal with situations that generate stress without losing patience by maintaining always a positive vision of what surrounds you.
2. Controls the level of body temperature: Serotonin is in charge of the thermal regulation of our body, that is, when we have fevers due to any disease at those times, serotonin begins a fight with that factor that generates the elevation of the temperature of your body.
3. It influences sexual desire: This chemical substance is oriented to fulfill the function of providing your body with sensations that generate pleasure and relaxation, which is why desire and subsequent sexual activity favor serotonin standards.

Causes and consequences

Identifying which are the factors that influence keeping serotonin low is very important that is why you should know the following:

• Eating sugars and processed flours favors the production of anaerobic bacteria that alter the bacterial flora in the intestines, which affects bacteria that do not help the food digestion process, constipation occurs and tryptophan absorption is not achieved. which is an amino acid that gives us the consumption of meats, bananas and milk, this causes that the alteration of the intestinal flora does not allow the synthesis of serotonin, thus preventing it from reaching the nervous system correctly.
• Stress, on many occasions people live from day to day exhausted, irritable, with mood swings, this state produces a hormone called cortisol, which recent studies have shown that it produces a toxic action in the brain, so we can infer that the presence cortisol generates unfavorable conditions in the brain and serotonin in specific decreases considerably in the presence of cortisol.

Once the causes of low serotonin have been identified, it is necessary to establish what consequences it brings to your body:

• Sudden mood swings: It is notorious how from one moment to another a person goes from being happy to being sad or upset, generating uncertainty within the social or family group where the person operates.
• Sleep disorders: Due to the stress caused by not knowing how to react favorably to specific situations in daily life.
• Aggressions due to common situations: They are always manifested by simple situations which leads to the person being left without friends and even family members move away.
• Eating problems, appetite and obesity: When a person suffers a drop in serotonin levels, this neurotransmitter does not carry the message it should to the nervous system, it is there where nervous breakdowns are born, people do not adapt, they fight constantly, this to in turn, it encourages the anxiety that is directed towards food, it is to eat for the sake of eating without thinking about the consequences.

How to raise serotonin levels

Establishing a balanced diet with all the foods that you can have at your fingertips is essential to raise these levels of serotonin, add citrus fruits to your diet , which are rich in vitamin C , as this helps to counteract the presence of cortisol in your body who is in charge of making you feel more stress in situations that you can resolve from calm and tranquility without alterations, in the same way, add animal proteins and milk to each of your meals since these are rich in tryptophan, an excellent amino acid that helps in the synthesis of serotonin. It is important that you expand your knowledge regarding the potentialities offered by food, for example bananas, spinach and chocolate are excellent options if you want to raise this hormone in your body.

WITH THE USE OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

At present there are wide commercial options of these nutritional supplements not only to raise serotonin but also to provide well-being to your body, considering this it is necessary that you have the approval of experts in the area who indicate which is the supplement that is adapted to your needs and that it can not cause you any side effect.

The following article will inform you about more foods for your well-being Organic foods: distinguish them, eliminate pesticides, disadvantages and why eat them

AMINO ACIDS THAT PROMOTE THE NATURAL PRODUCTION OF SEROTONIN

Three of the most commonly used serotonin supplements are the amino acids tryptophan, 5-HTP, and SAM-e. Of which we will see more information immediately.

Tryptophan

It is an amino acid par excellence, it reaches your body thanks to the consumption of proteins of animal origin, this helps in the process of synthesizing serotonin in the digestive system, providing you with many benefits when digesting meals. It is important that you regulate the amounts of these foods that provide you with tryptophan, you must maintain a balance, do not allow yourself to be excesses.

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)

It comes from a plant native to Africa, its seeds are used to obtain its benefits, it is an ally of tryptophan in all this biological process that provides your body with well-being, the important thing is that if you have a supplement in your hands that is Indicated by a certified doctor, it is necessary to be oriented to your needs, familiarizing yourself with these terms that can be a bit difficult is the key for you to stay up to date with your health needs.

SAM-e (s-adenosylmethionine)

It is an excellent motivator of metabolism that is to say that if it also helped you lose weight, surely you did not know that this supplement is produced naturally by each of the cells of the body, around the world many researchers have implemented it to treat depressions achieving excellent results, It is a mixture that is related to the release of serotonin in our body.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS THAT INCREASE SEROTONIN

Serotonin plays a fundamental role within the central nervous system that is why the B group vitamins are classified as essential in the production of serotonin, these are:

• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): It is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that when it fulfills its function in the body, it is naturally discharged through the urine, it must be present to facilitate the conversion of 5-HTP or tryptophan to serotonin.
• Vitamin B9 (folic acid): Its presence in our body is necessary for the formation of structural proteins and to maintain optimal hemoglobin levels, it is proven that when the level of folic acid in the blood is low, serotonin levels are also low.
• Vitamin C : The presence of vitamin C in our body is of vital importance in metabolic reactions, in addition to this, consuming the daily dose could increase serotonin levels, in the same way there are studies that place it as a natural antidepressant.
• Vitamin D : It plays a very important role in the formation of our bones and teeth, in addition to that it favors the absorption of calcium at the time of digestion, in the same way it is related to cell rejuvenation, it is related to serotonin because the deficiency of both cause depression in people.
• Magnesium : This is presented as an essential component in all the detoxification processes of our body, in addition to that it helps balance serotonin levels, many studies reveal that it has very noticeable potential in the recovery of patients with psychiatric pathologies.
• Zinc : It is a mineral considered essential in our body, this is housed in our muscles, hair, bones, generating considerable improvements, when it fulfills its correct function it is disposed of from the body in a natural way, it helps in the correct absorption of serotonin.

HERBS THAT INCREASE SEROTONIN LEVELS

At present, everything related to the increase in serotonin in a natural way through herbs or plants is being in the public domain , surely accessing these will depend on where you are and your possibilities. The way you want to consume them will also depend on the indications of your specialist doctor and your creativity.

Curcumin (Turmeric longa)

It is a herbaceous silver originating in India, it has many properties, one of them is that it is known as a natural colorant to prepare meals, currently it is also very popular for its healing properties, since it has the goodness of producing dopamine and serotonin, studies have revealed that it is better absorbed by the human body when premixed with black pepper.

Garnicia cambodia

It is an acid fruit that has its origins in the Asian continent, it is made up of almost 200 varieties worldwide, it has many therapeutic uses, one of them is that when the juice of this fruit is mixed with L-Carnitine it is a powerful burner fat that promotes weight loss, also raises serotonin levels.

Rhodiola rosea

It is a small flowering plant that grows in any cold area of ​​the world, it is proven by natural medicine researchers that this silver has a large amount of adaptogens and its infusion helps control depression in women who have suffered severe cases of depression. postpartum, it is an excellent option to raise serotonin and combat stress.

FOODS THAT INCREASE IT NATURALLY

There is a wide variety of foods that are aimed at those people who have low levels of this chemical substance, these foods must contain tryptophan, which is the amino acid par excellence that helps serotonin fulfill the functions that correspond to it, the proteins of origin animals are the most indicated to obtain this amino acid, you must consume fresh fish, beef, chicken or lamb, eggs , milk and bananas, it is important that you maintain an adequate balance in the portions you eat since if you eat, for example, a lot of proteins will slow down the digestion process.

RAISE SEROTONIN WITH PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Throughout the day you should always think about giving your body a moment, to exercise , just 45 minutes of the physical activity you prefer is enough to help this chemical substance give you that feeling of satisfaction because you are doing a positive activity for your body. The fact of including a dose of exercises in the daily routine supposes a series of adjustments in your day to day, and implies some substantial changes in your habits. For example, walking constantly daily provides great benefits in the cardiovascular plane, it is estimated that walking half an hour three times a week and at a sustained speed improves the performance of the heart.

On the other hand, doing a little physical activity not only stimulates the production of serotonin but also the metabolism is benefited, its capacity to produce energy increases, therefore, adipose deposits or fats stored in the body are better consumed and you lose weight.

Now, you have already identified everything you can do to raise or maintain correct serotonin levels, now it is important that you sit down for a moment and internalize all the information, every effort you make will not give good results if you do not control stress and anxiety to This must take into consideration two factors: the situation that causes stress or stressors and your reaction in that circumstance, today it is considered that both factors, the person and the environment, mutually influence each other to produce stress. Which means that that feeling depends on how a person interprets that so-called situation, then you should take everything calmly, it is useless to have a good health condition if you do not know how to react to stress.

Do you want to look strong and healthy? do not hesitate to read the following article How to Get Fat and Gain Muscle Mass Healthily