How to Increase Our Serotonin Level Naturally: 8 Tips

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

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

Serotonin: the hormone of happiness

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that It is synthesized, among many other places, in our brain Traditionally, it has been assigned the name of the “happiness particle” or the “happiness neurotransmitter.”

The reason is that serotonin is the main one responsible for regulating our mood. This neurotransmitter, which also plays a fundamental role in regulating our intestinal functioning, 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 cope better with the stress and tension of everyday life. However, when stress levels are considerably high, it tends to decrease. So we run the risk of experiencing a certain emotional instability.

Furthermore, serotonin deficiency, 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, due to stress, deficiencies in our diet, etc., we are less skilled at 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 their consumption, along with a healthy lifestyle, can help us increase serotonin levels and, consequently, feel much better.

How to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain?

As mentioned above, there are ways to increase serotonin levels in our body. Although there are artificial 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 reduce stress levels

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

Constant stress decreases serotonin and increases our blood levels of estradiol, the stress hormone, decreasing our defenses and worsening our health both physically and psychologically.

Furthermore, another effect 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 until we feel down to start worrying about our stress and our diet, but the most advisable thing is to maintain a healthy lifestyle that helps us avoid, or at least counteract, this decline.

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 series of them that are distinguished by having a high content of this amino acid. These are:

Therefore, a healthy diet containing these foods daily will help us satisfy our tryptophan needs and, therefore, keep our serotonin levels high.

3. Avoid the consumption of simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are highly refined sugars that are digested very quickly and They have almost no nutritional value since they do not contain enough essential nutrients.

Foods that contain simple carbohydrates include:

4. Increase omega-3 consumption

In addition to tryptophan, there are many other elements present in foods 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-linoleic 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 serotonin metabolism and therefore increases its levels.

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

7. Look for places with sun and lots of light

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

In this way, working in spaces with lots of light, exercising outdoors or taking a walk in nature will be perfect allies when it comes to feeling 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 levels so adequate rest will also be essential when it comes to keeping our mental health intact.