How to naturally boost serotonin levels to feel HAPPIER

Find out 4 ways to naturally boost serotonin - a "feel-good" hormone that regulates your mood, happiness, and well-being! Keep on reading....

What is serotonin and why is it important?

Serotonin functions as both a neurotransmitter and hormone; its key role is to stabilise and regulate mood, happiness, and feelings of well-being. It is also involved in many other processes in the body, including sleep, digestion, and memory. Needless to say, it’s pretty important.

Low levels of serotonin have been linked to numerous emotional, behavioural, and mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and OCD. If you have low levels of serotonin, you might feel:

- Low, depressed, or anxious

- Irritable or aggressive

- Fatigued due to sleep issues

- Less hungry due to decreased appetite

- Nauseous due to digestive issues

{Please note: just because you have any of these symptoms does not mean you have low levels of serotonin or an emotional disorder. There are many other reasons why you may experience these symptoms}

Now, let’s get into 4 ways you can naturally boost your serotonin levels to better regulate your mood and happiness.

1) Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine

Everyone feels better when the sun’s out, am I right? Well, there’s actually research that supports this.

Exposure to sunshine and bright light has been repeatedly shown to increase serotonin levels and help people with anxiety and depression (Beecher et al., 2016; Nall, 2019). Being exposed to bright light has shown to be helpful for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (Campbell et al., 2017). SAD is a type of depression related to seasonal changes and is especially apparent during winter months when there is increased darkness and fewer hours of daylight. If you can’t experience natural sunshine, light therapy which uses artificial light can still be helpful, as research suggests (Campbell et al., 2017). You can get a light therapy box at home which mimics natural light which is said to improve your serotonin activity as well as lowering your melatonin (hormone that makes you feel sleepy).

{Please note: whilst getting some sun is beneficial for our mood and well-being, as you know too much sun exposure can be very harmful to your health – so make sure you are using appropriate protection for your skin and don’t spend too much time in direct sunlight}

2) Music

Who doesn’t love music? I do! Isn’t it great when something you love can actually be good for you too?! Research shows that listening to feel-good music that you enjoy increases serotonin and dopamine - neurotransmitter responsible for feeling pleasure and satisfaction (Mavridis, 2015). And remember, keeping your serotonin levels up is important for your mental and emotional well-being. Listening to music also releases endorphins in the brain which increase feelings of excitement and pleasure as well as suppressing feelings of anxiety (Jernigan, 2021).

Walking on Sunshine is an excellent example of a feel-good song! Think of the songs that make you feel happy when you listen to them. I suggest making a playlist of these songs and whenever you need a pick-me-up, you can hit the play button and let them do their magic.

3) Exercise

Engaging in regular exercise and physical activity can do wonders for your mental health as well as your physical health. Research has shown that working out reduces mental health problems such as anxiety and depression (Mikkelsen et al., 2017). Doing about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise can significantly increase your serotonin production (Higgins, 2019). Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, running, swimming, and cycling.

You don’t have to join a gym, just getting outside and going for a nature walk will not only improve your physical health, but also improve your mental and emotional well-being!

4) Diet

Diet affects your mental health. There I said it.

Although serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter, it’s estimated that about 90-95% of serotonin is actually produced in the gut (Carpenter, 2012)! When you eat lots of junk food and drinks (greasy, fatty, ultra-processed, added sugars etc.), it imbalances the gut microbiome which then interferes with your serotonin production (Naidoo, 2019). As you know by now, serotonin is directly linked to mood, happiness, and well-being. So, you are going to want to avoid junk food and drinks as much as possible. That’s not to say you can’t indulge in a sweet treat now and then, just not every day.

Now, it’s important to note that you cannot directly gain serotonin from food. However, what you eat, and thus the condition of your gut, affects how well your body produces and uses serotonin.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that enables the production of serotonin in your body. Foods that are high in protein, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin B6 all tend to contain large amounts of tryptophan (Healthline, 2020). Examples of such foods include: eggs, salmon, spinach, nuts, seeds, tofu and other soy products. However, tryptophan cannot boost serotonin levels on their own. That's where carbs come in - can I get a cheer?! Carbohydrates promote the absorption of amino acids. This is why it’s suggested that foods that contain tryptophan, when eaten alongside healthy carbs such as whole grain bread, rice, fruits and vegetables, can naturally boost serotonin levels (Healthline, 2020).

Well, there you have it! 4 ways you can naturally boost your serotonin levels.

All the best,

Danielle

References:

Beecher, M. E. (2016). Sunshine on my shoulders: Weather, pollution, and emotional distress. Journal of Affective Disorders (205), 234-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.021

Campbell, P. D., Miller, A. M., & Woesner, M. E. (2017). The Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine, 32, E13-E25. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6746555/

Carpenter, S. (2012). That gut feeling. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling

Healthline. (2020). 7 Foods That Could Boost Your Serotonin: The Serotonin Diet. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/foods-that-could-boost-your-serotonin

Higgins, J. P. (2019). Want to get happy? Exercise. Retrieved from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/renew-houston/fitness/article/Want-to-get-happy-Exercise-serotonin-13835803.php

Jernigan, C. (2021). The Science Behind the Sound (Music Therapy and Our Brains). Retrieved from https://www.incadence.org/post/the-science-behind-the-sound-music-therapy-and-our-brains

Mavridis, I. N. (2015). Music and the nucleus accumbens. Surigcal and Radiologic Anatomy, 37, 121-125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-014-1360-0

Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, 106, 48-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003

Naidoo, U. (2019). Gut feelings: How food affects your mood. Harvard Health Blog. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gut-feelings-how-food-affects-your-mood-2018120715548

Nall, R. (2019). What are the benefits of sunlight? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight