I'm not lookin for herbal remedies that elevate mood, just want to know if you can generate or maintain serotonin levels within your own body somehow (example excercise?) and/or if you can eat foods (not herbal supplements) that provide or create or maintain serotonin levels.
2006-11-01 06:35:19 · 10 answers · asked by PonyGirl 1 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Exercise. meditation, cognitive therapy are my ways/
2006-11-01 06:37:29 · answer #1 · answered by Buffy Summers 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Carbohydrate-rich meals often increase serotonin levels. However, manipulating serotonin levels through food may be very difficult to achieve because serotonin's properties may have varying effects in different people. Some people may experience a temporary lift in mood after a carbohydrate-rich meal, while others may become relaxed or sleepy. Certain foods that increase serotonin levels aren't the healthiest choices either. Believe it or not, candy and sweets, which are simple carbohydrates, have the greatest impact, but the effect will only last 1 - 2 hours. Complex carbohydrates (rice, potato, pasta) may increase serotonin levels, but not to the same extent because the protein content of these foods might actually inhibit serotonin production.
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2006-11-01 06:51:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
True licorice, like in licorice root tea. More than 3 cups a day can have an adverse effect though. Ginger, rosemary, purslane, ginko. Foods rich in B vitamins.
I'm using a combination of licorice tea and the researched amount of St. John's Wort, and after 4 weeks am noticing results. I don't know which is more responsible because I started both at the same time. I suspect the St. John's Wort at this point, although the licorice tea started to help right away.
There isn't a distinction between retaining serotonin and mood elelevation; one is the cause the other is the effect.
2006-11-01 13:55:53 · answer #3 · answered by Singinganddancing 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
natural ways to increase mood are to take supps...there are a lot of things that foods cant give us or that the sheer ammount of food that would need to be eaten to get the same effect as a supplement would be quite large. Food or supplements high in B vitamins and Zinc and Magnesium are good for overall mood and even promote restful sleep. Other OTCs combine ZMA with other natural chemicals that help promote the release of L-Dopa (dopamine) in the brain. Try ZMApm by Kaizen or other ZMA products.
2006-11-01 13:54:26 · answer #4 · answered by bigzellbo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin. It is available in health food stores or the natural living section of many super markets.
I have made hot chocolate from chocolate drinks containing powdered protein, like Instant Breakfast, or Slim-fast. Tryptophan is found in protein and taking it this way makes it readily available to the bloodstream, I have found. I am ethnically Irish, and we have a tendency, (well documented) toward depression. I get a "lift" from this.
2006-11-01 06:50:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Serotonin comes from the amino acid tryptophan. By eating tryptophan rich foods you can naturally boost levels of serotonin. Turkey, chicken, fish, pheasant, partridge, cottage cheese, bananas, eggs, nuts, wheat germ, avocados, milk, cheese and the legumes (beans, peas, pulses, soy), and there are also smaller amounts in breads, cereals, potatoes and rice.
Avoid sugary foods, refined carbohydrates (such as chips, white bread, white rice and other processed foods), and alcohol.
Oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon, tuna, herrings and sardines, and also fish oil supplements, cold-pressed flax and walnut oils prepare the receptors to receive the serotonin.
Exercise elvates endorphins = feeling good.
2006-11-01 06:42:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Get up in the A.M. and sit on your porch or deck IN THE SUN, Sunlight entering your eyes ..... thats how your body creates Serotonin naturally. Depressed ? sit in the sun for a while. Need a boost? sit in the sun. Try it, you'll see. NEVER LOOK INTO THE SUN !!! Just enjoy the light.
2006-11-01 06:43:16 · answer #7 · answered by twostories 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
exercise is good for you, true, but seratonin is a sunshine thing,. Get out in the sun more, and it will help to maintain a good level. That's why seasonal affected depression is such a thing in the winter.
2006-11-01 06:39:21 · answer #8 · answered by mxzptlk 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Try browsing through these forum discussions about serotonin, found by a health forums search engine:
http://dnoneoftheabove.com/?cx=002486926153363561559%3Ayblv8b6jj6c&q=%22raise+serotonin%22+naturally&sa=Go&cof=FORID%3A9
2006-11-01 06:40:21 · answer #9 · answered by Jim 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
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2006-11-01 07:13:41 · answer #10 · answered by Zandien 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋