Affiliate Disclaimer
Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readers
If you have been constantly feeling low and depressed, chances are that your levels of serotonin in the body are to be blamed. For the most part, there are natural ways to increase serotonin but I doubt many people even know about it.
Nobody likes to stay gloomy and dull and if it is the hormone in your body is making it happen; it is time to fight it back, isn’t it? Instead of injecting yourself with some form of supplements, isn’t it better we go all organic?
To help you find an answer on how to increase serotonin, we have brought together this article to put that energy and happiness within you.
What Happens When You Have Low Levels Of Serotonin?
Your lack of proper levels of serotonin in the body can have grave impacts that even you don’t have idea about.
More than anything, the lack of serotonin has been tied to some of the mood and mental health disorders that we witness on a common basis.
If your moods have been consistently down, chances are that your levels of serotonin in the body are to be blamed.
Some of the common symptoms of low levels of serotonin include:
- Anxious feeling
- Depression
- Low energy levels
- Persistent fatigue
- Sleeping disorders
- Affected and decreased appetite
- Nausea
- Issues with digestion
- Inclination towards binge eating unhealthy foods
How Does Serotonin Work?
Before we discuss about the natural ways to increase serotonin, it is important that we focus on the mode of action that serotonin works to help uplift our mood and such.
For the most part, it is best suggested that you understand the process involved.
Our brain is the one which receives the signal when it comes round to the lack of serotonin levels in the body. Once the gradient in the body is less, the same triggers the synaptic vesicles with serotonin molecules in the pre-synaptic ends of the neurons.
The vesicles gravitate down towards the membrane close towards the synaptic cleft and fuse to finally release the serotonin molecules to be caught by the receptors on the post-synaptic end by the process of exocytosis.
Once the serotonin molecules are released into the synaptic cleft, they are then pushed towards the 5-HT type serotonin receptors that are located on the post synaptic terminal. These are these attached to the designated receptors and then propelled to be dispersed through the neuronal transmission to the other brain parts to finally uplift and boost one’s mood.
Natural Ways To Increase Serotonin Levels
When it comes to the ways to increase Serotonin levels naturally, there are a number of ways in which you can do so.
It is important that you focus on the ways involved because at the end of the day that is what matters. Don’t overexert and try and keep things in place for yourself.
Let us take a look at some of the best ways, shall we?
1. Focus on Your Sleep
Your sleeping cycle has grave impacts on your mood, both knowingly and unknowingly. If you do want to keep a check on the overall prospect of your levels of serotonin in the body, it is important that you do keep an eye out on the amount of sleep you are getting.
Several studies have interlinked the prospects of lack of sleep with mental health disorders. If you have been depriving yourself of the necessary amount of sleep that is required to rejuvenate and energise your body, it is important that you find ways to induce quality sleep.
In a conducted study (R) on rats, it was found that the consistent lack of sleep have grave impacts on the brain’s serotonin receptors. This also did result in the making the receptors resistant which further ends up causing reduced levels of serotonin levels.
The findings are not that conclusive for clinical trials but more or less have possible impacts around. It is important that you thus focus on getting good and consistent sleep.
2. Exercise
Exercise is yet another one of the potent natural ways to boost serotonin levels in the body that you possibly didn’t have any kind of idea about.
It has been found that exercising enhances the levels of tryptophan in the body all the while reducing the levels of the other amino acids in the bloodstream. Once this is done, it creates a very ideal environment for the tryptophan to reach up to the brain to later trigger the serotonin release.
It is believed that the aerobic exercises like swimming, biking and even jogging are the ones who have the primary best impacts on the overall recovery like no other. The main aim with the serotonin release is to focus on heightening the heart rate in the individual.
3. Eat More Eggs
Yet another one of the natural ways to increase serotonin is to increase the consumption of eggs on a daily basis.
If you have been finding it a hard time to keep your mood and your mental health in check, the proteins from the egg can be of a lot of help.
Eggs boost the levels of tryptophan (R) in the blood plasma according to studies. Given that serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan, a gradual boost to the levels of the tryptophan can come in handy for boosting the serotonin levels as well.
Make sure that while cooking eggs, you don’t leave the yolk out because even that has a very important role. The yolk is possibly the most important part which is rich in tryptophan and a number of other compounds that is necessary for boosting the levels of serotonin in the bloodstream.
4. Take Vitamin B6 supplements
Vitamin B6 is yet another one of the beneficial ways to increase serotonin levels naturally. For the most part, if you have consistent depressive symptoms, it is best to get the condition checked out by the doctor.
The Vitamin B6 deficiency in the body does have potent impacts in causing abrupt lower levels of the serotonin in the bloodstream. If you want to boost the levels, it is best suggested to ensure that you either opt for supplements or acquire it through the natural food items like nuts and bananas and even via the meat and fish.
Vitamin B6 has been found to have direct impacts on boosting the levels of serotonin in the brain, thus helping alleviate one’s overall mood.
5. Get a Massage
One of the most common reasons behind the altered levels of serotonin in the brain could be because of the consistent stress and heightened levels of cortisol in the bloodstream.
If you have been looking around ways on how to increase serotonin, getting a massage is actually an effective way.
In a conducted study (R), it was found that massage therapy has beneficial impacts in helping round with decreasing the cortisol levels by 31% while simultaneously boosting the levels of serotonin by 28%.
Several other studies have also found that the levels of cortisol and serotonin counterfeit their functions which is why it is important that you do focus on the first managing your stress levels which in turn helps manage the serotonin levels effectively.
6. Sit Down in the Park
We live such a fast paced life that we have forgotten to just sit and catch a break at times. For the most part, that is what ends up causing a constant rift in our body, making it hard for us to manage and handle the kind of stress and distress that our minds go through.
For the best impacts, it is best suggested to ensure that you do focus on just catching a break every once in a while.
Nobody is asking you to spend your entire day sitting in a park (well, you can if you want to) but that isn’t the point.
Getting out of the same routine and doing something different can be equally rewarding and uplifting for your mental health.
This has also been found to have positive impacts on one’s serotonin levels in the body, thus helping round in boosting the mood as well.
7. Avoid Restricting Calories
Many of us tend to have issues with restricting our calories because of weight loss goals. That is possibly the last thing that you want to do.
Restrictive diets have negative impacts on the serotonin levels in the body and have been found to have negative impacts in one’s overall body functions as well.
When you try and over-restrict your calorie consumption, chances are that the same will end up causing an issue for your overall health.
Before jumping headfirst into cutting out the much needed calories for your body, focus on consulting with a doctor first and then proceeding along with the same.
8. Keep Your Mood Stable
It is true that serotonin plays a key role when it comes down to the mood but the same goes around vice versa too.
If you always have a sour mood, chances are that the same will end up affecting your levels of serotonin in the body as well.
Even a conducted study (R) with PET scan of the brain found that the people who are more likely happy have stable levels of serotonin in the body.
This is the primary reason why it is best suggested to ensure that you engage in doing activities that help keep your mood good and stable.
Apart from that, even the social interactions (R) have been found to have impacts on one’s levels of serotonin, thus further boosting the impacts it has on one’s health.
9. Soak in Some Sunshine
Yet another one of the natural ways to increase serotonin is by ensuring that you get in some sunshine.
The main reason why this is effective is because it has been scientifically proven that sunlight helps in kick-starting the overall levels of serotonin in the body.
If you want to indulge in activities that boost serotonin, spending around 20-30 minutes outside in the sun has been found to be the most important and easy way to do so.
In case you stay in an area which rarely sees sunlight, try out the lightbox therapy instead to help get the deprived exposure that you have been struggling with.
10. Enhance the Consumption of Vitamin B8
Inositol or Vitamin B8 is yet another one of the natural ways to raise serotonin levels in the body.
If you have been having a hard time maintaining the serotonin levels in the body, the best way to change that is by enhancing the consumption of the inositol in the diet.
Studies have found that it has a very beneficial impact in helping boost the serotonin activity in the brain, which can be a boon for some.
It is also beneficial in helping round in alleviating the condition of the anxiety and depression, thus further helping boost one’s well being for the better.
Some of the inositol rich foods that you can consume include fish, eggs, salmon, lean beef, spinach and a lot more.
11. Enhance the Intake of Magnesium
The benefits of magnesium for our body are profound.
Not only does it help alleviate mood, it has also been found to have beneficial impacts in regulating the blood pressure and the serotonin levels in the body effectively.
A conducted study (R) found that supplementing with magnesium did have beneficial impacts in helping round with the impacts of depression that one experiences.
Magnesium deficiency has been found to contribute to the lower levels of serotonin and can impact one’s mood and overall mental well being for the worse.
If you want to boost the serotonin levels in the body, it is best suggested that you do opt for consuming foods that are rich in magnesium.
12. Meditate
Meditation has amazing impacts on one’s overall well being. It has not just helped people battle their struggles with mental health but does have direct impacts on the levels of serotonin in the body as well.
Given that meditation has direct impacts in managing the stress and the levels of cortisol in the body, the same has been found to have effective benefits in helping boost the serotonin levels in the brain as well.
Acquiring the sense of inner peace is one of the primary ways that help in balancing out the overall problems associated with the lower levels of serotonin in the body.
13. Monitor Caffeine Intake
Your caffeine intake can have grave impacts on your serotonin reuptake in the brain.
This prospect has a very contradicting approach to it which is one of the reasons why it is best suggested to ensure that you focus on keeping levels in moderation.
Many people have reported saying that not having the caffeine kick is enough for them to have a bad morning. So, don’t cause any kind of abrupt changes to your routine but when it comes round to the caffeine intake, it is best suggested that you focus on keeping the overall prospect of intake in regulation and not overdo it.
It is ideal to keep the levels in between 200-450 mg per day for an overall better impact on your health and overall well being.
14. Consume More Carbs
It might come off as a surprise but carbs have actually been found to have amazing impacts in helping out with the natural ways to increase serotonin levels in the body.
The main reason why the carbs work is because of the fact that they promote better transport of the tryptophan to the brain which further helps in boosting the serotonin levels in the body.
The only thing with this is the fact that excess consumption of carbs come with side effects too. So, choose your activities wisely if you are increasing the carb intake in your body.
15. Be Optimistic
Being optimistic and have a positive outlook on life has been considered as one of the most important ways to increase serotonin levels naturally.
If you constantly have a negative outlook on life, chances are that you are going to end up being affected by the same which is why it is best suggested that you focus on the psychological prospects too.
You don’t need to go hell-bent in getting things done, just being there and effectively doing things that help boost your mind is enough to keep things in place for you.
Do what makes you feel food and that is often enough to keep your levels of serotonin in check.
16. Consume More of Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for your body and overall well being.
Often times, when it comes to the natural ways to raise serotonin, you can acquire the same with the consumption of more Vitamin C.
Prior studies (R) have found that people suffering from depression and anxiety are likely going to have a reduced level of Vitamin C in their body.
In order to overcome that and boost the serotonin levels by boosting the tryptophan levels in the body, consumption of Vitamin C is an absolute must.
Vitamin C also combats the condition of oxidative stress, thus further helping with the condition of the maintaining and overall good health like never before.
17. Essential Oils
It might not seem as such for many but essential oils are one of the best natural ways to boost serotonin.
There are a number of essential oils like peppermint, lavender etc. which have been found to have beneficial impacts in helping round with the condition of relaxing one’s mind and helping with the condition of stress which is one of the markers for the lack of serotonin in the body.
Aromatherapy is one of the best ways of calming your mind and thus helping recover the lack of proper levels of serotonin in the body.
18. Consume More Omega-3 Fatty Acids
An omega-3 fatty acid is yet another one of the natural ways to raise serotonin levels in the brain.
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) have been found to have beneficial impacts in helping boost the overall release of serotonin in the brain.
If you are looking for good natural sources for the omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and even avocado make for some of the best options around.
Here we have mentioned the top natural ways to increase serotonin levels in the body. If you do want to lead a happy and healthy life with nothing burdening you over, it is important that you look out for the levels of serotonin in the brain and overall body.
