How to Keep Our “Be Happy” Hormone Under Wraps?

Keywords: Serotonin, hormone production, mood, gut microbiome

Serotonin, “Our Be Happy” hormone levels are proportional to our gut microbiome happiness. Who would have thought this to be the case? Levels of serotonin depend on the bacteria living inside our guts! 

The notion that our brain and gut have a close relationship is not new. This understanding goes as far back as ancient Greece. The great philosophers of the time, Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle, already believed this. 

It took a few centuries and some great scientists, Beaumont, Darwin, and Pavlov, to prove the correlation between physiological changes in the gut with mood swings.

The function of gut serotonin is a recent discovery. Serotonin levels associated with the brain and the central nervous system are understandable. Depression, sleep, appetite loss, libido, or temperature control are all regulated by the brain. 

Intestinal serotonin plays a vital role as a hormone and neurotransmitter. It is also a growth and paracrine factor (molecules produced by one cell affecting other cells). The most significant amount of serotonin is produced and contained within the gut.

The link between the brain and the gut consists of a network. Serotonin is a significant signalling controller that regulates several physiological and psychological functions. 

A disruption in serotonin levels in the gut can affect brain function. It can also affect our mood, sleep, and behaviour. Emphasising the dogma that serotonin influences mood and mood controls serotonin levels.

Serotonin is also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), a bio-product of tryptophan metabolism. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (a building block of protein synthesis). Tryptophan is present in dietary proteins like meats, dairy products, and some fruits, especially bananas. 

Serotonin, produced in response to many factors, is well-known for causing mood changes. It contributes to feelings of happiness, calmness, and focus. Low levels can lead to many psychological symptoms—suppressed mood, depression, anxiety, irritability, low self-esteem, insomnia, and memory loss.

Five easy steps that can boost serotonin levels:

1. Increase tryptophan levels through diet as well as exercise. Exercise increases the firing rates of neurons (brain cells). This results in increased release and synthesis of serotonin.

2. Probiotic supplementation can help maintain a healthy and robust gut flora. 

3. Massages can help distress, causing a reduction in cortisol while increasing serotonin levels. 

4. Intermittent fasting can counteract the excessive caloric intake in industrialised countries. Excessive eating can lead to cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and cancer. Intermittent fasting, a hot new research topic, provides beneficial health advantages. It increases serotonin levels and a surge in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)—an essential protein involved in the growth and survival of neurons.

5. Exposure to bright light is also an approach to increase serotonin without drugs. It is not without reason that bright light is a standard treatment for seasonal depression. Generations ago, people seemed happier. Most of the world’s population worked in agriculture and spent much of their time outdoors.

In conclusion, life was slower than it is today. People spent more time outdoors, and the diet was more organic. Food was free of harmful substances that may be affecting our microbial population. 

Understanding human behaviour requires looking deep into our abdomen, not solely our minds!