Mood Control: Food, Neurotransmitters, and Restoration of Calm
You and I know that we can’t always control what happens in our lives, but we can control how we respond to them. However, what happens when you have a bad week, are you perimenopausal or premenstrual? Well, science might have an answer.
Let me introduce you to the world of brain chemistry and a powerful group of natural chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Your brain’s communication network is a multimillion-dollar maze of connections capable of performing 20 million trillion calculations per second. Yes, I said 20 billion!
How does this intricate network work? Well, there are three main players:
- Neurons, which enhance the message,
- The neurotransmitters, which create the message and
- Receivers, who receive the message.
In simple words, a neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger released from one nerve cell that finds its way to another nerve cell where it influences a particular chemical reaction to occur. Neurotransmitters control major bodily functions, including movement, emotional response, and our physical ability to experience pleasure and pain.
Neurotransmitters also trigger specific functions within our body and nervous system. These transmitters can create and control a variety of feelings, moods, and even thoughts, from depression, anxiety, and addiction, to feelings of self-confidence, high or low self-esteem, competitive spirit, and can even affect our deep sleep.
An imbalance of neurotransmitters can cause depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, irritable bowel, hormonal dysfunction, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, obsessions, compulsions, adrenal dysfunction, chronic pain, migraines, and even early death. Scientific and medical research indicates that our brain uses more than 35 different neurotransmitters, some of which we can control and some of which we cannot.
However, it appears that we can control five of the main neurotransmitters with exercise and nutrition, and with our thoughts and behaviors.
Most neurotransmitters are made from amino acids obtained from the protein in the foods you eat. Two of the most important neurotransmitters are serotonin and dopamine, sometimes called the “happy” drugs. They seem to play a major role in determining our moods and thoughts.
Dopamine, fuel for enthusiasm and motivation
The brain uses dopamine to stimulate arousal, alertness, awareness, and our competitive spirit (a form of mild aggression). Dopamine is also essential for coordinated muscle movement.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter necessary for healthy assertiveness and sexual arousal, proper immune and autonomic nervous system function. Dopamine is important for motivation and a sense of readiness to face life’s challenges.
One of the most vulnerable key neurotransmitters, dopamine levels are reduced by stress or lack of sleep. Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar also seem to decrease dopamine activity in the brain. It oxidizes easily, so we should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables whose antioxidants help protect dopamine-using neurons from free radical damage.
Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine. Once produced, dopamine can, in turn, be converted to the brain chemicals norepinephrine and epinephrine.
Low levels of dopamine can cause depression, a lack of energy, an excessive need for sleep, and can even cause you to withdraw from everyday events, like going to work or wanting to be with people.
Dopamine is a basic component for the production of adrenaline, which stimulates us to act if we are scared or anxious. These natural drugs are also necessary for us to be competitive, especially in highly competitive sports, business, and corporate life.
Increase your alertness with protein. Without getting into detailed brain chemistry, small amounts (100 to 150 grams) of high-protein foods will raise dopamine levels and have significant effects on mood and brain function. Effects can be felt within 10 to 30 minutes. Protein foods are broken down into their building blocks of amino acids during digestion. An amino acid, called tyrosine, will increase the production of dopamine, neither epinephrine nor epinephrine. These neurotransmitters are known for their ability to increase alertness and energy levels. No one eats pure tyrosine, but eating protein-rich foods will give you a slight mental boost. Protein-rich foods include fish, poultry, meat, and eggs. If you can’t eat them, try high-protein foods that also contain a significant amount of carbohydrates, such as vegetables, cheese, milk, or tofu.
Many of us eat a high carbohydrate breakfast as cereals have become the common form of the morning meal. One of my friends is a highly respected biopharmaceutical and it is his opinion that breakfast is the time of day to eat a high protein meal.
Serotonin, regaining your calm
Serotonin is the calming neurotransmitter important for maintaining good moods, feelings of contentment, and is responsible for normal sleep. In addition to the central nervous system, serotonin is also found in the walls of the intestine (the enteric nervous system) and in platelet cells that promote blood clotting.
Serotonin plays an important role in regulating memory, learning, and blood pressure, as well as appetite and body temperature. Low serotonin levels lead to insomnia and depression, aggressive behavior, increased sensitivity to pain, and is associated with obsessive-compulsive eating disorders.
This neurotransmitter also helps the brain focus, increasing your concentration levels.
Low serotonin levels can create anxiety, a feeling of insecurity, anger, fear, depression, and can even induce suicidal thoughts. Now, have you ever wondered why you eat more in winter? It has a lot to do with your serotonin level, or lack of it, and a condition appropriately called SAD or Seasonal Affected Disorder.
With the lack of sunlight in winter, the body produces higher levels of a hormone called melatonin, which uses up serotonin. Research has shown that when this happens, the body craves carbohydrates, which produce serotonin and make us feel good. This is when we crave those comfort foods like cookies, pizza, or chocolate!
Eating carbohydrates will trigger the release of insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin is responsible for removing all amino acids from the blood, with the exception of tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is normally displaced by other amino acids in its attempt to cross the blood-brain barrier, but when its competitors are out of the way, it enters the brain. Once in the brain, tryptophan is converted to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has the effect of reducing pain, decreasing appetite and producing a sense of calm and, in too large amounts, inducing sleep. Research has shown that dieters tend to become depressed around two weeks into dieting, around the time their serotonin levels have dropped due to decreased carbohydrate intake.
In summer, sunlight reduces the production of melatonin, the serotonin devourer, and therefore it is easier to diet in summer. Summer makes us feel great and this theory could explain why people head to the sun during winter.
This gave me a clue as to why I became a carb addict: the more carbs I ate, the more serotonin I produced and, like any drug addict, I craved more and more carbs to get an ever-increasing ‘feel good’ kick. . The result was that I gained weight, even though I went to the gym four or five times a week! My energy levels dropped, I was constantly tired and it became extremely difficult to live with. I didn’t want to go to the gym. I was taking a carbohydrate overdose which leads to another hormonal disorder called insulin resistance.
Serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan in the presence of an adequate amount of vitamins B1, B3, B6 and folic acid. The best food sources of tryptophan include brown rice, cottage cheese, meat, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Choline is another B-complex vitamin that is concentrated in high-cholesterol foods like eggs and liver. Lack of choline can cause impaired memory and concentration. Choline is a precursor to the brain neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is linked to memory. People receiving drugs that block acetylcholine fail memory tests. Low levels of acetylcholine have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and poor memory. What a good excuse to put eggs back in your diet!
How you can control natural ‘happy drugs’.
Being balanced is the answer, not too much and not too little of anything. Too much protein or carbohydrate over time will eventually have side effects that affect how you feel and behave at work and at home.
Eating certain foods and exercising at the right level, at the right time for your lifestyle, is a cornerstone of managing your mood and generating feelings of happiness and relaxation.
If you’re a professional athlete, you need a different approach to managing your neurotransmitters than a teacher, a taxi driver, or a CEO. Also, everyone’s body chemistry is different and needs to be taken into account. I recommend that you consult a nutritionist who understands how foods and neurotransmitters work to meet your health and lifestyle needs.
There’s a lot more to brain chemistry, mood control, and peak performance, but that’s a subject for another article.
QUICK TIP
Small amounts (100 to 150g) of high-protein foods will raise dopamine levels and have significant effects on mood and brain function. That’s why many nutritionists recommend a little protein at breakfast. It boosts your energy and gives you that sixteen day high.
A List of Ways to Control Neurotransmitters
Some proteins that affect dopamine levels are:
Aerobic exercise and dopamine levels
If you need to temporarily lower your dopamine levels to relax, non-competitive aerobic exercise (why not competitive? Competition raises dopamine levels) might help, such as:
- Running and walking for effective health benefits.
- Skipping.
- Rowing in the gym.
- Vigorous cycling at the gym or on a stationary bike at home.
Some carbohydrates that affect serotonin levels
exercise and serotonin
To control Serotonin you need less vigorous exercise such as:
- Take a walk in the park or on your favorite beach.
- Gentle cycling along river banks or flat bike paths.
- Stretching exercises.
- gentle yoga.
- Reading.
- Listening to music.
- Meditation and even prayer (The best type of prayer to control serotonin levels is a prayer of thanks).