The more well-known functions of neurotransmitters are the critical roles that they play in mood regulation and mental performance. But did you know that these brain chemicals also have a direct impact on your weight by infuencing both your appetite and emotional state?

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that sends satiety messages to your brain. Optimum levels of serotonin ensure healthy gut-brain communication and appetite control via the delivery of accurate satiety messages from the digestive tract to the brain. These are serotonin's anti-obesogenic properties. Lack of serotonin leads to strong carbohydrate cravings that can lead to weight gain due to the overconsumption of calories. Certain conditions such as stress, PMS, and seasonal depression decrease your brain's ability to manufacture serotonin. Lifestyle variables such as diet and physical activity also determine the amount of serotonin your body would be able produce.

The problem of weight gain is compounded by a sedentary lifestyle because you can only create caloric deficit by consuming less calories while spending stored, excess energy via exercise. The end result is weight gain and even obesity.

Serotonin deficiency is a catch-22 when it comes to the problems of overweight and obesity. It does not just induce you to overeat on carbs; it also leads to depression, which has been strongly linked to over-eating. Increasing your serotonin levels therefore helps you lose weight by simultaneously curbing your carbohydrate cravings and reducing the negative emotions associated with unhealthy eating habits.

Achieve safe weight loss by increasing your serotonin naturally

Due to tryptophan's limited ability to pass through the blood brain barrier, some scientists propose foods high in carbohydrates can promote serotonin production by inducing the secretion of insulin, which increases tryptophan concentration in the blood. Large amounts of tryptophan then enter the brain more easily by virtue that competing amino acids are greatly outnumbered. Tryptophan is broken down into 5-HTP, which then gets converted into serotonin.

The big challenge is finding quality food sources of carbohydrates that will not cause other health problems. We encourage you to do a de-rigeur label reading when choosing foods from the supermarket. Stay away from foods that contain toxins such as preservatives, food coloring, monosodium glutamate.  Avoid pesticides by purchasing organic foods. These synthetic substances act as depressants and increase cellular toxicity. 

Cellular Toxicity

It is best to understand the power of detoxification in speeding up weight loss and preventing weight gain. One of the body's protective mechanisms is to store toxins in fat cells. The more food toxins you ingest, the more bloated your fat cells become.  It is for this reason that we highly recommend fresh, organic whole foods for overall health and well-being. The whole foods dietary approach initiates and supports detoxification, a vital, life-sustaining metabolic process that triggers weight loss, strengthens immunity, promotes healing, and improves moods and mental functions.

Avoid refined, processed foods that are either low in fiber or completely devoid of it . Such foods are high in macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and protein) but low on micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which signal the brain to send messages. Fiber along with sufficient amounts of micronutrients create feelings of satiety, thereby decreasing hunger and appetite. The state of optimum nourishment also removes the desire to overeat. You end up being trim, healthy, and happy.

Certain serotonin-friendly whole foods also happen to inhibit adipogenesis, or fat cell production. We have come up with a list of fresh, raw foods that prevent both lipogenesis and fat storage due to the presence of food enzymes--heat-sensitive protein catalysts that metabolize fats, carbohydrates, protein, and cellulose. Your body can actually produce its own digestive enzymes except for cellulase, the enzyme required for breaking down cellulose present in plant-foods. The problem is that your body may not be producing enough digestive enzymes due to certain lifestyle factors (stress) or medical conditions (such as digestive disorders or systemic toxicity), so eating fresh raw foods and supplementing with digestive enzymes when eating cooked foods can help a lot in preventing unwanted weight gain.

Another reason to eat plant foods is that they help the body achieve homeostatic balance by establishing blood alkalinity. An acidic body pH causes anxiety and depression, which can both lead to compulsive overeating as an attempt to deal with psychological stress, aside from lowering your serotonin levels.

We recommend that you get yourself tested for food allergies if you plan to follow a serotonin diet. Wheat products, due to their high carbohydrate content, may increase serotonin levels. But if you are allergic to gluten then you may end up end up bloated after eating pasta or bread--one of the common symptoms of gluten allergy that leads to weight gain. Other gluten allergy-related immune complexes include depression and brain fog. Choose gluten-free whole foods instead such as brown rice, brown rice pasta, corn pasta (if you are not allergic to corn), or baked sweet potato to promote serotonin synthesis without increasing your weight or compromising your immune system.

Perhaps the fastest and way to naturally increase your serotonin without the additional calories is by taking supplements that boost serotonin such as L-trytophan, omega-3 fatty acids, 5-HTP, B-complex vitamins, and St. John's Wort to name a few. Taking serotonin supplements is also very convenient if you have limited food choices due to food allergies. Working with both a holistic nutritionist and naturopathic doctor will help you decide which serotonin supplement will work best in conjunction with a carefully planned serotonin diet.

References:

Blundell, JE. Serotonin manipulations and the structure of feeding behaviour. Appetite. 1986;7 Suppl:39-56.

Braly, James and Holford, Patrick. Hidden Food Allergies: Is What You Eat Making You Ill?  Piatkus: London, 2005.

Cousens, Gabriel. Conscious Eating. Essene Vision Books: Arizona, 1992.

Fernstrom, JD. Dietary effects on brain serotonin synthesis: relationship to appetite regulation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 1985, Vol 42 No. 5, 1072-1082.

Fuhrman, Joel. Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. Little, Brown and Company, New York: 2003.

Leibowitz, Sarah and Alexander, Jesline. Hypothalamic serotonin in control of eating behavior, meal size, and body weight. Biological Psychiatry Journal, 1 November 1998, Vol 44 No. 9, 851-864.

Wurtman, Judith. Serotonin: What It is and Why It's Important for Weight Loss. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/201008/serotonin-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-weight-loss. August 5, 2010.

Wurtman, JJ and Wurtman, RJ. Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Obesity Research, Nov 1995;3 Suppl 4:477S-480S.

Our customers often ask us what other options they have to increase serotonin levels.  We love this question because it gives us the opportunity to talk about how diet plays a critical role in mental well-being.

First off, we should note that serotonin is manufactured in the brain so finding foods that increase serotonin levels is a bit more involved then looking at a nutritional summary and eating our recommended daily allowance of serotonin.  Serotonin is synthesized in the brain so we need to ensure it has the precursors, vitamins and minerals that it needs to ensure efficient production. With that in mind we have compiled a list of foods you can easily incorporate into your diet that are not only healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.   

The foods below all have varying amounts of tryptophan, an essential amino acid used by the brain to produce serotonin.  Additionally the nutrients found in many of these foods are known to be effective at addressing depressed moods. Now lets get down to business:

• Foods high in l-tryptophan (a precursor to serotonin) such as organic, free-range turkey, dairy products such as milk and cheese, peanuts, legumes, chickpeas, tree nuts (almonds, pistachio, pine nuts, pecan, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts), brown rice, whole grains, spinach, blue-green algae, potatoes, radish, beets, fennel, bananas, figs, pineapple, and soy products such as soy milk, tofu, tempeh, natto, and miso.
• Flax seeds/oil, hem seeds/oil, chia seeds, walnuts, and fatty fish such mackerel and sardines, all of which contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
  
• Foods that contain glutathione such as garlic, walnuts, carrots, potatoes, squash, okra, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, purslane, tomatoes, apples, avocado, and grapefruit.
• Iron-rich foods such as organic, grass-fed beef, spinach, bok choi, collards, swiss chard, kale, lettuce, broccoli, nuts, seeds, sprouts, and dried fruits.
• Leafy greens, cacao, seaweed, bananas, orange, tree nuts, peanuts, whole grains, corn, cheese, eggs, milk, and white fish that all contain significant amounts of magnesium.
• Foods high in calcium such as sardines, salmon, skimmed milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, sesame seeds, soy, artichoke, green leafy vegetables, dried figs, watercress, cabbage, soy products, tree nuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, peas, lima beans, kelp, orange, strawberries, grapes, kiwi, and avocado.
• Pumpkin seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, oatmeal, parsley, oysters, steak, and egg yolk that all have above-average amounts of zinc.
• Organic lean meat, cheese, whole grains, brewer’s/nutritional yeast, chestnuts, tree nuts, artichoke, broccoli, lima beans, mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, watermelon, peaches, bananas, cantaloupe, and avocado, all of which contain vitamin B3.
• Wheat germ, bananas, watermelon, avocado, Brussels sprouts, carrots, potatoes, whole grains, beans, green leafy vegetables, chicken, and fish, foods that have sufficient levels of vitamin B6.
• Food sources of folate such as wheat germ, black-eyed peas, peanuts, tree nuts, bananas, orange, kiwi, strawberries, avocado, cantaloupe, bananas, blackberries, tomatoes, dark green vegetables, asparagus, green bell pepper, carrots, and liver.
• Foods rich in vitamin C such as dark green vegetables (leafy and cruciferous), cauliflower, cabbage, sweet peppers, potatoes, black currants, guava, strawberries, acerola cherries, mango, goji berries, parsley, raw cacao, rosehips, nettle, camu-camu, and citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit.

Cooking these foods will greatly decreases the amount of vitamins and makes minerals less bioavailable, so as much as possible eat your fruits and vegetables raw or lightly cooked (save perhaps beans, potatoes, and brown rice). Of course you have to cook animal flesh well to avoid unfriendly bacteria and nutritional deficiencies caused by parasite infestation. The point is to lean heavily on plant foods to reap the maximum amount of nutrients that will allow your brain to create more serotonin.

In future articles we’ll discuss other lifestyle changes you can make to improve your mental state of mind.  Hopefully you have found this article useful.  If you have any questions or comments please feel free to send feedback to feedback@serotune.com.  Biocursor Research is the creator of Serotune, an all natural serotonin supplement. 

For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on serotonin as a neurotransmitter, how to identify serotonin deficiency, and the potential causes of serotonin deficiency.  Serotonin also plays a role outside of the brain but the causes and symptoms listed here are in relation to serotonin levels within the central nervous system.

Serotonin is the key brain chemical that generates feelings of optimism and relaxation.  Additionally, serotonin plays a role in certain brain functions such as the ability to focus, motor coordination and reflexes.  As you would expect, when we lack sufficient Serotonin a wide range of symptoms appear including edginess, insomnia, depression, poor concentration and an inexplicable predisposition to negativity.

The good news is that serotonin deficiency is highly treatable (we talk about options in future articles). Consult your doctor or a holistic health practitioner if you are experiencing severe symptoms before embarking on any program to treat your neurotransmitter deficiency. Your health care professional will help you gauge the severity of your deficiency and give you an individualized treatment plan to restore your serotonin levels quickly and effectively.

Special note: If you are experiencing thoughts about suicide, even if you do not intend to act on them, you should see a mental health professional immediately.  These thoughts are consistent with mild to severe depression and undertaking a self-guided treatment regimen could dramatically worsen your condition.

Causes of serotonin deficiency

Some people have a genetic pre-disposition to serotonin deficiency.  Genetic causes can vary widely, but can take the form in low or inefficient production of serotonin, inefficient absorption of key amino acids, lower then normal production of vitamin-D or countless other causes.  However, for most people that experience mild serotonin deficiency, the condition can be traced to a wide range of behavioral, environmental, physiological, and dietary causes.  The most common causes are listed here:

Behavioral Causes:

• Lack of sufficient sleep
• Not managing your stress levels
• Lack of exercise/physical activity

Environmental Causes:

• Insufficient exposure to sunlight
• Exposure to toxic chemicals found in plastics such as bisphenol-A (BPA)
• Consuming pesticide-laden meat and produce
• Exposure to pesticides without sufficient protective gear

Dietary Causes

• Insufficient consumption of high-protein non-processed food
• Consuming too much caffeine and alcohol
• Food allergies
• Multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Omega-3 deficiency

Physiological Causes:

• Insulin resistance
• Progesterone deficiency
• Chronic infections
• Glutathione deficiency
• Human growth hormone deficiency
• Insufficient blood flow in the brain
• Inborn abnormalities in serotonin receptors

So if you suspect you have serotonin deficiency, what do you do now?  First, if you are experiencing and severe symptoms, see your doctor.  On the other hand, if your symptoms are relatively mild, there are a wide range of options available to you.  

Supplementation is obviously helpful at elevating low serotonin levels (more on this in a separate article), but there are other actions that you can take to increase your serotonin stores naturally. The most logical step is by eliminating the causes that triggered it in the first place (see above), which for most people means making getting enough sleep a priority, eating well, getting enough sunlight and engaging in physical exercise. 

Hopefully you have found this article useful.  If you have any questions or comments please feel free to send feedback to feedback@serotune.com.  Biocursor Research is the creator of Serotune, an all natural serotonin supplement.