A network of nerve cells in your brain is responsible for the delight, joy, and contentment you feel every time. Certain chemicals in the brain work hard to make you happy, even though many more processes are at play. Serotonin is one example of these chemical compounds. Mood and behavior can be controlled by serotonin, which acts as a signaling neurotransmitter in the brain.

The brain, platelets, and intestines all have it. Also functioning as a hormone, serotonin has been dubbed the "happy molecule" for its positive effects on health and mood. There is evidence that serotonin plays a role in cognition and emotion. Furthermore, it controls appetite, sleep, and sexual behavior.

The presence of serotonin in the intestine aids the absorption of nutrients. The brain only contains about 10%, while the intestines contain 90%. How much serotonin your body produces is crucial. Even death can occur at very high concentrations; thus, keeping levels low is important.

What is Serotonin?

Serotonin is a chemical messenger known as a neurotransmitter released by our brain. Neurotransmitters convey messages through your nervous system to different body regions to manage the communication between those parts.

Serotonin is involved in mood modulation and memory function in addition to its roles in sleep, sexual function, hunger regulation, temperature regulation, and social behavior. It also plays a role in keeping your core body temperature stable. According to studies, the serotonin systems in men's and women's brains are slightly different in several respects.

Even though men have slightly higher serotonin levels than women, research indicates that women have lower protein levels responsible for transporting serotonin back to the neurons responsible for secreting it. According to the opinions of several experts, this can be one of the reasons why women are more likely than males to suffer from depression.

Symptoms of Serotonin

Difficulty In Learning And Memory Issues

Although serotonin has been related to memory and learning in some research, experiencing unexpected difficulty in either area may indicate a serotonin imbalance. Not getting enough sleep and feeling down are two other serotonin deficiency symptoms that might interfere with focus and learning.

Anxiety

Low serotonin levels have been linked to anxiety, particularly obsessive-compulsive anxiety. Serotonin deficiency is a common cause of unexplained anxiety that does not seem to have any obvious triggers, such as a recent traumatic event or stressful situation. Serotonin levels could be lowered by chronic stress and anxiety as well.

Disorders Of The Internal Clock

The hormone serotonin has a role in maintaining the body's circadian rhythm. Dysregulation of the internal clock can lead to major sleep, hunger, and other disorders, even though people often have trouble waking up or skipping meals periodically.

A person's circadian rhythm may malfunction if they do not sleep regularly, eat irregularly, or experience persistent fatigue or hyperactivity. A lack of serotonin could be to blame for this.

Depression

The connection between serotonin and depression appears more nuanced than previously thought. Most studies suggest that low serotonin levels contribute to depression, but the exact mechanism by which this occurs is still unclear.

Reducing serotonin levels may also contribute to depression brought on by external factors, such as prolonged stress and trauma. As a result, low serotonin levels can serve as both a precursor to and a consequence of mental illness such as depression.

Sleep Changes

The sleep-wake cycle, which includes drowsiness, the length of time spent asleep, the onset of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, and the capacity to awaken in the morning is mostly controlled by serotonin. Serotonin insufficiency is suspected in those who have trouble sleeping, have irregular sleep schedules, are always tired, or have vivid nightmares regularly.

Low Serotonin Causes

Mood disorders like depression related to serotonin are multifactorial, which means many different factors are involved. It's not true that low serotonin levels automatically lead to depression. Yet, low levels can contribute to various health problems, including problems with mood, sleep, and digestion.

No one factor can be pinpointed as the cause of low serotonin levels; nevertheless, it is almost always due to either a lack of serotonin or an inability to use the serotonin that is present effectively. In the first situation, your body is not making enough serotonin to sustain normal levels, so your serotonin levels are lower than they should be.

The fact that your body is producing serotonin even though it is not making efficient use of the chemical suggests that you may have a serotonin shortage. It's possible that your brain doesn't have enough serotonin receptors or that the ones it does have aren't working as efficiently as they should.

How To Increase Serotonin?

There are different ways to increase serotonin in your body that are given below:

• More exposure to natural light has been shown to improve mood. Some people's moods can become unstable if they don't get enough sunlight.
• If you want to boost your serotonin levels, taking dietary and herbal supplements can assist. Supplements like tryptophan and probiotics can help. Ginseng, nutmeg, and other spices and herbs are examples of dietary supplements.
• Try increasing your intake of foods like eggs, tofu, salmon, cheese, almonds, turkey, pineapple, oats, and seeds, which all contain high levels of the amino acid tryptophan.
• Regular exercise raises the feel-good hormone serotonin levels and can help lower stress. Serotonin levels rose after 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times per week and two weight training sessions.

Conclusion:

Scientists are only now beginning to uncover serotonin's myriad roles. Growing research suggests that this neurotransmitter-hormone cross has a role in various mental and physical processes, including emotion regulation, energy balance, body weight, sleep, libido, immunity, digestion, cognition, and pain perception.

If you feel your serotonin levels are low, speaking with a medical expert is essential. There is no simple technique to quantify an individual's serotonin function, and researchers are still striving to define what constitutes "healthy" serotonin levels.

Changes in diet and lifestyle may affect serotonin levels, but many other factors, not simply your "chemical balance," determine your mood, appetite, weight management abilities, and sleep quality.