Contents:
- Medical Video: Diet & Nutrition : How to Increase Serotonin With Foods & Vitamins
- What is serotonin?
- How can food affect serotonin levels?
- Various foods that contain serotonin (amino acid tryptophan)
- 1. Eggs
- 2. Milk and processed products
- 3. Shrimp
- 4. Know
- 5. Salmon
- 6. Nuts and seeds
Medical Video: Diet & Nutrition : How to Increase Serotonin With Foods & Vitamins
Do you often have a bad mood or mood? Maybe all this time, the selection of your food is wrong. Yes, food can also be a person's mood determinant. So that the mood is always good, you should choose foods that contain serotonin. Then, what is serotonin? What foods contain serotonin?
What is serotonin?
Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that acts as a messenger between the nerve cells of the brain. Reported on the Healthline page, serotonin is believed to also be able to make the mood better and maintain it throughout the day.
Because the high serotonin levels can make a happy and happy mood. Therefore, serotonin is also known as a regulator of emotions and memory.
Even though you really can't get whole serotonin from food, but there are many foods that contain certain substances and can increase brain serotonin.
So, tryptophan aino acid in food is the basic ingredient of serotonin in the body. The amino acid tryptophan is an essential amino acid, an amino acid that cannot be produced by the body, so this amino acid is needed from intake.
How much the amount of tryptophan needed to increase serotonin is not known with certainty. If there is a decrease in the amino acid level of tryptophan in the body, then the amount of serotonin levels is affected. This condition makes mood disorders such as depression or anxiety occur more easily.
How can food affect serotonin levels?
Foods that are high in tryptophan will not work alone to increase serotonin. Carbohydrates that can help the formation of serotonin are needed.
The presence of carbohydrates which are already in the form of simple sugars in the bloodstream makes the body release more insulin. This insulin promotes the absorption of amino acids, and leaves tryptophan in the blood. Tryptophan in this blood which will then be absorbed by the brain. And it is used for serotonin formation.
Various foods that contain serotonin (amino acid tryptophan)
1. Eggs
Protein in eggs can significantly increase tryptophan levels in blood plasma. It is also the same as the egg yolk. Egg yolks are also rich in tryptophan, tyrosine, choline, biotin, and omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients.
2. Milk and processed products
Milk is one animal protein that also contains tryptophan. But indeed tryptophan levels in milk, cheese, and yogurt are not as high as tryptophan in meat and fish.
3. Shrimp
Shrimp are also rich in the amino acid tryptophan which can help the formation of serotonin. Within 113 grams of shrimp contains about 330 mg of tryptophan.
4. Know
Tofu is a source of vegetable protein that is rich in tryptophan amino acids. Tofu can be the right choice if vegans or vegetarians are looking for tryptophan amino acid sources. Year also contains calcium which is good for bone health.
5. Salmon
This one fish, no need to doubt the benefits. Besides being famous for its omega 3 fatty acids, salmon is rich in tryptophan amino acids. Salmon is also another benefit of maintaining balance in cholesterol levels, and helps lower blood pressure.
6. Nuts and seeds
All nuts and seeds contain tryptophan. A full handful of nuts a day can reduce the risk of developing cancer, and heart disease. Other nuts and seeds also contain tryptophan levels.
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds contain ¼ cup more than 50 mg of tryptophan. In addition, nuts also contain fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.
