How does eating food with serotonin help improve your mood? What are foods rich in serotonin?

Our diet can influence our supply of seratonin. Unlike calcium-rich foods, which can directly increase your blood levels of this mineral, there are no foods that can directly increase your body's supply of serotonin. That said, there are foods and some nutrients that can increase levels of tryptophan, the amino acid from which serotonin is made.

Protein-rich foods, such as meat or chicken, contain high levels of tryptophans. Tryptophan appears in diary foods, nuts, and fowl. Ironically, however, levels of both tryptophan and serotonin drop after eating a meal packed with protein.

According to nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, when you eat a high-protein meal, you "flood the blood with both tryptophan and its competing amino acids," all fighting for entry into the brain. That means only a small amount of tryptophan gets through and serotonin levels don't rise.

But eat a carbohydrate-rich meal, and your body triggers a release of insulin. This causes any amino acids in the blood to be absorbed into the body but not the brain. Except for, you guessed it tryptophan. It remains in the bloodstream at high levels following a carbohydrate meal, which means it can freely enter the brain and cause serotonin levels to rise.

slushie - 12 September 2008 12:05 AM

What are foods rich in serotonin?

Turkey, chicken, mushroom - short and sweet

What are the benefits that we can get from serotonin?

I know that serotonin can give food cravings, mood swings and depression. If you’re thinking that it can help losing weight, well think again.

That’s what this meds are for? I think this is given to patients with eating disorder.

Does it have any reported negative side effects?

Since serotonin is a toxin it can cause depression and brain damage. You must consult a nutritionist if you will use this chemical for dieting.