Recently, the consumption of antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs, which are recommended as a solution, has been increasing with the deterioration of mental health, the increase of depression, and the increase in stress. The purpose of these drugs is to increase the level of Serotonin and put the body in a state of comfort as soon as possible. The way these drugs work is to deceive the body. Therefore, repeated problems arise when it is not taken. It prevents the brain from using the serotonin secreted by the cells and tries to produce more serotonin. When serotonin begins to be produced in abundance, the body begins to be happy again. It’s actually like an easy math question.
If we know about serotonin, we may not need to do this kind of brain trickery. If you want to tell the brain to be happy, okay, calm, or even if you have a stressful job and live in big cities, you should know about Serotonin.
What happens in a serotonin deficiency?
Serotonin, called the Happiness Hormone, is a neurotransmitter responsible for communication between nerve cells. When the brain needs Serotonin, it produces it from the amino acid Tryptophan.
In the brain, when serotonin is released, the contraction of blood vessels begins. When serotonin decreases in the blood, it returns to its original state. For example, when the migraine attack started, the serotonin level was high, and as the pain started to decrease, the serotonin level decreased.
Serotonin chemical seems to be the basis of looking lively, happy, and always fit. When serotonin is deficient, boredom begins, the mood turns pessimistic.
Many factors such as hunger, stress, fatigue, insomnia, light, and medication can disrupt the serotonin level. Low blood sugar and stress are very effective in lowering the level of Serotonin. To increase serotonin, get plenty of oxygen, foods containing amines such as cheese, chocolate, tomatoes, and tangerines, and foods containing tryptophan amino acids such as milk and turkey meat should be consumed.
Serotonin also directs sexual orientation. It directly affects the functioning of many hormones. In 2012, male rats were raised without Serotonin, and no sexual orientation was observed when placed in an environment with female rats. But when placed inside male mice, these mice showed sexual orientation to both sexes.
For women, the situation is somewhat different. The estrogen hormone in women begins to decrease during menstrual periods. In addition, low levels of serotonin are also observed. This condition causes enlargement of blood vessels and can subsequently cause migraine.
Since serotonin directly affects the brain and mental health, it is related to appetite, memory, sleep, learning, and social life. Serotonin functions in the stomach and intestines and is also effective in regulating digestion.
In addition, Serotonin binds to receptors of dopaminergic nerve cells and reduces the secretion of another neurotransmitter, dopamine.
Does Serotonin Affect Depression?
With tryptophan amino acid deficiency, it is obvious that serotonin deficiency is seen when the brain cells do not produce enough serotonin. Subsequently, brain functions may deteriorate and mental problems may occur. According to experts, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety problems such as anxiety, anxiety, panic, nervousness, and serotonin deficiency can be seen.
But the level of serotonin in the brain cannot be measured live. For this reason, we cannot directly say that the cause of depression or mental problems is neurotransmitters or serotonin. But by looking at the blood values of depressed patients, the level of serotonin can be measured. When compared to people who do not suffer from depression, it was observed that the level of serotonin was lower.
It is not known exactly whether serotonin deficiency causes depression or depression causes serotonin deficiency. However, many of the drugs used in the treatment of depression and other mental disorders, such as antidepressants, are based on increasing the level of serotonin in the brain.
Does serotonin affect sleep patterns?
Serotonin has a role in sleep patterns. It was observed that serotonin levels were associated with high levels of serotonin in waking states and low levels of serotonin during sleep. It is seen that Melatonin and Seratonin, which are affected by daylight, control the circadian clock, and while the serotonin level is high during the daytime, melatonin falls in the opposite direction.
Serotonin levels are at their lowest during REM sleep, which is the deepest part of sleep. Just in case, the brain, which is an intelligent system, actively keeps the serotonin receptors on the nerve endings ready during sleep. As serotonin begins to fall, levels of another neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain begin to rise. For this reason, people who use antidepressants do not dream much. The lower the acetylcholine level and the higher the serotonin production, the harder it is to dream.
How to Increase Serotonin Naturally?
Serotonin plays an important role in balancing mood, sleep cycle, and focusing the mind. Low levels of serotonin can cause depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and insomnia. For this reason, care should be taken to keep the serotonin level high in feedings before the evening. Problems in the production of serotonin in the body begin in people who choose an unhealthy and unbalanced diet model, do not do sports activities, use too much caffeine, consume alcoholic beverages, artificial sweeteners, GMO foods, ready-made foods and drinks with additives, do not have weight control and cannot overcome stress. mental problems begin.