Know How Serotonin Controls Emotions & Moods
The body consists of various hormones and chemical substances that control all chemical processes in the body. This includes alias moods mood You. Serotonin is a chemical in the body that controls your emotions and moods. Even a deficiency of this substance can cause annoyance mood such as anxiety disorders to depression. Come on, find out more about this one chemical.
What is serotonin?
Serotonin is a chemical that carries messages between nerves in the brain. This substance is created by a biochemical process by combining various materials such as the amino acid tryptophan, protein components, and a chemical reactor, namely tryptophan hydroxylase. Apart from the brain, this chemical is also found in the intestines, in the blood platelets and the central nervous system.
The amino acid tryptophan is one of the chemical substances that are important for these intercellular nerves in the brain. Tryptophan is not produced in the body, but from the food you eat.
If the body is deficient in tryptophan, the levels of intercellular hormones in the brain nerves in the body will decrease. As a result, you can experience mental illness, depression. A person who is depressed will feel constantly sad and lose interest in things.
Serotonin functions in the body
The hormone serotonin is well known for its function in regulating mood. The reason is because this chemical is produced by tryptophan which is related to regulating mood. This substance in the brain helps regulate feelings of anxiety and happiness.
Under normal conditions, nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord use tryptophan and a number of other chemicals to produce serotonin. This central nervous system will send a signal to each hormone-producing signal receptor to start producing.
When levels of this chemical are low, it is commonly associated with depression. Meanwhile, if the levels are high, it is synonymous with feeling good and prosperous.
Apart from regulating mood, serotonin also provides many benefits to the body, including:
- Regulate bowel function and movements and control appetite. So, if hormone levels are in trouble, it’s possible that changes in appetite can also occur.
- Helps the blood clotting process by stimulating the release of platelets to help heal wounds. These substances then help constrict small arteries, which can slow down the flow and clot the blood.
- It increases when you eat foods that are harmful to the body. The goal is to encourage and remove harmful foods that are consumed. The increase in chemicals in the blood will then stimulate the part of the brain that controls nausea.
- Has the function of stimulating the part of the brain that controls when you sleep and wake up and increases libido when levels in the body are low enough.
- Maintain bone health and density. Research says that if the levels of this hormone are too high, it can increase the risk of osteoporosis. Other research shows antidepressant drugs, especially drugs to treat depressioni like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can reduce bone mineral density, putting you at risk of fractures.
A condition if the body lacks or has excess serotonin
The levels of the hormone produced from tritophan can change over time; low, normal, and high. The following are conditions which indicate that homon levels are not within normal standards.
Serotonin Syndrome
Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, serotonin syndrome is a condition that indicates the levels of this chemical are very high and accumulate in the body.
This syndrome occurs due to the use of drugs / supplements that can increase hormone levels excessively or in combination with other drugs that also contain similar hormones.
For example, using opioid drugs for pain relief along with antidepressants. This action can occur due to deliberate factors, causing a drug overdose.
A person who has serotonin syndrome will usually show mild symptoms which include:
- Shaky.
- Diarrhea.
- Headache.
- Dazed.
- Goosebumps.
- The pupils are dilated.
If you have entered a severe level, the symptoms include:
- Muscle twitching.
- Muscles become stiff.
- High fever.
- Increased and irregular heart rate.
- High blood pressure.
- Seizures.
This syndrome needs to be treated immediately, if it cannot cause the sufferer to lose consciousness and die. The treatment performed will be adjusted according to the severity of the condition. Your doctor may stop taking those that can trigger a rise in hormones, or ask you to be hospitalized.
During treatment the doctor will give you cyproheptadine to inhibit hormones, relaxants for muscles, and drugs to control blood pressure as well as heart rate. In order to prevent this syndrome, you and your family must be careful when using drugs that contain serotonin and tritophan.
The condition of the body is deficient in serotonin
There is a clear link that low levels of the hormone made from tritophan can lead to depression. So, people with low levels of this hormone are more likely to show symptoms of depression, including:
- Sleep disturbances arise, such as insomnia or sleeping too much.
- Unstable appetite; loss of appetite or overeating.
- Continue to feel restless, irritable, anxious, sad, and lose interest in common activities.
- Often experience headaches or body aches.
In people who exhibit the above symptoms and are diagnosed with depression, the first treatment will be to take an antidepressant medication. In addition, your doctor may also ask you to undergo psychotherapy, such as cognitive and behavioral therapy.
The goal, to help patients reduce negative thoughts, accept the pressure they face, and develop the ability to overcome problems.
However, using medications to treat depression such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can reduce bone mineral density, putting you at risk for fractures.
Tips for increasing serotonin levels without drugs
Increase mood-regulating hormones not only by taking medications or supplements. The following are some of the ways you can increase serotonin in the body.
Adequate sun exposure
Bright sunlight is the key to increasing the hormones that regulate the sleep cycle. This is because sunlight activates the production of the hormone serotonin so that levels can increase.
You can get bright light exposure through sunbathing in the morning or removing the curtains in the morning so that sunlight can enter the house and the house lighting becomes brighter.
Get regular exercise
Exercise can increase the production of endorphins, which are endorphins that stimulate feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. Not only that, exercise can also improve mood by increasing motor activity as well as stimulating the rate of activation of serotonin neurons.
This benefit is what makes most health experts call exercise an alternative treatment for people with mood disorders.
Eat foods that contain serotonin
Serotonin, which is made from tritophan, is actually produced by the body from the food you eat. You can find foods that contain serotonin in fish and nuts fortified with omega 3 fatty acids, soy, and dairy products.
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