A multitude of factors influence your mood, but one of the most important is the neurotransmitters in your brain. Dopamine and serotonin are two of the most important, as they work together to support a variety of activities such as memory, mood, and even your capacity to pay attention.
While serotonin is frequently highlighted, it is also crucial to give dopamine some much-deserved attention.
Positive emotions of pleasure and motivational control are enhanced by dopamine. It is well recognized to promote sound memory, deeper sleep, and concentrated attention.
In addition to influencing our mood and emotions, dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that makes us feel happy and driven. Our brain receives a signal when dopamine is released, which encourages actions that result in positive experiences.
This neurotransmitter enhances mood, helps maintain cognitive function, and balances oxidative stress. Dopamine can also increase emotions of pleasure, motivation, alertness, and attention. It does this via increasing cerebral blood flow.
Here’s how to identify if you have low dopamine levels, how it may present in the body, and what you can do to naturally boost levels in the brain.
Symptoms of Low Dopamine
Irritation and concern are not symptoms of low dopamine levels; these are usually symptoms of low serotonin. Instead, the key red signs to look for if you suspect you have low dopamine levels are:
- Tiredness
- Sadness
- Low motivation
- Fog in the mind
- Low power
- Difficulties with thinking
Dopamine Deficiency Causes
Because sunlight causes the production of dopamine, your levels of the hormone (and hence your mood) may naturally decrease as the days go shorter and the nights become longer. Some of the impacts can be mitigated by using a lightbox or a sun lamp.
Certain meals can stimulate dopamine release, but diets high in added sugars and saturated fats can inhibit it.
A lack of activity (physical exercise) and rest (sleep) can also have a negative impact on dopamine levels.
Methods for Raising Dopamine Levels Naturally
Fortunately, low dopamine levels can be naturally raised at home. It should come as no surprise that one of the greatest ways to control this neurotransmitter is to maintain a healthy and balanced routine:
1. Exercise.
Engaging in physical activity can help elevate your mood by raising dopamine levels. Movement and coordination also depend on adequate dopamine levels, creating a positive feedback loop (1).
When attempting to achieve this specific mood-boosting impact, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) techniques are advised. To assist increase dopamine, try going for a quick walk followed by four spurts, when you run or walk as rapidly as you can for a minute.
Adding these hard bursts to your daily exercise routine will help raise your heart rate and your mood, whether you’re running, riding a stationary bike, or going for a walk.
2. Protein.
As always, maintaining your physical and mental health depends on your food.
The building components of protein, amino acids, are essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters. The substances called neurotransmitters are what give brain cells the ability to communicate with one another. For instance, when you consume chicken, your body uses the amino acid L-tyrosine to manufacture dopamine after breaking down the protein.
Tyrosine-rich foods are going to be your greatest choice for increasing the production of dopamine. The amino acid that forms the basis of dopamine is tyrosine. Tyrosine-rich foods include eggs and poultry. Dark chocolate and avocados are two more foods that contain tyrosine. If you eat a higher protein, lower simple carbohydrate diet you’re going to have more tyrosine and dopamine available on the brain.
3. Supplements.
L-tyrosine is an amino acid building block and specific supplements can have a significant impact on the body and brain in addition to food and exercise. For increasing dopamine production, L-theanine, curcumin, and EPA omega-3 fatty acids are all excellent choices. However, keep in mind that the effects take time to manifest, so the best outcomes will come from maintaining a supplement regimen over an extended period.
The mentioned supplement known as Turmeric’s active component and capable of boosting dopamine is called curcumin (2). Curcumin is available as a powder, tea, capsule, and extract.
Because it causes a greater release of dopamine, it is believed to have antidepressant effects. One small, controlled trial indicated that giving patients with major depressive illness one gram of curcumin improved their mood in a way that was comparable to that of Prozac (3).
Curcumin has also been shown to raise dopamine levels in mice (4). To fully comprehend curcumin’s ability to raise human dopamine levels and its potential use in the treatment of depression, more research is necessary (5).
4. Read an awesome book.
Your brain can gain from reading in several ways. Reading has been demonstrated in studies to enhance memory, enhance cognitive function, and guard against dementia (6).
Additionally, reading has been connected to lower stress levels and better-quality sleep, both of which are critical for preserving normal brain function.
According to one study, seniors who read on a regular basis had a 2.5-fold lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those who did not. According to a different study, people who regularly read had a 23% lower chance of passing away during a 12-year period than those who did not. Dopamine plays a role in memory and learning as well.
Focused activities like reading a captivating book can trigger dopamine release. Not to mention, it promotes general brain health.
5. Hug someone.
Not everyone enjoys touching or being hugged in the same manner. However, in general, engaging in constructive physical touch might help you feel happier and less stressed. Chronic stress and loneliness can also have negative long-term effects.
Hugs help your body release cortisol, also known as “the stress hormone.” Hugs also reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Simultaneously, a lovely embrace from a friend or family member will increase your body’s levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine. Sometimes referred to as the “happiness hormone,” dopamine.
One type of constructive physical touch is an embrace. Other methods include giving and receiving therapeutic massages, holding hands, and being caressed. Early on, loving contact aids in the emotional regulation of our younger self. Healthy development occurs when babies and toddlers receive lots of affectionate hugs and physical contact. Intimacy, snuggling, and other forms of pleasant physical contact cause the release of serotonin and dopamine, two happy hormones.
To Wrap Things Up.
Sustaining your mood, staying motivated, and staying focused all depend on maintaining healthy dopamine levels in the brain. Noticing patterns over time can help you identify whether you’re low on dopamine and take proactive steps to improve your mental health, even if you’re just having a bad day.
You may improve your mental health and start controlling your own mood by combining a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and supplements.
Sources |
- Synchronicity: The Role of Midbrain Dopamine in Whole-Brain Coordination – PubMed (nih.gov)
- An Overview of Curcumin in Neurological Disorders – PMC (nih.gov)
- Efficacy and safety of curcumin in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial – PubMed (nih.gov)
- The effects of curcumin on depressive-like behaviors in mice – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Antidepressant activity of curcumin: involvement of serotonin and dopamine system – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Reading activity prevents long-term decline in cognitive function in older people: evidence from a 14-year longitudinal study – PMC (nih.gov)
- Dopamine as a Potential Target for Learning and Memory: Contributing to Related Neurological Disorders – PubMed (nih.gov)
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