THE CHEMICAL MESSENGERS

SEROTONIN: THE MOOD REGULATOR

Serotonin also known as the feel good hormone, is a monoamine neurotransmitter. This hormone carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body. It directs the body on how to function. It plays several roles in the body, including influencing learning, memory, happiness as well as regulating body temperature, sleep, sexual behaviour and hunger. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions. Serotonin plays a major roles in your body functions. When serotonin is at normal levels, you feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier and calmer. Most of the body’s serotonin is in the GI tract where it helps control the bowel function and plays a role in protecting the gut. It plays a part to reduce the appetite too. Nausea is triggered when serotonin is released into the gut faster than it can be digested. The chemical message is received by the brain, which you perceive as nausea. Many drugs used to reduce feelings of nausea and vomiting target specific serotonin receptors in the brain.

A low Serotonin levels might have more than one cause. The body might not be producing enough Serotonin or the body might not be using it effectively. This can happen if one does not have enough serotonin receptors. It can also be genetic or because of some chronic disease. Low levels of Serotonin are associated with many health conditions like:- depression, anxiety, phobias, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD and many more. One can increases their serotonin levels by the following ways:-

· Get more sunlight

· Get more exercise and lower stress levels

· Take supplements

Some of the foods which can increase serotonin levels are salmon, eggs, cheese, turkey, nuts, oats etc.

Higher levels of serotonin may lead to seizures, diarrhea, fever etc. Certain drugs and substances such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, NutraSweet, antidepressants, and some cholesterol-lowering medications deplete serotoninlevels

As a conclusion, I’d want to stress that since these hormones determine how we act and who we are, maintaining a healthy balance is essential.