Serotonin is a chemical compound that affects mood. This chemical is found in the human brain, connective tissues, intestine, and blood. Serotonin has different health effects and it is known to maintain the overall well-being of an individual. It also helps transmit information across the nervous system. The chemical is associated with producing healthy sleep patterns. Now, one cannot get raw serotonin from any food. The best option is consuming tryptophan-rich food. Tryptophan-rich foods are the natural sources of serotonin. Read further to know all about the foods that increase serotonin.
What is Tryptophan?
Tryptophan is an amino acid that synthesizes serotonin. Hence, consuming tryptophan-rich food will help increase our body’s serotonin levels.
Top 8 Foods that Increase Serotonin
Tryptophan is a valuable amino acid for the production of serotonin in the human body since it stimulates serotonin production. Tryptophan is generally found in proteinaceous foods such as meat or other vegan sources. Your mental health should be your first priority to lead a happy life. Let us go through the top 8 foods to boost serotonin.
1. Salmon
If you are wondering where to obtain foods with serotonin, salmon is right here for you. Salmon is a fish that provides a high amount of tryptophan for consumption. This amino acid, in turn, boosts serotonin production in the body.
Besides, fish is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. This is how it manages to keep the heart, skin, and bones healthy. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin needed in the development of healthy bones as well as in increasing the production of serotonin.
Vitamin D is abundantly present in salmon. By mixing milk, eggs, and smoked salmon together, you may make the delicious dish known as a frittata.
2. Eggs
Talking about foods rich in serotonin, the egg is one of those that top the list. No surprise that it is the favorite food of any athlete or sportsman. However, to extract maximum protein from eggs, they should be cooked in the right way.
The healthiest form of consuming eggs requires them to be in boiled or poached form. On the contrary, fried eggs are less healthy since the oil adds to the fats.
A less fried omelet is preferable when eaten along with salad, and is good for health. It gives tryptophan which increases serotonin production in the body.
3. Spinach
Dark and leafy vegetables, preferably spinach, are an excellent source of magnesium. Magnesium is needed for health since it stimulates the production of serotonin in the body.
It helps in improving mood by lowering anxiety levels in the body. Magnesium encourages people to get a good sleep which is essential to keep you fit and healthy.
Spinach is rich in folate and iron. Doctors often suggest spinach as a part of the diet as a deficiency of folate can trigger depression and anxiety in humans.
4. Nuts
Nuts are the natural sources of proteins and amino acids like tryptophan. Nuts can be consumed in different ways by adding them to a meal or as a part of morning snacks. Almonds are high in vitamin B2, which relieves the human mind from different kinds of stress.
Zinc, also present in almonds, uplifts the mood and keeps the immune system healthy. Nuts can produce optimum amounts of serotonin that enhances communication between brain cells and help the body to respond positively to stress.
Thus, the deficiency of the hormone can lead to anxiety, depression, aggression, violence, and some issues with memory and learning.
5. Soy Products & Tofu
You may be a vegetarian and prefer to avoid eggs and meat products. In such cases, soy products are an excellent source of serotonin in the human body. Tofu is made of soy and is among the foods that contain serotonin.
There are various soy products that can help you obtain optimum amounts of serotonin. Moreover, in the past few decades, the use of soy products has been recognized extensively as a part of the regular human diet worldwide.
6. Seeds
Seeds are not high tryptophan-rich food sources like other foods rich in serotonin eggs but can be considered a good tryptophan source. Seeds also provide antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.
Consuming a handful of seeds in a regular diet will boost serotonin production. Seeds like pumpkin seeds are one of the natural sources of serotonin. It is considered to be effective at maintaining mood.
Pumpkin seeds also reduce anxiety, irritability, and stress. Pumpkin seeds improve mood as well as brain functions. You can add seeds to your regular diet in different ways. A few ways are listed below:
- Mixing seeds and nuts for preparing a snack
- Consuming seeded bread
- Sprinkling seeds on top of the salad
- Garnishing yogurt, porridge, or cereal with seeds.
7. Milk & Cheese
Calcium is known to be abundant in milk. Apart from this, it is a good source of tryptophan. Cheese is also one of the natural serotonin foods.
Adding milk or any other dairy product to your regular diet will not only keep your bones healthy but also will enhance your mental health. Milk helps to keep your brain and digestive system happy. The vitamin B content of milk helps in reducing stress as well.
8. Pineapple
For decades, pineapples have been known to be high tryptophan-rich fruit. Pineapple is the only fruit that contains tryptophan. It boosts the production of serotonin in the body.
Many health experts recommend consuming pineapple to manage depression and anxiety. Adding pineapple to the diet will help in maintaining mental health.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned list of foods helps in increasing serotonin naturally in the body. Foods with high riboflavin, vitamin B6, and iron content are also considered to contain ample tryptophan as well.
