Serotonin: what it is, how to increase levels in the body, foods, medications

Is it possible to teach our brain to artificially produce the “happiness hormone” - serotonin? This task is not easy, but feasible, because managing the delicate hormonal balance is within the power of any person. You just need to want it - and literally in 5 minutes you will be in a great mood and ready to “move mountains.” Hormones of pleasure and happiness will help you in this endeavor:

• serotonin - it is called the hormone of happiness, which gives a feeling of euphoria;
• dopamine – it is responsible for pleasure and reinforces positive experiences;
• Oxytocin - it gives rise to feelings such as love, tenderness and affection.

Most often, this “trinity” works in tandem, forming all our positive emotions. But now we will talk specifically about serotonin. Many people already know the name of this hormone of joy and happiness. But not everyone understands how it works. And even fewer people know how to regulate the level of this hormone in the body.

What is serotonin

Today, scientists know that hormones affect our perception of the world more than we might imagine. While the average person is upset and looks for the reasons for his depression in external circumstances, his mood, reactions, desires and even the direction of his thoughts are controlled by the hormonal system. Serotonin is directly related to libido, appetite, physical and mental activity. With balance, there is a satisfactory state of health and a sufficient amount of energy, pain sensitivity decreases and appearance improves. A person suffering from a lack of serotonin will be lethargic, pessimistic and irritable.

The synthesis of 80-90% of serotonin occurs in the intestines, and only 10-20% is produced in the brain. Therefore, proper nutrition is the most effective way to replenish the happiness hormone.

Adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin are biogenic amines that are hormones and neurotransmitters. Their content increases significantly in biological fluids in some neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Synonyms Russian

Catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine), serotonin (5-hydroxypriptamine) and their metabolites (VMC, GVA, 5-OHIAA).

English synonyms

Catecholamines (epinephrine/adrenaline, norepinephrine/noradrenaline, dopamine), serotonine (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) and metabolites (vanillylmandelic acid /VMA, homovanillic acid/HVA, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/5-HIAA).

Research method

High performance liquid chromatography.

Units

Pg/ml (picograms per milliliter), ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter), mg/day. (milligrams per day).

What biomaterial can be used for research?

Daily urine, venous blood.

How to properly prepare for research?

• Eliminate bananas, avocados, cheese, coffee, tea, cocoa, and beer from your diet for 48 hours before the test.
• Do not eat for 12 hours before the test; you can drink clean still water.
• Discontinue (in consultation with your doctor) sympathomimetics 14 days before the study.
• Avoid (in consultation with your doctor) taking diuretics for 48 hours before collecting urine.
• Completely avoid (in consultation with your doctor) taking medications for 24 hours before the test.
• Avoid physical and emotional stress for 24 hours before the test.
• Avoid physical and emotional stress during the collection of daily urine (during the day).
• Do not smoke for 24 hours before the test.
• Do not smoke during the entire period of 24-hour urine collection.

General information about the study

Neuroendocrine tumors (apudomas) are neoplasms originating from endocrine cells diffusely located in various tissues and organs (APUD). These include pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, gastrinoma, VIPoma, carcinoid and some other neoplasms. In rare cases, a hereditary syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) is detected, which is characterized by the simultaneous presence of neuroendocrine tumors in different organs and tissues (for example, pheochromocytoma + medullary thyroid cancer + mucosal neurons + intestinal ganglioneuromas). Pheochromocytoma is a hormonally active tumor of cells of the sympathoadrenal system, which produces catecholamines. In 90% of cases, pheochromocytomas arise in the adrenal medulla. Much less often they are localized outside the adrenal glands: in 8% - in the aortic lumbar paraganglia, in less than 2% of cases - in the abdominal and thoracic cavities (paraganglia, bladder, hilum of the liver and kidneys) and in less than 0.1% of cases - in neck area (bifurcation of the carotid artery). The pathogenesis and clinical picture of the disease are caused by excessive intake of adrenaline and norepinephrine into the blood. Catecholamines are synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine and provide regulation of the basic physiological parameters of the body (respiration and heart rate, blood pressure, renal blood flow), and also participate in the processes of higher nervous activity (mood formation, motivation). Normally, catecholamine levels increase when exposed to stress factors and remain low at rest. Tumors of neuroendocrine origin are characterized by uncontrolled secretion of catecholamines, as a result of which their concentration, as well as the level of their metabolites in the blood and urine, increases many times. In most cases, pheochromocytoma secretes both types of catecholamines. Some tumors produce only one of these monoamines; very rarely dopamine predominates. In addition to catecholamines, pheochromocytoma can synthesize serotonin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, vasoactive intestinal peptide, somatostatin and other hormones. There is no correspondence between the size of the tumor, the level of catecholamines in the blood and the clinical picture. Small tumors can synthesize and secrete large amounts of catecholamines into the blood, whereas large tumors metabolize catecholamines in their own tissue and secrete only a small portion of them. More common is the so-called paroxysmal form of pheochromocytoma, in which the secretion of norepinephrine does not occur constantly, but episodically. Since norepinephrine is metabolized quite quickly, the most accurate test result will be obtained by collecting urine during or immediately after an episode of hypertensive crisis, and not in the interictal period. During the interictal period, the concentration of the main metabolite of norepinephrine, vanillylmandelic acid, should be measured. It does not undergo further biochemical transformations and can be used to assess the concentration of norepinephrine, even if its secretion is pulsatile. Neuroblastoma is also a neuroendocrine tumor, which is characterized by the secretion of excess adrenaline, norepinephrine and their metabolites. However, when diagnosing neuroblastoma, the level of dopamine and its final metabolite homovanillic acid is much more important. An increase in its concentration in urine is found in 90% of cases of neuroblastoma. Carcinoid tumors of different locations are characterized by the secretion of serotonin. Serotonin is not a catecholamine, but also belongs to the group of biogenic amines with hormonal and neurotransmitter activity. It is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan and is stored in enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract (80-95% of the total), various structures of the brain, mast cells of the skin, platelets and some other endocrine organs. Serotonin lowers the threshold of pain sensitivity, regulates the function of the pituitary gland, affects vascular tone, blood clotting, motility and secretory activity of the gastrointestinal tract. In case of carcinoid tumors, the concentration of the product of serotonin metabolism, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, increases in the urine. Analysis of 24-hour urine for 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid is characterized by high sensitivity (75%) and specificity (88-100%), which allows this test to be considered one of the main ways to confirm the diagnosis of carcinoid tumor. However, it should be noted that there are carcinoids that do not secrete serotonin, and the symptoms of the disease are nonspecific and may be absent for a long time in some patients. With surgical removal and effective treatment of neuroendocrine tumors, the levels of hormones and their metabolites are normalized. The persistence of an increased concentration of vasoactive peptides and their metabolic products indicates the ineffectiveness of therapy, the presence of metastases, or the fact that the tumor could not be completely removed.

What is the research used for?

• For the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, paragangliomas, neuroblastoma and carcinoid tumors;
• to monitor the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors;
• to assess the effectiveness of apud therapy; for the diagnosis of recurrent neuroendocrine tumors.

When is the study scheduled?

• If you suspect a pheochromocytoma (attacks of headaches, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, abdominal pain, nausea);
• when examining patients with severe persistent arterial hypertension, crisis course and ineffectiveness of standard antihypertensive therapy;
• for any form of arterial hypertension in children;
• with an increase in blood pressure after the prescription of beta-blockers or ganglion blockers;
• with a hereditary predisposition to multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes, even in the absence of symptoms of neoplasms;
• with symptoms of neuroblastoma (more often in children) - signs of compression of surrounding tissues, bone pain, lameness, diarrhea/constipation, weight loss;
• with symptoms of a carcinoid tumor: a feeling of a rush of blood to the skin of the face and neck, sweating, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, a feeling of interruptions in the heart, shortness of breath;
• with pellagra (hypovitaminosis RR associated with increased production of serotonin from tryptophan in carcinoid);
• when detecting tumors in the adrenal glands during ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging;
• after removal of apudoma (neuroendocrine tumor); when monitoring the condition of patients with MEN syndromes.

What do the results mean?

Reference values

Adrenalin

Norepinephrine

Dopamine: 5.6 - 44 pg/ml.

Serotonin: 50 - 220 ng/ml.

Vanillylmandelic acid:

Homovanillic acid:

5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid: 0 - 15 mg/day.

Reasons for increased levels of adrenaline, norepinephrine and vanillylmandelic acid:

• pheochromocytoma and other paragangliomas;
• neuroblastoma;
• severe anxiety and intense physical activity;
• hypertension (increase in adrenaline level by 1.5-2 times);
• hypotension, hypoglycemia;
• taking medications (aspirin, levodopa, tetracycline, penicillin, adrenaline and norepinephrine).

Reasons for decreased levels of adrenaline, norepinephrine and vanillylmandelic acid:

• anorexia;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• Riley–Day syndrome;
• orthostatic hypotension;
• taking medications (clonidine, imipramine, reserpine, MAO inhibitors).

Reasons for increased levels of dopamine and homovanillic acid:

• neuroblastoma;
• pheochromocytoma and other paragangliomas;
• brain tumors;
• Costello syndrome;
• taking medications (disulfiram, levodopa, reserpine).

Reasons for decreased levels of dopamine and homovanillic acid:

• parkinsonism;
• taking medications (aspirin, MAO inhibitors).

Reasons for increased levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid:

• carcinoid tumors;
• medullary thyroid cancer;
• testicular tumors; celiac disease;
• endocarditis;
• dumping syndrome;
• acute intestinal obstruction;
• cystic fibrosis;
• acute myocardial infarction;
• taking medications (paracetamol, diazepam, naproxen, pindolol).

Reasons for decreased levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid:

• mastocytosis;
• phenylketonuria;
• Down syndrome;
• carcinoid tumors of the rectum;
• Hartnup's disease;
• taking medications (ethanol, imipramine, isoniazid, sulfasalazine).

What can influence the result?

Increase the concentration of catecholamines and their metabolites in the blood and urine:

• some drugs such as chlorpromazine, benzodiazepines, sympathomimetics, vitamin C, riboflavin and vitamin B12, ampicillin, aspirin, levodopa, erythromycin, tetracycline, adrenaline drugs, amphetamines, quinidine;
• some products (red wine, cheese, sauerkraut, avocado, kiwi, plums, chocolate).

Increases the content of serotonin in the blood and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the urine:

• some medications, such as lithium salts, MAO inhibitors, methyldopa, morphine, reserpine;
• foods rich in serotonin and tryptophan (avocados, bananas, plums, nuts, pineapples, kiwi, grapefruits).

How does serotonin interact in the body?

Serotonin is a chemical substance that transmits certain information to nerve cells through electrical impulses. It contains commands that encourage the body to move and the brain to rejoice. This is the simple physiological secret of cheerfulness and efficiency.

A lack of the happiness hormone has a detrimental effect on the body, but this does not mean that the principle “the more the better” is appropriate here. Excess is also detrimental to health.

Managing happiness hormones is easy!

The secret to the effectiveness of herbal vitamins for mood is in the ideal composition. There is nothing superfluous in them besides the active components - extracts of medicinal herbs. For example, these could be:

• St. John's wort and clover grass;
• Rhodiola rosea and valerian;
• volodushka and muira puama bark.

Such vitamins, even with long-term use, often turn out to be more effective and safe in comparison with synthetic drugs and antidepressants, which cause addiction, withdrawal effects, drowsiness and other side effects.

Now you know how to properly increase the level of serotonin in the body so that a positive result is not long in coming. Allow the happiness hormone to be produced in full - and your life will become bright, and every day will bring maximum benefit and pleasure.

Signs of Serotonin Deficiency

The following signs may indicate insufficient production of this necessary inhibitor:

• Fast fatiguability;
• Emotional imbalance, vulnerability;
• Regularly recurring headaches;
• Depression;
• Decreased or, conversely, excess appetite;
• Insomnia;
• Inhibited, disordered thinking;
• Memory impairment;
• Craving for alcohol.

An experiment performed on monkeys demonstrated that serotonin affects not only character and behavior, but also social status. Scientists chose from the pack the most cowardly, but at the same time, prone to impulsive manifestations of aggression, male. Naturally, such a primate could not enjoy the respect of his fellow tribesmen. But after receiving a dose of the hormone, his posture straightened, and his reactions became much more confident and calm. Thus, the former omega turned into a worthy competitor for the leader of the pack.

A similarly low level of serotonin production is observed in the group most susceptible to neuroses and depressive states. Physiological support and work with a psychologist help these patients become more morally stable and increase their importance in society.

Functions and mechanism of action of the hormone

There are several main types of serotonin receptors and many subtypes. Moreover, they are so diverse that some of them have a completely opposite effect.

Some receptors have a pronounced activation character, while others have an inhibitory effect.

For example, serotonin is involved in the transition from sleep to wakefulness and vice versa. It has a similar effect on blood vessels: it dilates when the tone is too high and narrows when the tone is low.

The action of serotonin affects almost the entire body. The most important functions of the hormone:

• responsible for the pain threshold - people with active serotonin receptors tolerate pain better;
• stimulates motor activity;
• increases blood clotting, including the formation of a blood clot at the site of open wounds;
• regulates gastric motility and intestinal motility;
• in the respiratory system controls the process of relaxation of the bronchi;
• regulates vascular tone;
• takes part in childbirth (paired with oxytocin);
• responsible for long-term memory and cognitive activity;
• supports normal libido in men and women, as well as reproductive functions;
• affects the emotional and mental well-being of a person;
• ensures proper rest during sleep;
• provides an adequate perception of the surrounding world and positive emotions;
• controls appetite (source - Wikipedia).

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Foods that increase serotonin levels

When you are in a bad mood, you always want to eat something tasty, and this is not without reason. Buns, cakes, pastries and sweets, which the fair sex especially loves, contain fast carbohydrates. Thanks to them, the body receives a sufficient dose of glucose in a short time, and the mood rises sharply. But the effect subsides just as quickly, as a result of which the consumer, without hesitation, puts a new portion of sweets in his mouth to relieve tension, and becomes a prisoner of the vicious circle of addiction.

To improve your quality of life and get rid of overeating, you need to learn to replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones. When consuming them, sugar will enter the blood in small portions over a long period of time, and serotonin will be steadily produced for several hours. Complex carbohydrates include:

• Potato;
• Peas;
• Beans;
• Lentils;
• Wholemeal bread;
• Oatmeal;
• Muesli;
• Vegetables and fruits.

To significantly increase serotonin production, you need to eat foods containing the amino acid tryptophan. These include:

• hard cheeses,
• soy and soy products,
• processed cheese,
• fatty cottage cheese,
• oyster mushrooms,
• chicken eggs,
• lean meat.

Additionally, doctors advise allowing yourself a cup of aromatic natural coffee every day, as well as including foods high in vitamin B and dark chocolate in your diet.

About the importance of a healthy lifestyle

The statement that physical activity and walks in the fresh air lead to happiness is not an allegory, as it turns out, but a scientifically proven fact. Bright sunlight and movement are known to significantly stimulate serotonin production, so daytime walks are a great remedy. In addition, fresh air contains oxygen. You can walk or do simple exercises in the park, and if you are very enthusiastic, even join a gym or sports section.

Drugs

There are medications that can increase the amount of serotonin that enters the blood. They fall into the category of antidepressants and are called selective reuptake inhibitors. These include the following drugs: Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Venlafaxine, Sertraline, etc. It is not recommended to purchase and take medications without a doctor’s prescription. Uncontrolled use risks overdose. In this case, painful hyperactivity, nervous spasms, sleep disorders, and headaches may occur.

How do vitamins for a good mood work?

Unlike antidepressants, which inhibit serotonin reuptake, plant-based vitamins act differently—more gently. They bring all neurotransmitters into balance and help the happiness hormone be produced in the right quantity without causing serious harm to the human body:

• fight fatigue and irritability;
• increase memory, attention and concentration;
• eliminate insomnia and other sleep disorders;
• protect against depression and nervous disorders;
• restore interest in life and normalize appetite.

Constant stress at work and at home does not allow you to always be at the peak of activity. But now this problem can be easily solved: just one capsule of herbal vitamins a day - and it will be much easier for you to cope with the challenges that this world has prepared for you. Forgetfulness, absent-mindedness and apathy will be replaced by cheerfulness and a positive mood.