It’s funny to think about how something so small can influence our psychological well-being so much.
Great advances in scientific research have discovered a new element essential for human happiness: serotonin. This hormone produced by the nervous system is considered the biological basis of happiness; it is capable of transmitting information to our brain to make us feel all types of emotions related to joy and well-being. In addition, it also modulates other types of feelings such as aggression or anxiety.
You want to know What is serotonin and what is it for?? Then we recommend that you continue reading this Psychology-Online article. Furthermore, in this article you will find the relationship between serotonin and depression.
What is serotonin?: Definition
To learn What is serotonin and what is it for?we will have to base ourselves on the most recent research in the world of chemistry and psychology.
Definition of serotonin
We can define this substance as a hormone that our body produces (more specifically, it is produced in the intestines and the brain) with the aim of maintaining emotional balance and a certain level of psychological well-being. This hormone is a neurotransmitter whose chemical composition is 5-HTthat means that the signals it sends go directly to us and the message is transcribed there.
Serotonin: what is it?
Many scientists claim that serotonin is the hormone that regulates and modulates human emotions. It is considered the hormone of happiness for its effect on our mental states. Together with other substances such as dopamine or adrenaline, it is responsible for balancing our mood. Serotonin is not only the hormone of happiness, it also fulfills the functions of controlling appetite, regulating sleep and intervening in levels of libido and sexual desire.
Effects and function of serotonin
Being considered a neurotransmitter, We understand that serotonin will have its main effect on the central nervous system. Scientific studies show that there is a deep relationship between low serotonin levels and mental disorders such as depression or stress. Furthermore, appropriately high levels of this hormone produce pleasant feelings of psychological well-being.
Serotonin function
Broadly speaking, we can affirm that the main function of serotonin is to regulate the psychological well-being and stability through our brain chemistry. To do this, the important thing is to maintain good levels of serotonin, avoiding depression (serotonin baha) or serotonin syndrome (too much serotonin). In addition, it also intervenes in intestinal function through .
Serotonin and anxiety
One of the most curious effects that serotonin produces in our body is anxiety. Indeed, too high levels of this substance are related to the appearance of social anxiety disorder or social phobia. On the other hand, there is numerous research that affirms that having it can be the cause of a
- How do we explain this phenomenon? At first glance, these data seem contradictory. However, this research only states that any imbalance in serotonin levels produces an imbalance in the mental states of agitation and nervousness, whether due to excess or lack of this hormone.
Does serotonin regulate sleep?
Another effect of serotonin in our body is the regulation of sleep. When we are awake, serotonin levels rise to keep us in a state of attention, when we enter the deeper phases of sleep, serotonin in the brain decreases considerably to allow our body and mind to rest properly.
There is a hormone that, together with serotonin, regulates our body’s sleep-wake cycle. This hormone is known as melatonin and we can find it both in the body itself and outside of it, in foods or specific medications.
Having good sleep habits helps us maintain a correct balance between the production of serotonin and melatonin. As a consequence of this balance, we experience more pleasant emotions and obtain a high level of psychological well-being.
Relationship between serotonin and depression
As we have been commenting throughout this article, the main function of serotonin in our body is mood regulation. The levels of this hormone must be maintained at normal values in order to experience balanced emotions.
If the production of serotonin suffers some type of imbalance, we can experience discomfort, anger, irritability, risky behaviors…many of these symptoms coincide with depression, therefore, we can affirm that low levels of serotonin are related to appearance of this mood disorder.
This relationship between serotonin and depression can occur in both directions: it may be that, due to bad external experiences, we begin to suffer from depression and this decreases serotonin levels () or, on the contrary, our brain produces fewer happiness hormones. and that leads us to suffer from a mental disorder known as endogenous depression.
Natural serotonin and medications
Now that we know What is serotonin and what is it for?. We may want to learn how to increase our serotonin levels naturally with the aim of achieving psychological well-being and emotional stability. To do this, we offer the following tips:
- keep a balanced diet and rich in carbohydrates. Nutrients from this family such as bread, whole wheat pasta or legumes contain an element called trypophane. This substance helps our body produce more serotonin. Some of the foods that also increase our serotonin levels naturally are: pineapple, mango, chicken, soy, chocolate, strawberries, papaya…
- do some exercise every day, not only will you increase your levels of endorphins (the hormone of pleasure and relaxation), in the long term you will feel better about yourself and you will learn to strengthen your self-esteem.
- Enjoy the little ones life pleasures like watching a new movie, reading a good book or savoring your favorite food. These small pleasures help us live under positive emotions.
- Connect with others: Attachment bonds are very important for a person’s psychological growth. Furthermore, having good friends reduces the feeling of loneliness and makes us feel loved. Establishing a good social support network can also prevent many discomforts and mental health problems.
Psychotropic drugs to increase serotonin
There are numerous medications that base their function on altering the serotonin levels in our body. The process to increase serotonin has evolved and today SSRIs predominate in the pharmaceutical market. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are prescribed to treat a multitude of problems such as borderline personality disorder or depression. These medications should only be taken under a doctor’s prescription and without excessive use of them.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is serotonin and what is it for?we recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Gratacós, M. Serotonin: Function, Structure and Production.