Is there a way to increase serotonin levels naturally in your brain...?
439680
Do you mean Melatonin?\nMelatonin is released from your pineal gland in association with sleep.\n\nSeratonin is essentiall a happy hormone, (though not quite)\nProzac is a drug the boosts levels of Seratonin, kinda.\nSeratonin is released when eating chocolate and making love.\n\nMelatonin release is inhibited by light, you have special light receptors in you eye that do this.\nso darkened room. \nOther things like avoid caffine, chocolate, coffee and tea past mid-day.\nTry to get into a routine, it does actually help.\nlike 10 min TV, warm milk, brush teeth then bed.\nGetting up in the morning at an appropriate time also helps.
857400
Yes, and without  medications.\n\nBooks by  Jon Kabat-Zinn  and  Andrew Weil.\n\n\nTHANK  YOU.      R.N.  with  Masters  Degree.
204428
Oh yeah there are alot of things you can do to help. First off i can name a dozen vitamins and supplements to help:\n5-Hydroxytrytophan\nS-adenosylmethionine\nB- complex vitamins\nZinc\nCalcium and magnesium( together the magnesium helps the calcium work.)\nAlso eat a diet rich in raw fruits & vegetables, and whole grains, seeds, brown rice etc. Diets that are two low in complex carbs can deplete serotonin\nDont eat too much saturated fat\nSunlight may help if you dont get depressed all the time( like if its seasonal)\ntry to avoid sugars even honey and naturally sweet sugars\nAvoid wheat products\nI could go on for a while with this but hopefully you have a pretty good idea of what to do. also try execising it will help boost your self esteem
868667
Someone said chocolate. I had eaten chocolate daily since i was a kid and i always wondered why i wasnt depressed especially considering how bad my circumstances were, violent fater, low income family, no friends, then a few years ago i heard there had been a scientific study which found chocolate does indeed help with depression. Another recent study claimed that omega 3 fish oil is a miracle cure for depression, this was based on the fact that populations who eat plenty of fish have much lower instances of depression than populations where fish is rarley eaten. For instance Japan has a very low instance of depression where as south africa has the highest rates of depression in the world. I do take omega 3 oil but if i had to say witch benefits me best it would definatley be chocolate, it definatley affects my mood for the better, even just a tiny amount a day like one square from a bar. Working out is also a big depression killer, especially weight training. Finally try to have a routine to live by, that also is a big help. I notice its times when im at a lose end and have no direction in life that i get depressed a lot, so even working out daily or twice weekly will give you something positive to focus on, plus it raised the happy chemicals in the brain.
177768
eat chocolate, cocoa, use chocolate shower gel or shower foams (as even the chocolate smell helps produce serotonin), exercise (as in body work). all these help ;)\nand, so you don't get all mushy because of serotonin lack, do 30 minutes of jogging or some thing like that daily and eat half a chocolate bar... plus, you must have regular healthy meals so you can keep your shape and you could also eat half a lemon daily... that helps with your Vitamin C, which is very importnat, and you can never have "too much Vitamin C", cause the surplus is eliminated through urine ;)) it's only the truth, even if it sounds silly ;))
1044463
Yeah if you want a vegetable for a son or daughter.  take some 5 HTP you can get at GNC.  5 HTP is the precursor to seratonin.  This will calm you and make you sleep.  Your other choice is stay awake, eventually you will be so tired that you will sleep.
1030430
you can alter your neurochemistry with drugs for things like depression or anxiety, but it sounds more like you are asking for a "cool pill". there are illegal drugs which lower your inhibitions, but taking them has terrible consequences, like potentially dying!\n\nif you are not comfortable with yourself, i'd recommend psychotherapy.
32219
When your brain doesn't want to stop its chatter, it usually means that your brain is low on Serotonin (a neurotransmitter).  Foods that are high in Tryptophan (an amino acid) help you make serotonin.   Unlike other amino acids, the FDA decided they didn't want tryptophan to be available, so you can't get it over the counter. \n\nSome tips I have used:\n1. avoid exercising late in the afternoon.  It encourages your body to make adrenalin that keep you wound up.  Exercise earlier when you can use up that extra energy.\n\n2. Sleep in a dark room.  Do not do anything else in that room.\n\n3. Start a routine before going to bed.  The longer the better.  Say, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, write in a journal (also good for relaxing), listen to some relaxing music.  It's a little like Pavlov's dog - you train your body that when you start your bedtime routine, you know it's time for you to get sleepy.  Like Pavlov's dog was trained (by being fed when the bell rang) to salivate when the bell rang.  \n\n3.  Try meditating at night.  Meditation and deep, slow breathing have been shown to increase the levels of serotonin.\n\nAs a silly measure - this is something I recently read:  when you can't get your mind to stop chattering, try making up your own nonsense language to talk in.  If you can't stop the brain talk, drown it out with nonsense.\n\nI have had very big problems with sleep disturbances.  I was actually diagnosed with narcolepsy for a time.  A really interesting (scary at the time) side effect was that when I was so exhausted that I fell into a deep sleep, I would almost immediately awaken, but my body would remain "asleep" for several minutes longer.  Apparently, your body is paralyzed from the neck down when in a dream state.  \n\nDon't let it get that far.  Hope you get lots of good ideas to try and that they work for you.
195363
as an employee at a drug store, I can tell you that there are many supplements that can be used to improve brain function. One such product is Centrum Performance, a vitamin, which is supposed to "vitalize body and mind." another product is called BrainSpeed (runs about $40 for 60 tablets), obviously directed more for the brain. I personally haven't tried either of these products, nor have I spoken to anyone who has. I have been considering trying Centrum Performance. Anyway, just talk to a doctor or check out your local drug store.
726527
I believe that a healthy diet affects the mood in an amazing way. Sugar and junk food such as chips... brings us down. Vitamin B complex and B 12 are helpful. Omega fatty acids such as \nHemp oil and flax seed oil, walnuts, Brazil nuts have been proven to enhance the mood.\nAnd the thing that really works for me and many people I know is practice of Yoga. You could do research on that and see the link between Yoga and depression. It really lifts up a person's mood.\nI don't think there is such a thing as one best natural mood enhancer. There are a series of thing we must to and adopt a healthy lifestyle in order to feel better.
762118
A diet high in tyramine could do the trick but I'm worried about the potential side-effects.\n\nTyramine displaces monoamines from nerve terminals. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is one of these. However, so are dopamine and nor-adrenaline. Nor-adrenaline is responsible for the regulation of blood pressure among other things.\n\nTyramine can be found in mature cheeses, red wine, game and in massive quantities in Bovril and Marmite.\n\nWhilst a diet rich in these foodstuffs might raise your 5-HT levels it would almost certainly have an effect (if indeed it would in the first place) on DA and NA levels. This could cause high blood pressure and insomnia.
452814
Go Get This Homeopathic Remedy AURUM MET 30 and take three drops in a sip of water thrice a day and let me know how much did it improve your moods and help you overcome depression !
139560
I have had major sleep problems and here are some things that have helped me.  Mind racing at night is a sign of serotonin deficiency.  Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that makes us feel good and relaxed.  \n\nSerotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid component of protein.  There's a lot of tryptophan in turkey, which is why we do get sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner.  There's some in milk.  The trick is that tryptophan has to compete with other amino acids to cross what's called the "blood-brain barrier."  Other amino acids make other brain chemicals that make us feel alert and on edge (like epinephrine - similar to adrenalin).  \n\nSo, bottom line is, try eating more turkey.  Or have some milk with high carbs that increase your insulin and let tryptophan win the race to the blood-brain barrier and make serotonin.  Carbs can be things like a piece of fruit, or some bread.  My favorite is a "milk shake" with fruit.\n\nOther hints - keep the room dark.  Try to establish a routine for going to bed, to train your mind that it's getting time to get ready for sleep (like training Pavlov's dog).  A simple routine like - brush your teeth, get dressed for bed, write a few minutes in a journal, just long enough so your brain has time to adjust to the sleep that's coming.\n\nGood luck to you.
656510
no - there is no evidence to support the idea that amino acids can increase your testosterone\n\nhowever if the fat or zinc levels in your diet are too low increasing these will increase your testosterone but only to the point where you should normally be with a good diet.\n\nSome amino acids do however suppress another hormone called cortisol and if your ratio of testosterone to cortisol goes up due to this then muscle growth may be improved
77878
Most scientific inquiry on the subject tends to lead toward a point of view that favors the mind arising as an epiphenomenon of brain activity and that there is almost certainly a causal correlation between the two.  For example, the commonly used anti-depressant Prozac functions by causing increased levels of Seretonin to be present in your brain, which has a direct effect on improving one's mood and combating depression.  At least on some level, the physical state of the brain is correlated to the functioning of the mind.\n\nThat is about as much as I'm willing to say on the subject, since I do not have advanced training in neuroscience.  I might direct you to Daniel Dennett's work (http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/~ddennett.htm ) as a "philosopher of the mind" or to work done by Susan Blackmore in her book "The Meme Machine" or any standard psychology textbook for further discussion of the nature of the mind, the brain and their connection.
460912
Drink lots of water and get lots of sunshine.  Sounds dumb I know but the water increases the metabolism and flushes toxins out of the body and sunshine increase the serotonin levels.  Both will help boost your energy.
656972
Before starting this reply, I would like to get one thing out first.  'Traditional' medication is by far the most effective way in managing bipolar disorder and the mood stabilizers are the cornerstone in preventing relapse (either into depression or mania).  Therefore my main recommendation is to take what is prescribed by your psychiatrist.  If you do not have a psychiatrist following you, that should be your priority.\n\nThe only recommended and well studied 'natural' option is the addition of omega-3 oils to the diet.  Unfortunately, this has become the new 'wonder' supplement and many proposed benefits will later be discredited once the fad is over.  There is fairly good evidence for the addition of omega-3 oils in the mood stabilization therapy for bipolar disorders as well as major depression.  Unfortunately, there's no 'easy way' to getting these.  The natural health supplement industry is not regulated so the actual quality and concentrations of supplements are not very reliable.  On top of that, the absorption of the oil in the supplement form is quite poor.  One basically has to take it to the point of inducing diarrhea to attain proper levels.  The simplest way is to eat fish on a regular basis.  About 3 servings of oily fish (salmon, sardines are examples) per week is probably the easier option.  Although with recent reports of farmed fish having high levels of heavy metals in them, this becomes also a dilemma.\n\n  As for St-John's wart, there have been some reports of its utility but this is generally not recommended as there are several drug interaction (potentially life threatening) while taking this supplement.  It also has never been able to compare in safety or efficacy to the non 'natural' options.  \n\n  Not that this next part really answer's the question but I need to vent a little on this front.  There isn't really any such thing as 'natural' options.  All drugs, supplements, medication, you name it, are chemical compounds.  Whether they were made by plants, animals, bacteria or laboratory they are still chemicals.  I'll admit that some drugs/medication are manufactured in laboratories and do not resemble compounds found readily in nature but the fact still remains that most medications are compounds derived from organic chemicals which are then altered to increase the safety and reduce side-effects.  Most people don't realize that some of the deadliest poisons are made by plants (without any 'processing').