Tryptophan --> 5-HTP --> Serotonin --> Melatonin
According to Harvard Health Publishing, serotonin is the natural mood booster. It’s what causes us to feel happiness. Although SSRI’s are often the most common method of trying to boost serotonin levels in ‘traditional’ medicine, it's also possible to increase serotonin levels without medication.
Serotonin plays a key role in mood, digestion, sleep, sexual desire, wound healing, blood clotting, bone health, and more. It carries messages between the brain's nerve cells, and throughout the body.
Serotonin levels that are too low or too high can cause physical and psychological health problems.
Exposure to either the sun or to the bright light meant to replicate it is another way to naturally increase serotonin levels. Light therapy is one of the main treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the winter blues that may be triggered by a drop in serotonin levels.
Protein-rich foods such as turkey are high in tryptophan, but our bodies don't convert it to serotonin very efficiently. This is where taking a 5-HTP supplement could help as tryptophan is its precursor, and 5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin (serotonin is also the precursor to melatonin, which can assist with sleep issues.)
Spending time in nature and meditation are other great ways that you can naturally boost your serotonin levels.
You can get tryptophan from complex carbohydrate sources such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. When you eat these carbs, your body produces insulin, which helps your muscles pull in more amino acids, giving tryptophan a better chance at reaching your brain. Eating these slow releasing carbs will ensure that you release energy gradually, which helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and assist with mood stability.
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*Source: Anxiety & Depression – Take Control (Melissa Baumgaertner)
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