Serotonin is the bright-eyed, happy, wake-up hormone. Its presence is an indication of overall health. And it is also the hormone everyone wants and needs for a pleasant day. Yet, sometimes, life can throw you a curveball and you need to know natural ways to boost serotonin.
But, before jumping into how you can boost your serotonin levels, you need to know a few more things about it. With this added knowledge, you will better understand which method, if any, will be the best for you to employ.
What is serotonin?
Serotonin is a hormone. The body produces it from the amino acid L-tryptophan, in the presence of B complex and a small amount of lithium orotate.
L-tryptophan is not produced by the body. You must consume it.
Approximately 90% of the body’s total serotonin is in the gastrointestinal tract, where it regulates intestinal movements. About 8% is found in platelets. And just 1–2% is in the central nervous system which, of course, includes the brain!
There is remarkable (and healthy) variety in the concentration of serotonin in various parts of the brain, ranging from 0.81 to 7.85 receptor binding potential. This same research shows that serotonin is associated with spiritual awareness, mystical experiences, and religious ecstasy.
Why is serotonin important?
On a healthy normal day, serotonin rises to its optimal when you awaken and stays there until at least late afternoon. Between then and bedtime serotonin is converted into melatonin to provide a great night’s sleep. Having a regular schedule of rise and shine and a normal sleep pattern helps maintain serotonin levels immensely.
Serotonin is critical to healthy cognitive functioning. It improves memory, promotes focus and alertness, enhances learning, supports verbal recall, supports analytical thinking, boosts mental energy, enhances creativity, reduces stress and irritability, and prevents cognitive decline.
Low levels of serotonin can cause problems. Season affective disorder (SAD), migraine and PTSD patients all have low serotonin. Suicide victims also show low levels of serotonin.
Interestingly, having too high a level of serotonin can be problematic too. Consistent hypertension often is present in individuals with higher levels of serotonin. And high levels of serotonin may lead to eating disorders and weight gain as well as gastrointestinal disturbances.
And when you take medications that cause high levels of serotonin you can develop serotonin syndrome. This syndrome is a reaction to various psychotropic drugs. It can lead to confusion, agitation, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), tachycardia (accelerated heart rate), myoclonus (sudden, involuntary muscle jerk, shake or spasm), hyperreflexia (overactive reflexes), seizures and death.
The most common presenting symptoms and signs of serotonin syndrome are confusion, agitation, diaphoresis, tachycardia, myoclonus, hyperreflexia and coma.
What health habits help produce serotonin?
If you sleep well (seven or eight hours) and have a good diet, you are likely to have a good supply of serotonin.
The best habits you can develop for normal serotonin rhythm and levels include:
- Being happily busy during the day
- Maintaining a normal intake of 80% of food as vegetables and fruits and 20% good quality protein (Good dietary sources of L-tryptophan include salmon, poultry, nuts, seeds, eggs, milk and spinach.)
- Moderately exercising a MINIMUM of 30 minutes at least 5 days a week
You must also eliminate habits that destroy the serotonin natural rhythm. These include ingesting excess carbohydrates, smoking and inactivity.
What supplements help with serotonin production?
If you are not naturally that regular in your sleep patterns, you can boost your serotonin by taking L-tryptophan in the morning.
(Somewhere between 3000 and 7000 mg of tryptophan, with 50 mg of B complex and 10 to 20 mg of lithium orotate is far better for depression than all the antidepressant drugs in the world!)
Taking phosphatidylserine (300 mg) and Bacopa monnieri (300 mg) is another way to boost serotonin levels. Although, although adequate tryptophan is the basic essential.
What other ways can boost serotonin?
In 1976 Shealy discovered that the Liss Cranial Electrical Stimulator (now known as Fisher Wallace Stimulator), used an hour in the morning, restored the serotonin melatonin rhythm well and was far superior to antidepressant drugs.
Interestingly, in Russia, they had been using for 25 years something called electro-sleep therapy in the morning to assist sleep in the evening.
Another way to boost serotonin safely is the regular practice of Autogenic Training and Biogenics®. These practices explore the science and cutting-edge research behind neuroplasticity and sound way technology. They also teach you how to harness the power of your brain and the way it functions to positively impact your life to live happier, healthier and longer!
One final way to boost serotonin safely is by giving regular attention to your higher spiritual self. Having a regular practice is important because serotonin is associated with spiritual awareness, mystical experiences, and religious ecstasy.
Holistic recommendation for boosting serotonin
Each of the ways outlined here can help you boost your serotonin.
And yet, we still offer a warning, in case you are tempted to take a prescription to elevate your serotonin:
Avoid all mood drugs. None of them is safe and none is as effective as the healthy lifestyle outlined here.
If you need help in moderation and in addition to a healthy lifestyle, use of the Cranial Electrical Stimulator, the gamma PEMF®, the Shealy RelaxMate, take L-tryptophan, lithium orotate and B complex as described above.
The Holistic Medicine approach to life, in general, serves as the safe and effective way to be and stay healthy.
With all these safe and effective habits, you will maintain healthy serotonin levels. But you will also have the potential for living healthily for a hundred to 160 years. It is far more fun, less expensive, and spiritually satisfying to live the life our genes provide, avoiding virtually all drugs, and enjoying the benefit of common-sense living.
As Norm Shealy’s great-grandmother said at 101 years of age, “I feel just as good as I did at age 16.”
Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. is the father of holistic medicine. Dr. Sergey Sorin is a holistic physician as well as the CEO and medical director of the Shealy-Sorin Wellness Institute. Both doctors recommend the Biogenics System as part of your overall commitment to self-health and enhancing your positivity.
