4 Ways to Create more
Dopamine Naturally
We all have down days now and then, but if your mental health is suffering and you’re struggling to find the energy and motivation needed to go about your day, you may want to consider looking at ways of naturally boosting your endorphins.
Dopamine is a
neurotransmitter in the brain which plays a key role in regulating our moods,
our sleeping patterns, our psychological energy, and our motivational levels.
This chemical messenger is also at the core of the brain’s reward system.
Whenever you eat or drink something you enjoy, or take part in an activity you
enjoy, the dopamine in your brain will reward you by making you feel good.
A lack of
dopamine can leave you feeling low and can affect you physically and mentally.
Here’s a look at 4 ways to create more dopamine naturally.
Eat more chicken
Chicken isn’t
just versatile meat that’s ideal for losing weight, there are also a number
of health benefits associated with eating it as well. One such benefit is an
increase in dopamine levels.
Chicken contains
an amino acid which is known as Tyrosine. Tyrosine is a precursor for dopamine
in the body. Once consumed, the body will use Tyrosine and convert it into
dopamine, thereby leaving you feeling happy and content after your meal.
Take a Ginkgo Biloba
supplement
Another way to
naturally increase your body’s dopamine production levels is to supplement with
herbal supplements such as Ginkgo Biloba.
Ginkgo Biloba is
a botanical ingredient that is native to China. It has been used as part of
Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries upon centuries.
Ginkgo Biloba
helps to improve the production of dopamine naturally by providing
antioxidant-like properties and helping to reduce oxidative stress and damage
inside the body.
Consume more B vitamins
If you’re
struggling with low mood, this could be down to a lack of dopamine. This is
where B vitamins prove so useful.
Both in
supplement form, and from whole foods such as red meat, fortified cereals and
grains, and seafood, B vitamins help to regulate your mood in a whole host of
different ways.
Numerous studies
have found a direct link between dopamine deficiencies and a lack of B vitamins
in the body. B vitamins have been found to restore dopamine levels in the body
while reducing oxidative stress in the brain.
In particular,
vitamin B6 is very useful as this vitamin assists with the production of
neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin and dopamine.
Eat more cucumbers
Contrary to
popular belief, cucumbers are not low in nutritional value and basically made
up of water. It turns out that cucumbers can actually provide numerous health
benefits, especially when it comes to the brain.
Cucumbers contain
an antioxidant known as Fisetin, which inhibits the activity of 5-lipoxygenase.
This in turn helps to keep brain cells healthy and it battles age-related
degradation of the cells.
Not only that,
this antioxidant also helps to increase dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline
within the frontal cortex of the brain, helping to significantly boost your
mood.
