Comments on: Understanding Our Bodies: Serotonin, The Connection Between Food and Mood http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/ An in-depth guide to the world of nutrition Tue, 15 May 2012 17:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Nutrition Wonderlandhttp://nutritionwonderland.com/wp-content/themes/nw_theme/images/NW_Logo_v2.0_144x56px.jpghttp://nutritionwonderland.com400156Nutrition Wonderland is an in-depth guide to the world of nutrition. By: Lee http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-3112 Lee Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:34:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-3112 This is fascinating yet so clear. Thank you. My counsellor suspects i have depression and am about to go for assessment. Initially i resisted but i recognise denial when i see it. This article will be very useful to me whether i am diagnosed with depression or not. Thank you. This is fascinating yet so clear. Thank you. My counsellor suspects i have depression and am about to go for assessment. Initially i resisted but i recognise denial when i see it. This article will be very useful to me whether i am diagnosed with depression or not. Thank you.

]]> By: 5-HTP http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2972 5-HTP Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:22:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2972 Nice post! Very well organized of information and it educated me a lot about serotonin. thanks for sharing. now i know about it's benefits and how it could affect or health if you use it too much also. Nice post! Very well organized of information and it educated me a lot about serotonin. thanks for sharing. now i know about it’s benefits and how it could affect or health if you use it too much also.

]]> By: Candice http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2044 Candice Sun, 04 Apr 2010 07:43:08 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2044 Very interesting read, a lot of my friends dieting on carb crashing diets, good for them to read this article. Very interesting read, a lot of my friends dieting on carb crashing diets, good for them to read this article.

]]> By: Candice http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2868 Candice Sun, 04 Apr 2010 07:43:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2868 Very interesting read, a lot of my friends dieting on carb crashing diets, good for them to read this article. Very interesting read, a lot of my friends dieting on carb crashing diets, good for them to read this article.

]]> By: Jennifer http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2025 Jennifer Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:56:55 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2025 Hey again:)- forgot something- since one of the symptoms of serotonin withdrawal is Fatigue (but too much serotonin is sedating), is the thinking that the fatigue is due to stressing while having too low levels of serotonin, thus making coping harder? I'm thinking here of low serotonin being suspected of having a role in clinical depression, and a symptom of depression being fatigue... It's interesting, some people with clinical depression Oversleep(myself)while others with it have Insomnia,or poor sleep. I know that at least some of my sleepiness comes from stress- first I get tired, then if the stress continues, I get sleepy, and long ago when my depression was severe, the sleep was also an escape. Since norepinephrine is also suspected of playing a role in depression, and norepinephrine is not sedating, it makes me wonder if some people with depression are deficient in the one but not the other, and others are deficient in both. This is not to mention dopamine, also suspected as playing a role in clinical depression, so that's perhaps 3 variables- depending on whether levels of all 3 of these are interdependent or not... The complexity of it all makes articles like yours that discuss safe things to try- like exercise, good sleep, light, working on your outlook, that much more important. Certain foods,and the lack of certain foods, can be so powerful, a balanced diet is the safest approach to pretty much any ailment, physical or mental. That being said, I know I'm currently low on serotonin as I'm being weaned off an SSRI (and onto Wellbutrin) after about 10 yrs on SSRI's, and even taking only 5mg of Lexapro every 6th day is still leading to dizziness on that 6th day. The increments I can go have been slowing in their rate of length increase. It may be that I will never produce a healthy amount on my own, and will need to supplement the Wellbutrin with a very low dose of Lexapro, but in the meantime I'm trying it while looking for safe ways to increase my serotonin, so I'm going to increase the tryptophan foods and push the behavioral remedies more too. Exercise is hard while I'm So tired, but I know it's important for everything:), and it does boost my mood immediately:). Thanks again for your article and for reading all this! Hey again:)- forgot something- since one of the symptoms of serotonin withdrawal is Fatigue (but too much serotonin is sedating), is the thinking that the fatigue is due to stressing while having too low levels of serotonin, thus making coping harder? I’m thinking here of low serotonin being suspected of having a role in clinical depression, and a symptom of depression being fatigue… It’s interesting, some people with clinical depression Oversleep(myself)while others with it have Insomnia,or poor sleep.
I know that at least some of my sleepiness comes from stress- first I get tired, then if the stress continues, I get sleepy, and long ago when my depression was severe, the sleep was also an escape. Since norepinephrine is also suspected of playing a role in depression, and norepinephrine is not sedating, it makes me wonder if some people with depression are deficient in the one but not the other, and others are deficient in both. This is not to mention dopamine, also suspected as playing a role in clinical depression, so that’s perhaps 3 variables- depending on whether levels of all 3 of these are interdependent or not…
The complexity of it all makes articles like yours that discuss safe things to try- like exercise, good sleep, light, working on your outlook, that much more important. Certain foods,and the lack of certain foods, can be so powerful, a balanced diet is the safest approach to pretty much any ailment, physical or mental. That being said, I know I’m currently low on serotonin as I’m being weaned off an SSRI (and onto Wellbutrin) after about 10 yrs on SSRI’s, and even taking only 5mg of Lexapro every 6th day is still leading to dizziness on that 6th day. The increments I can go have been slowing in their rate of length increase. It may be that I will never produce a healthy amount on my own, and will need to supplement the Wellbutrin with a very low dose of Lexapro, but in the meantime I’m trying it while looking for safe ways to increase my serotonin, so I’m going to increase the tryptophan foods and push the behavioral remedies more too. Exercise is hard while I’m So tired, but I know it’s important for everything:), and it does boost my mood immediately:). Thanks again for your article and for reading all this!

]]> By: Jennifer http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2867 Jennifer Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:56:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2867 Hey again:)- forgot something- since one of the symptoms of serotonin withdrawal is Fatigue (but too much serotonin is sedating), is the thinking that the fatigue is due to stressing while having too low levels of serotonin, thus making coping harder? I'm thinking here of low serotonin being suspected of having a role in clinical depression, and a symptom of depression being fatigue... It's interesting, some people with clinical depression Oversleep(myself)while others with it have Insomnia,or poor sleep. I know that at least some of my sleepiness comes from stress- first I get tired, then if the stress continues, I get sleepy, and long ago when my depression was severe, the sleep was also an escape. Since norepinephrine is also suspected of playing a role in depression, and norepinephrine is not sedating, it makes me wonder if some people with depression are deficient in the one but not the other, and others are deficient in both. This is not to mention dopamine, also suspected as playing a role in clinical depression, so that's perhaps 3 variables- depending on whether levels of all 3 of these are interdependent or not... The complexity of it all makes articles like yours that discuss safe things to try- like exercise, good sleep, light, working on your outlook, that much more important. Certain foods,and the lack of certain foods, can be so powerful, a balanced diet is the safest approach to pretty much any ailment, physical or mental. That being said, I know I'm currently low on serotonin as I'm being weaned off an SSRI (and onto Wellbutrin) after about 10 yrs on SSRI's, and even taking only 5mg of Lexapro every 6th day is still leading to dizziness on that 6th day. The increments I can go have been slowing in their rate of length increase. It may be that I will never produce a healthy amount on my own, and will need to supplement the Wellbutrin with a very low dose of Lexapro, but in the meantime I'm trying it while looking for safe ways to increase my serotonin, so I'm going to increase the tryptophan foods and push the behavioral remedies more too. Exercise is hard while I'm So tired, but I know it's important for everything:), and it does boost my mood immediately:). Thanks again for your article and for reading all this! Hey again:)- forgot something- since one of the symptoms of serotonin withdrawal is Fatigue (but too much serotonin is sedating), is the thinking that the fatigue is due to stressing while having too low levels of serotonin, thus making coping harder? I’m thinking here of low serotonin being suspected of having a role in clinical depression, and a symptom of depression being fatigue… It’s interesting, some people with clinical depression Oversleep(myself)while others with it have Insomnia,or poor sleep.
I know that at least some of my sleepiness comes from stress- first I get tired, then if the stress continues, I get sleepy, and long ago when my depression was severe, the sleep was also an escape. Since norepinephrine is also suspected of playing a role in depression, and norepinephrine is not sedating, it makes me wonder if some people with depression are deficient in the one but not the other, and others are deficient in both. This is not to mention dopamine, also suspected as playing a role in clinical depression, so that’s perhaps 3 variables- depending on whether levels of all 3 of these are interdependent or not…
The complexity of it all makes articles like yours that discuss safe things to try- like exercise, good sleep, light, working on your outlook, that much more important. Certain foods,and the lack of certain foods, can be so powerful, a balanced diet is the safest approach to pretty much any ailment, physical or mental. That being said, I know I’m currently low on serotonin as I’m being weaned off an SSRI (and onto Wellbutrin) after about 10 yrs on SSRI’s, and even taking only 5mg of Lexapro every 6th day is still leading to dizziness on that 6th day. The increments I can go have been slowing in their rate of length increase. It may be that I will never produce a healthy amount on my own, and will need to supplement the Wellbutrin with a very low dose of Lexapro, but in the meantime I’m trying it while looking for safe ways to increase my serotonin, so I’m going to increase the tryptophan foods and push the behavioral remedies more too. Exercise is hard while I’m So tired, but I know it’s important for everything:), and it does boost my mood immediately:). Thanks again for your article and for reading all this!

]]> By: Jennifer http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2024 Jennifer Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:54:10 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2024 Thanks for the info!:) There's something I'm not clear on: The list of foods high in tryptophan is almost entirely comprised of foods that are Not carbohydrates. Why don't we crave them instead of carbohydrate rich foods? Is it something like that carbohydrates have lower levels of building blocks for serotonin but act Faster? Another question- since complete serotonin can't pass the blood-brain barrier, does eating serotonin-rich foods help mood at all?- does serotonin outside the brain, and gut,affect mood any? (I assume serotonin in the gut has no effect on mood, but I thought serotonin outside your brain still helped mood because your whole body is involved in mood- I mean, doesn't serotonin originating in the brain then travel through the entire bloodstream, signaling changes that then affect mood by affecting what happens throughout the body?) Thanks for reading! Thanks for the info!:) There’s something I’m not clear on: The list of foods high in tryptophan is almost entirely comprised of foods that are Not carbohydrates. Why don’t we crave them instead of carbohydrate rich foods? Is it something like that carbohydrates have lower levels of building blocks for serotonin but act Faster? Another question- since complete serotonin can’t pass the blood-brain barrier, does eating serotonin-rich foods help mood at all?- does serotonin outside the brain, and gut,affect mood any? (I assume serotonin in the gut has no effect on mood, but I thought serotonin outside your brain still helped mood because your whole body is involved in mood- I mean, doesn’t serotonin originating in the brain then travel through the entire bloodstream, signaling changes that then affect mood by affecting what happens throughout the body?) Thanks for reading!

]]> By: Jennifer http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2866 Jennifer Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:54:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2866 Thanks for the info!:) There's something I'm not clear on: The list of foods high in tryptophan is almost entirely comprised of foods that are Not carbohydrates. Why don't we crave them instead of carbohydrate rich foods? Is it something like that carbohydrates have lower levels of building blocks for serotonin but act Faster? Another question- since complete serotonin can't pass the blood-brain barrier, does eating serotonin-rich foods help mood at all?- does serotonin outside the brain, and gut,affect mood any? (I assume serotonin in the gut has no effect on mood, but I thought serotonin outside your brain still helped mood because your whole body is involved in mood- I mean, doesn't serotonin originating in the brain then travel through the entire bloodstream, signaling changes that then affect mood by affecting what happens throughout the body?) Thanks for reading! Thanks for the info!:) There’s something I’m not clear on: The list of foods high in tryptophan is almost entirely comprised of foods that are Not carbohydrates. Why don’t we crave them instead of carbohydrate rich foods? Is it something like that carbohydrates have lower levels of building blocks for serotonin but act Faster? Another question- since complete serotonin can’t pass the blood-brain barrier, does eating serotonin-rich foods help mood at all?- does serotonin outside the brain, and gut,affect mood any? (I assume serotonin in the gut has no effect on mood, but I thought serotonin outside your brain still helped mood because your whole body is involved in mood- I mean, doesn’t serotonin originating in the brain then travel through the entire bloodstream, signaling changes that then affect mood by affecting what happens throughout the body?) Thanks for reading!

]]> By: Nancy SS http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-1843 Nancy SS Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:49:24 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-1843 This is a very well organized and well written article. Thanks for the imformation and suggestions. This is a very well organized and well written article. Thanks for the imformation and suggestions.

]]> By: Nancy SS http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2865 Nancy SS Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:49:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2865 This is a very well organized and well written article. Thanks for the imformation and suggestions. This is a very well organized and well written article. Thanks for the imformation and suggestions.

]]> By: Carol H http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-1798 Carol H Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:11:55 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-1798 This was an amazing article, because it actually explained why I need to eat right, take my vitamins, and exercise. I thought that those admonitions were just something mothers and doctors said to make you feel guilty... I'm currently on anti-depressants and I'm needing more, but with "more" my restless legs syndrome increases. So I was looking for ways to increase my serotonin level naturally, and I found this article. Thank-you so much for writing this article. It totally makes sense to me, and it also explains why I crave ice cream before bedtime. This was an amazing article, because it actually explained why I need to eat right, take my vitamins, and exercise. I thought that those admonitions were just something mothers and doctors said to make you feel guilty… I’m currently on anti-depressants and I’m needing more, but with “more” my restless legs syndrome increases. So I was looking for ways to increase my serotonin level naturally, and I found this article. Thank-you so much for writing this article. It totally makes sense to me, and it also explains why I crave ice cream before bedtime.

]]> By: Carol H http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2864 Carol H Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:11:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2864 This was an amazing article, because it actually explained why I need to eat right, take my vitamins, and exercise. I thought that those admonitions were just something mothers and doctors said to make you feel guilty... I'm currently on anti-depressants and I'm needing more, but with "more" my restless legs syndrome increases. So I was looking for ways to increase my serotonin level naturally, and I found this article. Thank-you so much for writing this article. It totally makes sense to me, and it also explains why I crave ice cream before bedtime. This was an amazing article, because it actually explained why I need to eat right, take my vitamins, and exercise. I thought that those admonitions were just something mothers and doctors said to make you feel guilty… I’m currently on anti-depressants and I’m needing more, but with “more” my restless legs syndrome increases. So I was looking for ways to increase my serotonin level naturally, and I found this article. Thank-you so much for writing this article. It totally makes sense to me, and it also explains why I crave ice cream before bedtime.

]]> By: carol http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-1698 carol Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:36:06 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-1698 thank you so much, i have passed this along everyone should be armed with this information, it would be a better world. this has helped me to understand my own behavior. carol thank you so much, i have passed this along

everyone should be armed with this information,

it would be a better world. this has

helped me to understand my own behavior.
carol

]]> By: carol http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2863 carol Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:36:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2863 thank you so much, i have passed this along everyone should be armed with this information, it would be a better world. this has helped me to understand my own behavior. carol thank you so much, i have passed this along

everyone should be armed with this information,

it would be a better world. this has

helped me to understand my own behavior.
carol

]]> By: Terri http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-1571 Terri Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:15:58 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-1571 I was on 5HTP and L-tyrosine to raise serotonin and norepinephrine levels. It worked great. But now I've been under a lot of stress again and I'm not sure if my levels are lower than they were. I'm also wondering how these are tested for and if they are accurate. I was given a urine test which showed low levels which increased after the 5HTP regimen. Was this accurate? I don't know, but I feel much better now than I did a year ago. What is 5HTP's role in serotonin? Is it a building block? Great article by the way. It made sense and was easy to understand. I was on 5HTP and L-tyrosine to raise serotonin and norepinephrine levels. It worked great. But now I’ve been under a lot of stress again and I’m not sure if my levels are lower than they were. I’m also wondering how these are tested for and if they are accurate. I was given a urine test which showed low levels which increased after the 5HTP regimen. Was this accurate? I don’t know, but I feel much better now than I did a year ago. What is 5HTP’s role in serotonin? Is it a building block?
Great article by the way. It made sense and was easy to understand.

]]> By: Terri http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2862 Terri Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:15:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2862 I was on 5HTP and L-tyrosine to raise serotonin and norepinephrine levels. It worked great. But now I've been under a lot of stress again and I'm not sure if my levels are lower than they were. I'm also wondering how these are tested for and if they are accurate. I was given a urine test which showed low levels which increased after the 5HTP regimen. Was this accurate? I don't know, but I feel much better now than I did a year ago. What is 5HTP's role in serotonin? Is it a building block? Great article by the way. It made sense and was easy to understand. I was on 5HTP and L-tyrosine to raise serotonin and norepinephrine levels. It worked great. But now I’ve been under a lot of stress again and I’m not sure if my levels are lower than they were. I’m also wondering how these are tested for and if they are accurate. I was given a urine test which showed low levels which increased after the 5HTP regimen. Was this accurate? I don’t know, but I feel much better now than I did a year ago. What is 5HTP’s role in serotonin? Is it a building block?
Great article by the way. It made sense and was easy to understand.

]]> By: Lara Adler http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-1244 Lara Adler Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:31:58 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-1244 This is by far one the most thorough articles I've ever read on serotonin, and the food/mood connection. Fantastic job! I struggled sometimes explaining the connection to clients, but this has just made my job so much easier! This is by far one the most thorough articles I’ve ever read on serotonin, and the food/mood connection. Fantastic job!

I struggled sometimes explaining the connection to clients, but this has just made my job so much easier!

]]> By: Lara Adler http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2861 Lara Adler Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:31:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2861 This is by far one the most thorough articles I've ever read on serotonin, and the food/mood connection. Fantastic job! I struggled sometimes explaining the connection to clients, but this has just made my job so much easier! This is by far one the most thorough articles I’ve ever read on serotonin, and the food/mood connection. Fantastic job!

I struggled sometimes explaining the connection to clients, but this has just made my job so much easier!

]]> By: Dopaine http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-1145 Dopaine Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:14:06 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-1145 Thanks a lot! I have been wondering about this thing so long and it seems to be that I am not too crazy after all. Thanks a lot! I have been wondering about this thing so long and it seems
to be that I am not too crazy after all.

]]> By: Dopaine http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/06/understanding-bodies-serotonin-connection-between-food-and-mood/comment-page-1/#comment-2860 Dopaine Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:14:00 +0000 http://nutritionwonderland.com/?p=702#comment-2860 Thanks a lot! I have been wondering about this thing so long and it seems to be that I am not too crazy after all. Thanks a lot! I have been wondering about this thing so long and it seems
to be that I am not too crazy after all.

]]>