Symptoms of serotonin deficiency:
depression
anxiety
food cravings especially for sweets or carbohydrates
low libido
inability to focus or concentrate
irritability
feelings of emptiness or worthlessness
difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
aches and pains that don’t have an obvious cause
How is serotonin deficiency diagnosed?
A serotonin deficiency is diagnosed with a blood test that measures the amount of serotonin in your bloodstream.
How is it treated?
Serotonin deficiency is treated with medications that increase serotonin levels, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep, can also help improve serotonin levels. Therapy may also be recommended to help address any underlying emotional issues that may be contributing to the serotonin deficiency.
The most common symptoms of serotonin deficiency are depression, anxiety, food cravings especially for sweets or carbohydrates, low libido, inability to focus or concentrate, irritability, feelings of emptiness or worthlessness, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, and aches and pains that don’t have an obvious cause.
Serotonin deficiency is typically diagnosed with a blood test to measure the amount of serotonin in your bloodstream. It’s treated with medications that increase serotonin levels, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep, can also help improve serotonin levels. Therapy may also be recommended to help address any underlying emotional issues that may be contributing to the serotonin deficiency.
Symptoms of serotonin deficiency are depression, anxiety , food cravings especially for sweets or carbohydrates , low libido , inability to focus or concentrate , irritability , feelings of emptiness or worthlessness , difficulty sleeping or oversleeping , recurrent thoughts of death or suicide , and aches and pains that don’t have an obvious cause .
A serotonin deficiency is typically diagnosed with a blood test to measure the amount of serotonin in your bloodstream. It’s treated with medications that increase serotonin levels, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep, can also help improve serotonin levels. Therapy may also be recommended to help address any underlying emotional issues that may be contributing to the serotonin deficiency.
Low serotonin symptoms headache:
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine. It’s believed to play a significant role in diagnosing migraine headache, depression and anxiety disorders. Serotonin has been found to have an affect on pain perception, appetite suppression and mood regulation. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, low serotonin levels can cause problems with sleep patterns and decrease your ability to handle stress. By supplementing your diet with a healthy dose of Vitamin B6, you may be able to combat low serotonin symptoms associated with these disorders.
Here are 11 steps that can help assist you in increasing your serotonin levels naturally:
1- Reduce Your Caloric Intake :
This will keep your caloric intake down while not forcing your body to go into a starvation mode. Simply put, our bodies will do anything to survive – including lowering your serotonin levels – if they think there is a shortage of food coming in.
2- Increase Water Intake :
Make sure to drink plenty of water as this can help flush your system and keep you hydrated throughout the day. Water also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which contribute to increasing serotonin production.
3- Get More Vitamin B6 :
Foods such as chicken breast, salmon, lean beef, and fortified cereals contain healthy doses of Vitamin B6 that can help combat low serotonin symptoms by helping increase the number of neurotransmitters that are available for use by the body.
4- Eat Complex Sugars :
This includes fruits containing antioxidants such as blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. These fruits help to increase the production of serotonin in the body and improve your overall mood.
5- Avoid Simple Sugars :
Foods such as candy bars, soda, cake and other desserts are loaded with unhealthy amounts of simple sugars. Consuming these foods will not only make you feel lousy in the short-term, but can also cause your serotonin levels to drop in the long run.
6- Get Regular Exercise :
Exercise releases endorphins, which have been shown to help improve your mood and fight off feelings of depression or anxiety. A moderate amount of exercise is all that is needed to see positive results; however, if you’re just starting out, don’t overdo it!
7- Increase Your Intake of Healthy Fats :
Eating healthy fats on a regular basis can help curb your appetite and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time, which is good news for those looking to lose weight. Healthy fats include foods such as olive oil, fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, nuts and legumes.
8- Avoid Caffeine & Alcohol :
Both caffeine and alcohol have been shown to interfere with serotonin production in the body by disrupting the tryptophan-serotonin cycle. Consuming these substances on a daily basis will only result in low serotonin symptoms worsening over time due to the fact that they are stimulants. While it may be difficult at first, avoid consuming either one if you are trying to increase serotonin levels.
9- Get More Vitamin D :
You can get more Vitamin D by exposing yourself to the sun for short periods of time, which is a great way to improve your mood and overall outlook on life. While it’s ok to enjoy some time in the sun, too much exposure can be dangerous, so try to figure out what works best for you.
10- Maximize Your Magnesium Intake :
Low magnesium levels have been associated with several conditions such as migraines and mood disorders that are known to cause low serotonin symptoms. Getting plenty of magnesium helps regulate serotonin levels naturally while also helping decrease stress and ease anxiety. Foods high in magnesium include dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale, legumes, tofu, whole grains and nuts.
11- Supplements :
If you find that you are still struggling with low serotonin symptoms, despite incorporating the tips mentioned above into your daily routine, then it may be time to consider supplements. There are a variety of different supplements available on the market that have been shown to help increase serotonin levels, such as 5-HTP and SAM-e.
Low serotonin symptoms in males:
1- Try to Maximize Your Omega-3 Intake :
Getting more omega-3s into your diet will help improve low serotonin symptoms by increasing the levels of tryptophan in the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in foods such as wild salmon and sardines, flaxseeds and walnuts; however, you may find that taking a high quality supplement is easier for you!
2- Increase Your B Vitamins :
Foods such as chicken breast, tuna, bananas and avocados are all great sources of B vitamins that can help boost serotonin levels naturally. While there are many different types of B vitamins , it’s mainly Vitamin B6 that has been shown to have an effect on low serotonin production.
3- Try to Exercise More Often :
Exercise releases endorphins, which act as natural mood enhancers. This means that increasing how often you workout or exercise can really help with low serotonin symptoms and improve your overall mood. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout either; just something that gets your heart rate up for a short period of time will do the trick!
4- Change Your Eating Habits :
Make sure you’re eating plenty of whole foods on a daily basis rather than processed carbohydrates or refined sugars. These types of foods have been shown to disrupt neurotransmitter levels in the brain and actually worsen low serotonin symptoms over time. Try to stick with complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, brown rice and quinoa instead!
5- Supplement With Tyrosine :
If you still find that your low serotonin symptoms are leading to depressive tendencies, it may be a good idea to supplement with tyrosine. Tyrosine is an amino acid that can help boost levels of noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain, which also boosts overall mood. Foods high in tyrosine include almonds, avocados and bananas as well as chicken and other lean meats!
6- Improve Your Gut Health :
The health of your gut can have a huge effect on how well your body is able to produce serotonin naturally. This is because around 90 percent of serotonin production occurs within the gastrointestinal tract . In recent years, so called ‘leaky gut syndrome’ has been associated with low serotonin. This is because when it becomes overloaded with toxins, the gut finds it difficult to produce serotonin.
7- Say Goodbye To Your Sugar Habit :
As well as processed carbohydrates being shown to worsen low serotonin symptoms, studies have also shown that sugar can play a part in mental health issues too. The reason for this is simple; sugar actually inhibits the production of tryptophan . While this may not be an issue for most people, if you are someone who struggles with depression or anxiety it may cause more harm than good!
8- Keep Stress Levels As Low As Possible :
Having ever increasing levels of stress in your life will only lead to more feelings of irritability and unhappiness. This is why dealing with low serotonin symptoms can become so difficult; it’s a vicious circle! The best way to combat this is to try and find ways to relax and de-stress regularly. This could be something as simple as reading a book, taking a bath or practicing yoga or meditation.